Shrinking Cakes

Baking By overture Updated 21 Apr 2015 , 6:32pm by overture

overture Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
overture Posted 20 Apr 2015 , 11:32pm
post #1 of 4

How do you keep your cakes from shrinking once they come out of the oven?  They're beautiful in the oven, I take them out, and while they're cooling they shrink.  I've taken them out of the pans immediately, and I've left them in the pans.  Both ways produce the same results.  Any tips?  Thank you!!

3 replies
MelaMang75 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MelaMang75 Posted 21 Apr 2015 , 12:21am
post #2 of 4

The best tip I know is to start them out on a higher temp and reduce the temp down after about 10-15 minutes of baking.  It'll make them rise faster and hold that way better.  If it's a cake mix, it's probable due to them changing the recipe a couple years back.  I find that adding a tablespoon of cake flour helps.  :)

kakeladi Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
kakeladi Posted 21 Apr 2015 , 2:26am
post #3 of 4

ALL cake shrink some while cooling (usually about 1/2" on each side).   How much shrinkage you are experiencing?

As the other poster mentioned it does depend on the recipe you are using - mix or scratch.  Have you tried my *original* WASC recipe?  You should not experience much shrinking with it.

I bake my cakes starting at a *lower* temp - 300 degrees - for about 20 minutes (depending on the size being baked) then turn the temp up to 325 for about an equal amoun t of time.  This prevents the famous hump most cakes develop and assures a moist, tender finished cake.    I seldom go by minutes but know when a cake is 'done' by the wonderful smell of cake baking.  When you can smell it in the next room you know it's done (or *almost*) and need to check it and take it out before it drys out from over baking.    Maybe that is your problem - maybe you are over baking you cakes.

overture Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
overture Posted 21 Apr 2015 , 6:32pm
post #4 of 4

I'm using a Paula Dean strawberry cake recipe.  It is amazingly delicious, but it seems to shrink more than usual and I'm using it for a wedding cake.  MelaMang75, that's a good tip about the cake flour!  I'll give that a shot.  Kakeladi and MelaMang, I bake in convection at 325 degrees, and the cake bakes pretty evenly.  I do that with all of my cakes, and they're never dry.  Maybe it's just this particular recipe that is the problem - it would be a great dessert cake, but as a wedding cake it's not turning out to be ideal.  So one of you mentioned starting at a higher temp, the other a lower temp.  I'll have to try them both sometime and see what works best, but since my deadline is looming I'll probably use the cake flour addition and hope it works.  I've never tried your WASC recipe, but have seen a lot about it on the site.  I'll definitely give it a try soon.  Thanks for your help, ladies!

 

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%