I bought 5 DH french vanilla mixes this week and used them to make WASC. This recipe always turns out great and I always use DH mixes. This time they all sunk in the middle (every singe batch)... grrr. I kept thinking, I must be doing something wrong, so I turned up the oven to 350 and the last batch did better, but still didn't really rise. Because I threw out the first batch, I had to pull out another mix that I'd purchased a while back. It turned out perfect. Do you ever just get a bad batch of cake mixes? That's the only thing I can think of. I'm assuming they'll be ok to use as long as I level them??

Just venting about time and materials wasted...

its possible
did you check the expiration date??
maybe one of the ingredients in the mix was old.

Yeah, I checked the exp date after the first cake and they weren't supposed to expire until next year. There must've just been something old or bad in the mix. I just wondered if anyone else had had mix problems.

Jennifer the EXACT same thing happened to me this morning. I used the recipe for Delicious Large Quantity Cake Mix from this site. It has turned out perfectly in the past (I use 1/2 a recipe). This morning, it was sunken in the middle after baking. The only thing I can think of is that the oven temp was listed as 375 and I had it at 350. I am new to all this so I really have no idea what else it could be. I use DH mixes and they have always worked in the past. Good date on it too......I'm trying it again at 375 this time...wish me luck

Good luck! I know it's frustrating!

I have had mixed where the package wasn't sealed. It was split right where the seam should be down the center of the package. I know this doesn't help with your problem, but with them coming out of a factory things can be wrong.

I've actually used expired cake mixes without problems... they're not hugely expired, but over. I just can't bring myself to waste them. With WASC, you must be careful NOT to over beat. The original posting alludes to using a hand mixer which is how I always mix this particular cake. I have read posts by others who just throw everything in their KA and have no problems with it. I'm just alway cautious when working with egg whites... they don't like to be over beaten. Earlier in the week there was a post running on the ORIGINAL White Almond Sour Cream cake which calls for whole eggs. As well, I've made a white sour cream cake for ages which also calls for the whole eggs. When I use the whole eggs, I never have trouble with sunken middles.

I have also been using the flower nails and/or baking strips which cuts down on this problem as well.

HTH!

Thanks Win! That's a lot to take into consideration next time. I used a heating core. I've been thinking about trying the "orginal WASC." Do you notice much of a difference in the taste?

Thanks for posting that Evelyn. I was starting to wonder if I was crazy too! LOL!

Looking through the forums, I found another "disaster" thread that mentioned the site "Joy of Baking" (I can't find it or I'd list it here) and it explained sunken cakes. I think I may have mixed mine too long after I added the flour. Sooooooo, I tried it again, following the directions very carefully and baking at the listed temp. The cake still sunk. So I iced it with canned frosting and the hubby is eating it... He says it tastes fine.... But he eats icing from the can Oh well... Next cake, I'm starting very early.....just in case.