Why do my cakes split??

Question

I am a pretty avid baker, and every one I know raves about my cookies and cupcakes.

When I try to bake sheet cakes, however, the cake doesn't rise evenly, creating a mound down the center and dipping towards the edges, and there is always a long split lengthwise down the cake.

Most of the time, I end up covering it with icing to mask the split, but with the way that the cake rises, the cakes still don't turn out very well. They taste amazing, but look terrible.

I have tried both premade mixes and mixes from scratch, both with the same outcomes.

I have also used several different ovens, also producing the same outcome.

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

First, try spreading more of the batter to the outer edges. It will look a little like there is a dip in the middle,but that's okay.
Second, try placing a small pan of water in the oven with the cake as it bakes. Your oven may be too dry or too hot, the water will help correct this. That tip is also helpful if you bake a cheesecake.
Once the cake is in the oven for 10 minutes, lower the temp 10 degrees and continue to bake as normal.
Good luck! The world needs more bakers!!!

Answer 2

Hopefully one of these might help, there is a whole heap of reasons why this might be happening:

* Cooking the cake for too long.
*Oven temperature too hot, you can buy an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven, (if it is way off the oven will need to be recalibrated)
*Not baked in the right position in the oven, not so much of a problem if your oven is fan forced but if its at the top of the oven your cake might be getting to hot too fast setting the outside of the cake before the inside has had a chance to rise.
*Using the wrong sized pan, if it is too large the cake will cook too fast.
*Over mixing, check the speed on your mixer to make sure your not beating it too much with that wooden spoon!
Pans are too close to each other in the oven can also make a difference in the heat and so how they cook.


Am sure you do this anyway but...
If you do get stuck with a domed cake use a serrated knife to cut away the dome. Turn the cake so its cut side town. Ice your cake and you'll still end up with a straight cake with a nice flat top. And cake crumbs for making something else!

Good luck with the baking!

Answer 3

Cake Split In Half

Answer 4

All of these problems can indicate overbaking which results from too hot an oven or too long a bake time.

Holes and tunnels, and splits can also be caused by:

Failure to scrape bottom/sides of bowl when mixing batter

Excessive lumpy mix (blend dry mix at low speed to break up lumps before adding liquid

Answer 5

Let it cool on the counter completely, then stick it in the freezer for about an hour. The cake will harden enough for you to take it out of the pan without it breaking. This is also helpful for when you frost it because it doesn't crumble and you don't get cake bits in the frosting.

Answer 6

This is going to seem very simple but make sure you spray the cake pan, and before you put it in the oven. Tap the sheet cake pan (while the batter is in it) on a counter. To even the batter.

Answer 7

My kids used to surprize me making a layer cake, unfortunately they took it out hot and didn't cool it long enough so when they put them together they split in 3 pieces. They used to agonize over this til we went ahead and iced it-man did it taste good!! So, as long as the consistency is right who cares.

Answer 8

fill a bigger pan with a little water (about 1/4") and put your cake batter pan inside of it and bake. This works with cheesecakes to prevent cracking, it should work with cake too.

Answer 9

maybe you leave in the cake for too long, it happened to me i made a cake and left it in longer than it should have been and it split and rose.
so either lower the temp or keep it in for a shorter time.
im not exactly sure if thats gunna work but its worth a try.
good luck with that.

Answer 10

i usually spread it evenly by moving the bowl back and forth and a pace. after i shake it and hit the pan on a surface to take out the bubbles. if you want let it set so the cake will even out.