---
title: "Jiggle test: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "The jiggle test checks if a custard, cheesecake or pie is baked by gently shaking it. The edges should be set while the center wobbles slightly."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/jiggle-test"
---

# Jiggle test

The jiggle test checks if a custard, cheesecake or pie is baked by gently shaking it. The edges should be set while the center wobbles slightly.

Also called Wobble test, Jiggle, Slight wobble.

The jiggle test is a way to tell whether a baked custard is done. You gently nudge the pan and watch how the filling moves. Cheesecake, baked custard, crème brûlée, flan, pumpkin pie and quiche are judged this way. A [toothpick test](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/toothpick-test) does not work for these, because a creamy filling always leaves something on the pick.

## How to do it

1. Wear oven mitts. Pull the oven rack out a little, or lift the pan carefully.
2. Tap the side of the pan, or give it a short, gentle shake side to side.
3. Watch the surface of the filling as it moves.
4. If it is not ready, close the oven and check again in 5 minutes.

## How to tell it is done

* Done: the outer part of the filling is [set](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/set) and moves as one piece with the pan. Only the center, about 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 inches) across for a cheesecake, wobbles like set gelatin. The wobble is a smooth, slow jiggle, with no waves.
* Not done: the filling ripples in waves or sloshes, the center looks liquid or glossy and wet, or the jiggling area is much wider than the center.
* Overdone: nothing moves at all, the edges puff up and crack, or the top shows cracks.

For more certainty, use a thermometer in the center. Cheesecake is usually done at about 65 to 71°C (150 to 160°F), baked custards such as crème brûlée and flan at about 77 to 80°C (170 to 175°F), and quiche at about 71°C (160°F).

## Why it works

Egg proteins set as they heat, starting at the edges, which heat first. When the center still has a slight wobble, it is only a few degrees from set. [Carryover cooking](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/carryover-cooking) and cooling finish the job. Waiting until the middle stops moving means the edges overcook, curdle and crack.

## Common mistakes

* Shaking too hard. Everything moves, and you cannot judge it.
* Waiting for a firm center. The custard will be rubbery or cracked when it cools.
* Opening the oven often. Each opening lets heat out and adds time.
* Cooling too fast. Turn off the oven and leave a cheesecake inside with the door ajar for about an hour, to avoid cracks.

## In recipes

"Bake until set at the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center" is the jiggle test in words. "Bake until just set" means the same.

## Related terms

* [SetIn recipes, set means a liquid has firmed into a solid that holds its shape, as with custard, jam, jelly, eggs and chocolate. Here is how to check it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/set)
* [Carryover cookingCarryover cooking is the rise in temperature inside meat after it leaves the heat. A big roast can climb 3 to 8°C (5 to 15°F), so take it out early.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/carryover-cooking)
* [Toothpick testThe toothpick test checks if a cake is baked by pushing a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it is done.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/toothpick-test)
* [Bain-marieA bain-marie is a hot water bath that cooks or melts food gently, such as custards, cheesecakes and chocolate. Here is how to set one up.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bain-marie)
* [Internal temperatureInternal temperature is the heat at the center of food, read with a probe thermometer. It is the surest way to know meat, fish and bread are done and safe.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/internal-temperature)

[More in doneness and temperature](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/doneness-and-temperature)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)