Cake Sink In The Middle?

Decorating By jmethebaker Updated 12 Aug 2009 , 9:20pm by JanH

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jmethebaker Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 1:59am
post #1 of 10

How do i get my cake to bake completely even, i had a number of cakes do this on me and then when i level it out i feel like i waste a lot of the cake .

I really think it may be the recipe... does any one have a GREAT white cake recipe? for a wedding cake? then of course it could be completely my fault and if it is i'm the first to admit!

I've been searching and searching and trying and trying-
but nothing seems to be the RIGHT one.

can anyone help me with this?
icon_cry.gif

9 replies
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MrsMabe Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 11:50am
post #3 of 10

I've learned a couple of tips that might help you. First, try not to overmix. Overmixing puts air in the batter, which can cause it to sink. Also, bake at a lower temperature. Then once your cake comes out of the oven, place a clean towel over the cake and press down firmly. That'll flatten out the top, so less to trim and waste.

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ybeal Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 12:32pm
post #4 of 10

also don't open the door during cooking - I use to do that to check for doneness, I'm getting better at eyeballing it now and not so many problems. Some people also use flower nails in center for larger sizes.

HTH! good luck

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rainbow_kisses Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 1:11pm
post #5 of 10

sinking normaly indicates that it is not quite cooked in the middles. you could try turning down the heat and cooking for a little longer, for a cake over 10" try putting a metal flowernail pin up in the centre ofthe pan before you pour in the batter. you can also buy a special heat core that does the same thing.

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CookieD-oh Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 1:41pm
post #6 of 10

I had been baking cakes for years and never had a problem with sinking/falling until last year (scratch white cakes only). At first I was baffled, then I realised that the only thing that changed was that I was using my new KitchenAid. Oops. Overmixed the snot out of the cakes. So I made the same cake and mixed with a wooden spoon. No falling. I'm going to try the WASC recipe next time, so I can use my KitchenAid again!

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Larkin121 Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 3:24pm
post #7 of 10

Some cakes do seem to be more prone to sinking in the middle than others. My white cake recipe is like that, so I've been trying to work on that. I've found a flower nail in the middle helps with bigger sizes for sure.

I see people saying to lower the temperature... I don't recall the sites, but I have read in several places that too LOW a temperature can cause cakes to sink (too high causes domes). So I am not sure that's the answer, you'd have to try it with your recipe. I know that with my white cake and one of my chocolate cakes, if I lower the temp to 325 for more than the first 10 minutes, they will sink every time. But if I bump up to or start with 350, they are MUCH better.

It might just take some experimenting with your recipes. Scratch recipes are very picky. icon_smile.gif

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Caralinc Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 3:38pm
post #8 of 10

I have heard a lot about the flower nail method and am curious how this works. Can someone explain this process. Do you just place the flower nail in the center of the pan? How does the flower nail help?? Thanks

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jmethebaker Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 8:05pm
post #9 of 10

I am new to the cake baking/decorating community and i am wondering is it common to use cake box recipes/enhanced mixes?

what is all of you opinions on your favorite?
is it WASC?

thanks again! icon_biggrin.gif

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JanH Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 9:20pm
post #10 of 10

Hi and Welcome to CC, jmethebaker. icon_smile.gif

Decoding CC acronyms:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926-.html

Everything you need to know to make, decorate and assemble tiered/stacked/layer cakes:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-605188-.html

The above superthread has popular CC recipes for crusting American buttercreams and several types of fondant as well as WASC cake (with flavor variations) - and so much more.

There is:

baking help, hints and tips (flower nails, bake-even strips, lower oven temp., making your own pan grease, etc.)

smoothing and stacking help

illustrations of common cake support systems with complete directions

and more....

Get comfy, it's a long read. icon_lol.gif

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