Why Did My Cake Sink?

A sunken cake is not a failure. It is a crime scene, and here are the suspects.

A cake rises as gas expands, then it sets as the proteins and starches firm up. If the rise gets ahead of the set, the middle falls.

The usual suspects

• Underbaked. This is the most common cause. A toothpick should come out with only a few moist crumbs, and the cake should spring back when touched.
• Door opened too soon. The sudden cool air collapses a cake that has not set. Wait until at least two-thirds of the bake time has passed.
• Too much leavening. More baking powder is not more lift. Too much makes the bubbles grow large and burst.
• Old baking powder. Drop a teaspoon in hot water. If it does not fizz, replace it.
• Oven too hot or too cool. See our oven testing guide and test yours.
• Overbeaten batter. After the flour goes in, mix only until combined.

How to rescue it

Level off the raised edges and fill the dip with frosting, and no one will be any the wiser. Or cut it into pieces and layer them with cream and fruit, then tell everyone you made a trifle on purpose. This has worked for bakers for centuries.

Keep notes

Write down what you changed each time, in a log like ours or on the back of an envelope. Your next cake is going to be better because of this one.