Baking (and eating) your own cakes at home is one of life's great joys. Making cakes can be really easy, however there are some common mistakes that can occur in the kitchen which may have put you off baking in the past. Let’s talk about some easy fixes for cakes that sink in the middle and other cake making problems.

Table of Content:

  • Why do cakes sink in the middle?
  • How do I fix a cake that has sunk in the middle?
  • More common cake baking problems
  • Easy basic cake recipes to try at home

Why do cakes sink in the middle?


By far one of the most common questions asked by home bakers is ‘why did my cake sink in the middle?’ There are a few possible reasons why your cake is sinking:

  1. Too much or too little baking powder or bicarb of soda - getting the measurements just right is critical when baking. Don’t wing your measurements, use a proper measuring spoon and a set of scales to measure out the exact amounts needed by the recipe you are following.
  2. Underbaking your cake - a cake bakes from the outside in, gradually rising and setting the longer it is in the oven. The crust also forms from the outside in, so if you don’t bake your cake for long enough, it’s possible you didn’t give your cake time to finish cooking.
  3. Opening and closing the oven door - if you open the oven door too early, the blast of cold air can cause the unset centre of your cake to sink in the middle. If you must open the oven to rotate the cake or put foil over it, try to wait until the cake is cooked nearly 2/3rds through. Be careful not to slam the oven door when you close it again as the shock can also cause your cake to sink.
  4. Not putting the cake into the oven quickly enough - as soon as you mix together your dry and wet ingredients, the raising agents are activated and begin to work. If you mix the ingredients together then don’t put the cake straight into the oven, the agents may have done their raising work before the cake is baked. This will cause the cake to sink on baking.

How do I fix a cake that has sunk in the middle?


SMALL DENT - for a minor dent in the top of your cake, why not fill it in with a rich buttercream icing. We think this buttercream recipe from Irum Zaidi would do the job perfectly.

LARGE DENT - for a more serious dent in the top of the cake, you may need to remove the centre entirely. In this case, cut out the entire centre of the cake then why not fill it with fresh fruit and whipped cream? A dusting of icing sugar over the rest of the cake will make it look even more delicious.

ALL DENT -  if your cake is really beyond saving as a whole cake, remove and discard any uncooked parts of the cake then make the edible trimmings into cake pops. What a delicious solution!

More common cake baking problems:


Why has my cake cracked on top?

Surface cracks generally occur if your cake is cooked on too high a temperature or on too high a shelf in the oven. When this happens, the crush of the cake forms too quickly, before the centre of the cake has cooked. Then when the centre bakes and rises, a crack forms on the surface. Cooking your cake in the centre of the oven and at a lower temperature for longer, should solve the problem.

Why has my cake formed a peak in the centre?

A peak in the centre of your cake is likely due to too much raising agent, a too high oven temperature or a too small cake tin. Adjusting one or more of these factors should help to prevent the problem.

Why does my cake have a gooey centre?

It’s likely that your cake is underbaked. This can happen as the crust forms and browns, making it look like the cake is cooked before the centre has actually cooked through. Use a clean skewer and insert it into the centre of your cake. For a sponge cake, the skewer should come out completely clean with no batter clinging to the sides. If your cake has browned on the top but not cooked in the centre, cover the top with foil, turn the heat down a little and continue to cook until the skewer comes out clean.

Easy basic cake recipes to try at home

Why not try Hiroko's basic pound cake recipe (above left) or this basic butter cake recipe from Pinkblanket's Kitchen (above right)


Hiroko’s basic pound cake recipe - with step by step instructions and photos, this recipe will guide you through the entire process of making a foolproof sponge cake.  If you have any questions don’t forget you can ask the recipe's author, Hiroko, at the bottom of the recipe.

Pinkblanket’s Kitchen basic butter cake recipe - this recipe will hold your hand as you make a simple yet delicious butter cake. If you try this recipe, don’t forget to send a Cooksnap photo of your cake so that we can see how it turns out.

Share your own cake troubleshooting tips!


Are you a confident cake maker with tips to share from your own kitchen? Our community of home cooks would love to learn from you. Share your own tips on Cookpad here.

You can also find many more cake recipes shared by our talented home cooks on Cookpad here.