Serrated knife

A University of Illinois Extension article describes the serrated knife as having a long 8 to 10 inch blade with a sawtooth edge. It says the knife slices through foods with a tough outer surface, such as breads, tomatoes and cakes, without crushing the soft interior.

Bakers use it with a gentle sawing motion rather than pressing straight down, which lets the teeth bite into the crust or crumb. This is the tool of choice for slicing bread loaves, trimming the domed tops off cake layers, and splitting sponge cakes into even layers for filling.

Because the edge is made of small points, it stays effective even when it is not razor sharp, but it can tear very delicate or sticky cakes if too much pressure is used. Wiping the blade clean between cuts keeps slices neat, and a long blade lets you cut across a whole cake in a single smooth pass.