I posted the following on one of the recipe threads, but I think this thread gets more traffic!:

Hi!

I'm making my niece's wedding cake next week. I recently tried a Cake Mix Doctor yellow cake recipe that was delicious and I'd like to use it for the wedding, but when I baked it in 8-inch layers, it fell in the middle a little bit. I need to tweak the recipe, or choose a new one, because if it sinks in an 8-inch pan, there's no way it will work in a 14-inch!

Here's the recipe:

Basic Sour Cream Yellow Cake

1 plain yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

I'm wondering if the fat or sugar content of this recipe is too high. Also, I live in a high-altitude area, so that could be a contributing factor. The texture of the cake was good and it rose just fine initially--it just fell a little bit in the center towards the end of baking.

Any ideas?

I'd be happy to take other cake-mix based recipe suggestions as well. I'm looking for a yellow cake that's moist, but has a fairly firm texture that will hold up well as a wedding cake.

Thank you!

Ntertaynme was kind enough to post the following on the other thread:

http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/baking/articles/154P1.asp

http://www.uwyo.edu/CES/Centsible/AltitudeAdjusters.PDF#search='high%20altitude%20baking%20%20%20cake%20mixes'

here are a couple links that may help .. I live almost below sea level so I know basically nothing about high altitudes lol

_________________
Cheryl
www.legateaux.com
  

And I responded:


I noticed in another forum that you recently made a wedding cake using the SuperEnhanced Cake formula recipe from this site. Maybe I should try that recipe? What do you think of the flavor? Texture?

Has anyone tried that recipe in a high altitude? Anyone?

Thanks,

Holly

The super enhanced cake mix is dense and I thought very moist too .. I'm not sure how it'd do in higher altitudes .. maybe someone that's used it or one similar could better answer that question

Well, it is not uncommon for a recipe with sour cream in it to sink a bit in the middle. I have a chocolate one and some whites ones that do just that. It is a natural characteristic of certain cakes to do so, due to the rich combination of ingredients. It is no big deal, you just have to be aware of it. It doesn't mean that it is a bad recipe or anything else. IF you have cooked the cake through and it sinks a bit while cooking or while cooling, it may well just be a characteristic of that recipe. Like I said this is quite common with recipes using sour cream.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Meant to add this, depending on the recipe, some cakes need to support themselves on the sides while the centre rises. Now bakers normally do not grease the sides of their pans the way that we do, only the bottoms. Then when the cake comes out of the oven they loosen the sides with a knife and allow to cool the standard length of time before removing from the pan. This enables the cake to support itself on the sides as it rises. Because we grease the sides, the cake cannot do this and this may aid in the sinking in the middle aspect.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Yes, haha and I didn't just make it up, it is in a baking theory book that the local college uses for teaching baking.
Also, with most cheesecakes you do not grease the pan, same reason, that is why it is a good idea to use a knife to separate the cake from the sides as soon as it comes out of the oven so it doesn't have a chance to fall in the centre. Well, that and having a pan of water in the oven helps a lot with cheesecakes.
Hugs Squirrelly

Mmmm...now I'm craving cheesecake!

Thanks for your input.

HollyPJ,
That SourCreamYellowCake is the only one that I use for my wedding cakes (I used to use a scratch recipe). I have tweaked the recipe some. I add 1/2 cup sugar instead of the 1/4, I add milk in place of the water, & I add a little more oil, not a 1/2 cup just maybe a tsp more. That recipe is so good that way! The middles never sink. Do you open the oven door during baking? That might be the problem. I never open the door during cooking. The oil & sugar are too low. You can hardly taste a flavor when using 1/4 cup sugar. I forgot.. I add a teaspoon & 1/2 of vanilla. Try it that way, I think you will like it better~

oops, I must have skipped over the part about the high altitude! I just saw that! Sorry! I live in VERY low altitude... bayou country SO... what works for me.. might not work for you~

I baked a yellow cake last week, the one for Samuell with the edible image, and it sank in the middle too, but I had added 2/3 cup of white chocolate chips to it...that cake was absolutely greasy, and the bottom stayed in the pan with the choc chips...I totally overdid the "enhancements"!

Needless to say I had to bake a second one, (with less chips, and I used the ones that are white and dark chocolate...the white chocolate chips have more fat in them), and it came out fine and tasted great! Janice