Cake falls in the middle. Please help!?!?

Question

I did a whole wheat cake. Why did it fall in the middle after raising in the oven? Is it becuase of the baking powder or the baking soda? Or is it becuse of the quantity of eggs? Please suggest some recipes please!

Answer 1

It's underbaked, make sure you use a good flour like cake flour.

whole wheat flour is usually used for bagels and pretzels because of the thick strong gluten development in the flour.

Baking soda and baking soda do not matter in this situation. YOU DO NOT USE YEAST IN CAKES!!!!

But if you make a cake with cake flour (chocolate cake) that falls in the middle you come out with a chocolate souffle cake that has this tasty fudgy center that is to die for!

Answer 2

What makes cakes fall?"



What are some of the problems that make a cake fall? Every cake I bake caves in the middle. Thanks.
— Unhappy Cake Baker
Still have more questions? You'll find more answers in our archived monthly feature articles by the Inquisitive Cooks.

(Meet the Inquisitive Cooks)



Dear Unhappy Cake Baker,

It's annoying to go to all the work of making a cake, anticipating a special treat ... and then have it fall! Perhaps it's some comfort to learn that it's likely happened to most of us at some point in our cooking careers. But you're wise to look for reasons as to why your cakes are collapsing.

Sometimes it's the fault of a poorly designed recipe. Other times it's measuring incorrectly or not accurately following the method of a particular recipe. We can likely eliminate these reasons in your case, however, because you mention that every cake falls in the middle.


Submit your own Science of Cooking question by sending it to: inquisitivecooks@exploratorium... (Please include your name and location.)

We regret that we are unable to answer all questions.

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One reason that comes to mind immediately is that the temperature inside your oven differs from the temperature indicated on the oven dial. All ovens need recalibrating occasionally. If the oven temperature is too low, the structure of the cake may not set sufficiently, even though it may have been in the oven for the recommended amount of time. Thus, it collapses once it's removed from the oven. You can check your oven's accuracy by buying an inexpensive oven thermometer, found at hardware and cooking stores. Sometimes it's surprising to find a considerable temperature discrepancy between the dial and the oven.

Also check for doneness with a cake tester or skewer inserted just off-center in the cake. If it comes out with wet batter clinging, it needs more time in the oven. Many factors affect the exact time each cake takes to bake, so don't simply use the time recommended by the recipe. You, the cook, are the best judge of when your cake is done.

Occasionally cooks assume that they can reduce the amount of sugar or fat in a cake recipe to save on calories. However, both these ingredients have a strong influence on the texture and volume of baked products, so you can't arbitrarily mess with sugar and fat proportions and assume that the cake will be the same. Sugar also affects the temperature at which the cake sets, so changing proportions also changes baking times.

Perhaps, too, your baking powder is old and no longer effective. Baking powder keeps for about a year, providing it's stored with the lid on tightly. You can test its effectiveness by dissolving one teaspoon in a cup of hot water. If lots of tiny bubbles form and rise, it's still working. If not, replace it.

We'll bet that one of the above reasons applies. Wishing you lofty cakes that bake as they should!

Answer 3

What makes cakes fall?"



What are some of the problems that make a cake fall? Every cake I bake caves in the middle. Thanks.
— Unhappy Cake Baker
Still have more questions? You'll find more answers in our archived monthly feature articles by the Inquisitive Cooks.

(Meet the Inquisitive Cooks)



Dear Unhappy Cake Baker,

It's annoying to go to all the work of making a cake, anticipating a special treat ... and then have it fall! Perhaps it's some comfort to learn that it's likely happened to most of us at some point in our cooking careers. But you're wise to look for reasons as to why your cakes are collapsing.

Sometimes it's the fault of a poorly designed recipe. Other times it's measuring incorrectly or not accurately following the method of a particular recipe. We can likely eliminate these reasons in your case, however, because you mention that every cake falls in the middle.


Submit your own Science of Cooking question by sending it to: [e-mail]. (Please include your name and location.)

We regret that we are unable to answer all questions.

Read more Cooks' Q&A

One reason that comes to mind immediately is that the temperature inside your oven differs from the temperature indicated on the oven dial. All ovens need recalibrating occasionally. If the oven temperature is too low, the structure of the cake may not set sufficiently, even though it may have been in the oven for the recommended amount of time. Thus, it collapses once it's removed from the oven. You can check your oven's accuracy by buying an inexpensive oven thermometer, found at hardware and cooking stores. Sometimes it's surprising to find a considerable temperature discrepancy between the dial and the oven.

Also check for doneness with a cake tester or skewer inserted just off-center in the cake. If it comes out with wet batter clinging, it needs more time in the oven. Many factors affect the exact time each cake takes to bake, so don't simply use the time recommended by the recipe. You, the cook, are the best judge of when your cake is done.

Occasionally cooks assume that they can reduce the amount of sugar or fat in a cake recipe to save on calories. However, both these ingredients have a strong influence on the texture and volume of baked products, so you can't arbitrarily mess with sugar and fat proportions and assume that the cake will be the same. Sugar also affects the temperature at which the cake sets, so changing proportions also changes baking times.

Perhaps, too, your baking powder is old and no longer effective. Baking powder keeps for about a year, providing it's stored with the lid on tightly. You can test its effectiveness by dissolving one teaspoon in a cup of hot water. If lots of tiny bubbles form and rise, it's still working. If not, replace it.

We'll bet that one of the above reasons applies. Wishing you lofty cakes that bake as they should!

Answer 4

Sometimes it depends on the temperature of the oven.. Probably to hot so the cake raises when creating steam and then it gives in as the steam escapes. So maybe the temp. at your oven is just a little to hot even when you are baking at the temp the recipe calls for. Every oven has its own tricky glitch just get to know it a little bit more and next time if you are baking at 350* try 325*/330* and see how it goes.

Answer 5

Baking is a precise science. No subsitution.. wheat flour is usually heavy. Falling usually occurs for movement in the critical stage of baking. Some recipes need a "glass" pan. Eggs make a lighter cake. Sorry I have no recipes.

Answer 6

Ckae can fall in the middle because of loud sounds so maybe that was it and you raising the oven had no effect it was just a coincidence.

Answer 7

Did you peek and open the oven door while it was baking? That always makes breads fall in the center.

Answer 8

Room Temperature

Answer 9

Was it because of the oven door opening and closing? Old fashioned cakes would fall with any sort of vibration (slamming doors, etc...)

Answer 10

Believe or not that used to happend to me a lot, until I realized that every time that happened I had my period. I stopped baking with my period and no more caked falls in the middle.