Why is my cake sinking after baking with a soggy-like line in the middle?
I've lately been facing an issue with my cakes whereby they sink and have a soggy-like line near the bottom. It's strange since I am using the same ingredients, same oven, same recipe however the cakes are turning out like this..
It's quite frustrating since these are commercial cakes and I can't sell such cakes to customers.
Best Answer
Those cakes are underbaked, that line at the bottom is a clear sign that the batter hadn't crystallized when it was removed from the oven, so it could not support the cake above. There's a few things that could be happening:
- You changed the recipe or ingredients: if you've made a substitution or changed the recipe you should look at changing it back
- You aren't baking them long enough: changes in the starting temperature of the batter can change the baking time. In the winter your kitchen may be colder so your batter may be colder, or maybe you're pulling ingredients straight from the fridge, if your batter is colder than you need to lengthen the baking time
- Your oven is cooler: it's possible your oven thermostat is mis-reading and your oven is cooler, or maybe you're cramming the oven with many cakes and your oven can't keep to temperature. Also, maybe you're opening the oven door lots and losing heat. Try using an oven thermometer to check the temperature
I would suggest you start testing your cakes for doneness before taking them out, it's not uncommon for ovens to fluctuate so you can't assume that a cake is going to be done at an exact time. Use the poke test and/or an instant read thermometer to check them.
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Quick Answer about "Why is my cake sinking after baking with a soggy-like line in the middle?"
Too much leavening agent like baking soda or powder can cause a cake to rise too high too quickly. The gas from the leavening agents builds up and escapes before the cake bakes through in the center. This causes the center to collapse and makes your cake layers sink in the middle.What causes a wet line in cake?
There are quite a few reasons you could end up with this result. It could be that too much fat has been used to grease the tin; the cake tin wasn't lined sufficiently; the oven was too hot; the cake was left in the oven for too long or a fat that is not suitable for baking has been used.How do you fix a soggy middle of a cake?
So how do you fix undercooked cake? If the cake is undercooked overall, put it back in the oven for 10-15 minutes. If the middle part is still wet, cover the cake with foil and bake for up to 15 minutes. If the bottom is moist, turn off the upper heat or cover with foil, and cook for a few minutes.WHY DID YOUR CAKE SINK IN THE MIDDLE??
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