Help My Cakes Are Sinking In The Center
Decorating By cakesbygrandma Updated 17 Sep 2006 , 5:14pm by jmt1714
I have just finished course 1 and prior to taking the class it had been years since I baked (Kids grew up), Well every cake I bake is sinking in the center and has a fudgey , gooey looking top in the center and the edges are hard. The cake tastes good. What am I doing wrong. Please help as I have to bake a sheet cake next week for my granddaugters birthday and I am nervous. I plan on baking a sheet cake this weekend for practice and I don't want it to come out like my round cakes. Thanks to all the wonderful people at CC for all your help. I have learned so much just reading these forums and I know you will help me solve my problem.
Mine someimes look like that, but they aren't gooey. Is it gooey inside the cake, like it's not done? Try turing you oven down to 325 while baking, that really helps me. Also remember for any cake larger than 10" use a heating core (flower nail is best) to get the center nice and cooked even with the sides.
i'd say that they arent fully baked. If you are using the 3 inch deep pans, this tends to happen more. I ususally use 3 inch pans and it took me awhile to get the hang of it. Here is what I have learned.
1. I always use the bake even strips around the outside of the pan
2. I always use the inverted flower nail in the center of the pan with my 3 inch deep pans (even the 6 inchers...just in case!)
3. Do not open the oven and peek at it! That can cause the cake to fall...then there is no repairing it. When it is time to check it, just crack the oven open. If you see that it is jiggly at all, just close up the oven and wait another 5 minutes or so. If I dont see any jiggling, then I will sometimes gently tap the oven rack and see if I see any more movement. If not then I will pull it out just enough to test it with finger/toothpick. Sometimes if you touch it and it isnt done it will fall too! It all takes a bit of practice to get the timing just right!
Or another thing could be your recipe, but I am banking on it just not being fully done. when it is checked or taken out.
Thank you for your responds. The cakes are not real gooey and do taste fine. The seem to be baked. What is the flower nail? I have never heard of a heating core other than the wilton bake even strips (teacher did not reccomended). Thanks again.
A Flower Nail is the tool you use to make roses and other flowers on.
I usually use them for any cake over 8".
I put the flower nail, flat side down, in the center of the pan before putting in my cake batter. I learned that here on this site, and have never had a cake sink again!
I also bake my cakes at 325 degrees and check them at 28 minutes.
The flower nail is literally just that. It's a large nail with a circular platform stuck to it. You usually would use this make icing roses with but it also makes a great heating core for your cakes without having to take out a big chunk like the conventional heating cores do.
I had the same sinking problem with a wedding cake I was trying to do (I think I was putting too much batter in). I simply greased the cake nail all over and set it upside down in the center of the greased pan before you put the cake mix in (you can use more than one evenly placed in the center if you are doing a large sheet or round cake). Pour the batter in as usual and bake. The flower nail is metal and acts as a heat conductor to cook the middle as evenly as the sides. I found that it works very well and my cakes bake a lot more level with this technique.
To take the nail out, you simply flip your cake over after it cools a bit and the nail pulls right out without leaving a huge chunk missing in the middle.
HTH 
Michele
Two questions:
1. Is that the 8x3 round pan? Is that the one you have had problems with or other pans as well?
2. Did you use the DH Butter Recipe cake mix?
TexasSugar that is the 9 x3 pan it is the only pan that I have tried. It was the DH yellow cake but I have tried other cake mixes and flavors and have the same problem. I have never measured the batter just used all of it. I am going to try the flower nail and measuring the batter so if that helps this weekend. Any suggestions woudl be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I've had problems with the DH butter in the 8x3. I bake all other flavors and haven't had the same problem, so for me it was that one.
Try the suggestions above, if they don't work, you may want to try a 2in tall pan and see if that works better for you.
OK everybody I read and took all your suggestions and baked a cake tonight I turned the oven done to 325 used the flower nail. This was a DH lemon cake same thing only it sinked deeper than the one shown. I cut the cake it was a little gooey in the center, edges where dry and hard. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG. I can't completly learn to decorate if I can't bake a cake. PLEASE HELP. COULD IT BE MY OVEN. OR PLACEMENT OF MY RACK. I HAVE AN ELECTRIC OVEN IT IS ABOUT 2 YEARS OLD. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP. Maria
I too was having this problem and and some of you recommended the flower nail, I LOVE IT 
It really works. I also had 2 wedding cakes this week and I used the cake extender recipe with my DH cake mix and I am so hooked 
. I love the taste and the texture. Also, someone talked about the bettercreme frost and fill that you can get at Sams club. I also bought that and used it on my wedding cakes. WONDERFUL, a real time saver. I just love CC and all the wonderful tips
How long did you bake it? I've found using a 2 or 3 inch pan increases the baking time significantly. I use mixes most of the time when I bake. The box will recommend something like 2 eight inch rounds 34 to 38 minutes, but I believe they are talking about 1 - 1 1/2 inch deep pans. I set my oven at 325 for 60 minutes for all my 10 inch x 2 inch pans.
I'm excited to try the nail as a heating core, that's a great tip.
Good luck!!
Does it sink only after you open the oven door or take it out of the oven? Or does it never really rise in the center at all? I really think it must be the temperature or baking time. I usually have to bake a 8x3 inch round for at least 60 or more minutes at 350. Have you tried the bake even strips too?
use the baking strips, as this will help reduce the hardness of the edges (overbaking). Also, do not open the oven door until the hour is up (and I agree on the hour baking time - maybe less if you are using a convection oven). Every time i do that (open it early to check) I end up getting a sunken center.
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