Sometimes a cake “falls,” or sinks in the middle during or after baking. Assuming the recipe you’re using is accurate and otherwise “good,” there are several reasons that a cake may not achieve expected volume.
- Inaccurate measuring of ingredients may affect the structure of a cake. Or, the leavener used might have lost some of its leavening power. Other reasons that cakes fall have to do with the temperature of the oven, the way the pan is prepared, and the way the cake is cooled.
- Baking a cake at too high a temperature will cause the sides and top of the cake to set before the interior is fully baked. The cake may rise in the oven and appear to have reached its full volume. However, when you take the cake from the oven to cool, it falls quickly.
- Foam cakes, like sponge or angel food cakes, may fall if they are jarred or jostled while they bake. In this regard, they are quite similar to soufflés; even an especially loud noise might make the cake fall.
- A very rapid change in temperature may also be responsible for a cake’s falling. Opening and closing the oven door too often causes the temperature to drop; this can also lead to a flatter-than-expected cake. A cake transferred directly from the oven to the refrigerator will shrink as it cools, whereas a cake left to cool at room temperature is far less likely to fall.
Remember, not all sunken cakes are a loss. Ensure your cake is cooked through by using a toothpick or cake tester in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, you can use the cake either as intended—extra icing or filling can help fill in a divot—or use the baked cake to make a trifle or other layered dessert.
