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Bakes by Brown Sugar

Tuesday Tips: Why Did My Cake Sink in the Center

Published 7 days ago • 1 min read

Hey Reader,

Have you ever pulled a cake out of the oven, looking all gorgeous, only to have it sink in the middle as it cools?

Yeah, me too!

This past week I tested a new recipe for strawberry cupcakes and one of the issues I ran into was the first few batches sank in the middle after rising beautifully in the oven.

The cause? Not enough leavening (aka baking powder) and too much moisture. But the same thing can happen when you have too much baking soda or baking powder.

HERE ARE THE TOP CAUSES FOR A SUNKEN CAKE:

  1. Too much leavening: When there is too much leavening in a batter, the cake rises too fast before the structure (gluten, egg protein) has time to set. All those extra bubbles escape once the cake comes out of the oven, and without anything to hold it up, the center falls.
  2. Too little leavening: In the case of the cupcakes, there wasn't enough leavening to support the weight of the moisture in the cupcakes, so once they came out of the oven and cooled, the steam escaped and the tops collapsed.
  3. Underbaked Cake: The cake wasn't set when it was removed. I typically provide the internal temperature of a lot of my cakes and cupcakes to help ensure you get it right. You can also check for doneness by watching for the cake to pull away from the sides of the pan once it comes out of the oven.
  4. Overmixed the Batter: Overmixing develops too much gluten, which makes the batter dense. The tight strands of gluten don't stretch around the gas bubbles to entrap them, and instead the gas bubbles rise to the surface of the cake and escape.

Here are some cake and cupcake recipes that use whole wheat flour, bread flour, almond flour, or coconut flour.

​Clementine Cake with Whole Clementines​

​Vanilla Bean Cupcakes​

​Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake​

​Apricot Cake with Fresh Apricots​

Happy Baking!

Cheryl

If you ever make any of my recipes, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a comment and a star rating! Your feedback helps me create even better recipes and helps others discover them too! Thanks so much for your support!

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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Bakes by Brown Sugar

Cheryl Norris | recipe developer & food photographer

Hello! I'm Cheryl, the professional home baker, recipe developer, and photographer behind Bakes by Brown Sugar. My mission is for you to bake with confidence, have fun, and enjoy sweet success - time and time again! Whether you're new to baking or you've been baking for years, I'll show you how to turn simple ingredients into amazing treats with well-tested recipes, and helpful detailed instructions. You'll find the inspiration you need to bake with success, one recipe at a time.

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