Cake Troubleshooting Guide
Baking really is a science. There are a lot of things that go awry when making a cake. I’ve lost count of the number of frantic emails and messages I’ve received about cake mishaps over the years. To make life easier for all of us, I’ve created this cake troubleshooting guide.
While I always do my best to answer your questions, I figured I’d streamline the process by sharing troubleshooting tips on the most common issues people run into with cakes.
It’s also easier to have pictures of common problems, to help you identify what might have happened if your cake turns out less than perfect.
The Most Common Cake-Related Problems
This post mainly covers problems related to how a cake batter is made and how cake layers are baked.
It does not cover ingredient substitutions, which can also have a huge impact on the way a recipe turns out.
That’s a whole different topic, which I’ve covered in a separate ingredient substitutions post!
The questions I’ll be covering in this cake troubleshooting guide include:
- Why is my cake dense or gummy?
- What caused my cake layers to be dry?
- Why did my cake layers sink in the middle?
- How can I get my cake out of my pan without breaking it?
- How can I prevent my cake edges from burning or caramelizing so much?
- Why do my cake layers have big holes in them?
- Why is my cake falling apart and crumbling when I try to frost it?
- How do I know if my cake layers are done baking?
- Why didn’t my cake layers rise more?
- What causes my frosting to bulge out between the cake layers?
- Why is my frosting cracking on my cake?
My hope is that this cake troubleshooting guide will help you understand what caused your problem and empower you to bake amazing cakes in the future. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
Why is my cake dense or gummy?
What might have happened:
- Too much flour was added to the batter.
- The cake batter was over-mixed.
- The ingredients weren’t at room temperature.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Be sure to properly measure your flour by fluffing it, then spooning and leveling each cup, or use a digital kitchen scale.
- Mix your batter just until the ingredients are incorporated once you’ve added in your flour. Over-mixing the batter causes strong gluten strands to form, which give your cake that dense texture.
- If some of your ingredients are cold, they make it more difficult to mix together your batter and can impact the rise of your cake. Be sure to set out cold ingredients ahead of time, so that all your ingredients are at room temperature when it’s time to make your cake.
Why is my cake dry?
What might have happened:
- The cake layers were baked for too long.
- The recipe doesn’t have enough moisture or needs simple syrup.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Try to take your cake layers out a few minutes earlier, or as soon as a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the toothpick comes out totally clean, your cake might already be over-baked. Remember that your cake layers will continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven as they cool in the pans. I always try to err slightly on the side of underbaking for this reason.
- Different recipes make different types of cake. For instance, my vanilla cake recipe is a butter cake recipe that’s quite moist and doesn’t need simple syrup. But sponge cake recipes bake up quite a bit fluffier and drier because they use a lot of eggs. These cake recipes are designed to bake that way and are then supposed to be doused in simple syrup to add moisture after they’re baked.
Why did my cake layers sink in the middle?
What might have happened:
- The cake layers are underbaked.
- The oven door was opened and slammed while the layers baked.
- There’s too much leavening agent in the batter (baking powder/baking soda).
- Your oven temperature is off.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Bake your cake layers a couple of minutes longer, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- While it’s common practice to rotate cake pans partway through baking, if the oven door is slammed, this can cause partially baked cake layers to sink in the middle. If you need to rotate your pans, be sure to carefully close your oven door after doing so.
- Be sure to carefully read how much and what type of leavening agents a recipe calls for, and measure them precisely. The recipe might also be bad! If you try making it a few times and this still is happening, you may want to try a new recipe.
- Test your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. If yours runs cold, adjust the temperature of your oven to ensure it bakes the cake layers at the actual temperature the recipe calls for.
My cake layers are stuck in my pans! How do I get them out?
What might have happened:
- The cake pans weren’t properly greased.
- Your cake pans weren’t lined with parchment paper.
- The cake layers are fully cooled in the pan.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Generously grease your cake pans with non-stick spray or a layer of butter and flour
- When a recipe asks you to line your pan with parchment paper, be sure to do so! I love to use pre-cut parchment rounds to simplify the process, but you can also cut out your own parchment rounds.
- If your cake layers cool fully in the pan, they can get stuck as the cake firms up. Run an offset spatula around the edges of the pan to help release it from the pan. Then dip the bottom of the pan in hot water. This should help it pop out without breaking the cake layer.
Why are my cake edges so dark and caramelized?
What might have happened:
- The pans used to bake the layers aren’t the right material.
- Your oven runs hot.
- The pans are overcrowded in the oven.
How to prevent this in the future:
- The material of your cake pans has a big impact on how your cake layers bake. Dark metals absorb and spread heat more efficiently than lighter-colored pans, which causes cakes to over brown on the sides. Glass pans also become very hot once heated and can cause cake layers to over-brown or caramelize too. Use a light-colored metal pan, like these cake pans, which do a better job of evenly distributing heat.
- Test your oven with an oven thermometer. If yours runs hot, turn the temperature of your oven down to ensure it bakes the cake layers at the actual temperature the recipe calls for.
- Make sure your pans are spread out in your oven, and not placed too close to the walls of your oven, to help them bake evenly. You can also use cake strips to prevent browning. I don’t enjoy using them, but some people swear by them!
Why do my cake layers have big holes/tunnels in them?
What might have happened:
- The batter was over-mixed.
- The batter was mixed at too high a speed.
- The ingredients weren’t properly mixed or weren’t at room temperature.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Tunneling can happen in your cake layers when the gluten strands are too strong, which traps air bubbles inside the cake. Mix your cake batter on a low speed just until the ingredients are combined to avoid this.
- Unless a recipe specifically calls for mixing batter at a high speed (like a sponge cake, or when creaming together butter and sugar), you shouldn’t be mixing your batter that fast. Follow the recipe instructions closely and mix the batter at the speed the recipe calls for.
- Concentrated areas of baking powder or baking soda in your batter can create big holes in your cake layers. Be sure your ingredients are at room temperature to help the batter mix together better, and sift your dry ingredients if a recipe calls for it.
Why is my cake falling and crumbling apart when I try to frost it?
What might have happened:
- The cake layers weren’t fully cooled.
- You’re not using the right tools.
- The frosting you’re using is too stiff.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Cool the cake layers fully before you frost them. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a real mess on your hands! Give them a couple of hours to cool at room temperature on a wire rack or pop them into the freezer to accelerate the process. I like to chill my cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before decorating a cake, so that they’re cold to the touch. This reduces crumbing and makes them so much easier to stack and frost.
- An offset spatula makes a world of a difference when decorating a cake. On the other hand, trying to spread frosting onto cake layers with a rubber spatula isn’t a good idea. The lack of control and precision makes it a lot harder to properly spread the frosting and can definitely increase the risk of tearing cake layers.
- If your frosting consistency is too thick, this can also make it challenging to spread. The resistance from the thickness of the frosting can cause cake layers to tear. If the frosting seems difficult or too thick to work with, add in additional heavy cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the consistency is more spreadable.
Why are my cake layers overcooked or underbaked?
What might have happened:
- Your oven temperature is off.
- The pans are overcrowded in the oven.
- You baked different-sized cake layers than the recipe called for.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Test your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. If yours runs hot or cold, adjust the temperature of your oven to ensure it bakes the cake layers at the actual temperature the recipe calls for.
- Make sure your pans are spread out in your oven and not placed too close to the walls of the oven to help them bake evenly.
- If you make different-sized cake layers than a recipe calls for, it can change the bake time. Be sure to keep an eye on your cake layers and test them with a toothpick. Remove them from the oven when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Why didn’t my cake layers rise more?
What might have happened:
- Your leavening agents are old.
- The recipe isn’t meant to rise much.
- The batter was over-mixed.
- You used baking powder instead of baking soda by accident.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Baking powder and baking soda have a long shelf life, but they don’t stay good forever. If you’re worried about yours, you can test baking powder by adding a little bit into a small bowl of hot water (or vinegar if testing baking soda). They should react and start to fizzle right away. If they don’t, they’re no longer good.
- Some recipes are formulated to rise a lot, others are not. My chocolate layer cake recipe and vanilla cake recipe are designed to bake flat without a big dome. As long as the texture and taste are good, it’s ok if your cake layers don’t rise up a ton. Sometimes that’s how they’re supposed to be!
- Over-mixing your batter prevents the leavening agent from rising up like normal and traps it inside the batter, where it creates tunnels and big holes. Mix just until the ingredients are combined to create light and fluffy cake layers.
- Be sure you’re using the right leavening agent. Baking soda is about 3x more potent than baking powder, and they are not interchangeable.
Why is my frosting bubbling or bulging out between the cake layers?
What might have happened:
- The cake layers weren’t leveled.
- The frosting you’re using is too thin.
- The cake hadn’t settled before adding the final layer of frosting.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Level the cake layers with a serrated knife. It makes it way easier to assemble a layer cake and help prevent air from getting trapped between the cake layers and escaping through the frosting later.
- Make sure your frosting is the right consistency. It can get pushed out between the cake layers as they settle if it’s too thin. Next time you make frosting, either add more powdered sugar or use less milk/heavy cream. If you’re not sure what consistency you’re looking for, you can check out this detailed post on frosting consistency.
- After leveling and filling your cake, let it settle for a couple of hours or preferably overnight before adding your second layer of frosting.
Why is my frosting cracking on my cake?
What might have happened:
- Air was trapped between your cake layers.
- The cake layers weren’t leveled.
- Your cake wasn’t settle before adding the final layer of frosting.
- Your cake is made with a filling that’s too soft.
How to prevent this in the future:
- Press down on the top layer with your hands to push out any air that might be trapped in the frosting between your cake layers. Then crumb coat your cake and carry on as usual!
- Leveling your cake layers with a serrated knife makes it much easier to assemble a layer cake, and helps the cake settle easily and without any big shifts that can crack your frosting.
- Let the cake settle for a couple of hours or preferably overnight before adding your second layer of frosting.
- If your cake has a soft filling, it can seep out as your cake settles. Pipe a frosting dam around the edge of each cake layer if you plan to use a softer filling in your cake.
Any Questions I Missed in this Cake Troubleshooting Guide?
If you found this cake troubleshooting guide helpful, please let me know in the comments section below!
If you have a cake issue that I didn’t cover, please share it so we can figure it out together 🙂
Other Posts You Might Like
Plz make a video on eggless vanilla and chocolate cakes recipes
Hi Kiran,
I can definitely work on that! Stay tuned <3
Please tell me what is the best cake pan brand for baking a cake.. mine cause me a lot of cake problems
Hi Fatimah,
I love using fat daddio pans, which i order on amazon! Here’s the link, mine are 2″ deep: https://amzn.to/2ttArQF
Hi Chelsea!!! Love this post! Finally some way i can learn and know what went wrong with my cakes. I’m just learning to make cakes and my issue has been the cake crumbling as i’m cutting into the cake and serving a slice. How can i make the layers come out clean and no crumbs everywhere. THANK YOU in advance. I’m a HUGE fan ????????
So happy you found it helpful Talia! I’d suggest chilling the cake a bit in the fridge before cutting into it so that frosting is a little bit firm, and also using a super sharp knife that has a smooth blade. Hope that helps, happy baking!
I can only place one cake tin in my oven. How will i make recipes that makes batter for 2 layers? Can I leave the batter out till the first pan bakes in the oven?
I have the same issue can you please reply Chelsey
I just made a cake and I had the same problem. I put my batter in the fridge so the consistency stayed the same; mine turned out great ?
Love this post! What about too many air bubbles in my frosting?
Hi Mikaela,
It depends on what type of frosting you’re baking, but I share all about that in my frosting consistency post! Here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/2020/05/25/frosting-consistency/
Hope that helps <3
@Chelsweets,
Hi can you tell me about using baking with cake core nails please.
Thanks,
Corrina
@Mikaela L., I use a paddle for about 5 minutes on low after mixing it to get the air out and make the frosting smoother.
@Corrina Gallardo, Getting heat into the middle of the cake helps it bake through so the middle isn’t underbaked. I typically use them if I am using cake strips around my pans for cakes 8″ in diameter or for pans deeper than 2 inches. You can use a flower nail or buy actual Ateco cores. I’ve done both. Overcrowding pans in the oven (they need like 2″ around each) can sometimes keep the middles from baking. I also lower the temperature and increase the length of time to bake. A lot of this ends up being trial and error with your particular oven.
Wow Chelsey! This is brilliant and must have taken you a very long time. Thank you so much – it is really helpful. Thank you for inspiring me to bake.
Haha thank you Sian! It definitely did take a bit of tie 🙂 Happy baking!!
Hii chelsea??.thankyou sooooo much.i have been searching for a long time why my cake comes out dense and gummy .my chocolate cake looks far worse than showed in the image.it only happens rarely but still it kills me when it happens when i bake for a customer.??.i used to think its cause i over filled my pan or too much egg etc etc..i always have a fear until i cut the layers.soooo glad i found ur page.litterly u saved me from so many mental breakdowns?? iam gonna have if it happens again…love u .ur helping a lot of ameteure bakers like me ???
Hi Nihala,
I know that feeling, it’s so heartbreaking when a recipe doesn’t turn out :/ I really do hope this post does help you avoid any of those situations in the future, happy baking!! <3
@Nihala, THIS WAS A GREAT HELP AND COVERED ALOT I DID NOT KNOW, THANK YOU…
I found this very useful! I’m excited to continue to learn about cakes! The problem I have consistently is a hard/crunchy raised rim around the edge of the vanilla cake specifically, after it bakes. I trim it off and its fine, but I’d love to learn why it does this so I can prevent it from happening again!
So happy to hear that Alicia! It’s part the recipe you use, part your pans, and part your oven! If it really bothers you, I’d suggest trying cake strips like these: https://amzn.to/2Mis7t0
Hopefully that will help, or you can try different cake pans! <3
This happens all the time when I bake Chelsea’s vanilla cake recipe. I just use cake strips around my pans and it solves the problem. The cake still turns out delicious!
Hello! You referenced an ingredients substitution post but I couldn’t find it on your site. Can you please direct me to the link? Thank you 🙂
Haha so funny you ask Kirsten! My substitutions post actually goes live tomorrow! It’ll be up at 9am Monday morning <3
How do I stop my cakes rising too much/unevenly?
Thanks
Hi Kerryn,
Some recipes just rise a lot! Either try a different recipe that rises less, or use cake strips! In terms of them baking unevenly, be sure to rotate your pans halfway through the baking process <3
Thank you! Will give that a try ?
THANK YOU SOOOO!!!!!!! MUCH, I WAS ALWAYS BAKING IN THE KITCHEN WITH MY MOM AND AUNT, NOW I HAVE YOU !!!!!!!!, THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR SHARING I WILL PRINT THIS POST AND HAVE IT HANDY FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
Haha no problem Carol! So happy to hear your found it helpful 🙂
Thank you so so much for this information!! It’s been of great help to know what happens to my cakes!
Thank you for this post! Large air bubbles keep bulging out of my cakes when they are set at room temperature. I am going to try and let the crumb coat “settle” overnight or a few hours before I do the final frosting to see if that helps. Do you recommend letting the cake settle at room temp or in the fridge between the crumb coat and final layer of frosting?
Can your vanilla cake recipe be doubled for a 10 in pan
Hi Carolyn,
It sure can! I did that for my wedding cake and it worked great! Just be sure your mixer is big enough. My 5 qt didn’t really mix it properly, so I had to use my 8 qt. Happy baking!
When my layers came out of the oven they looked perfect. Nice and flat on top, sides pulled just barely away from the pan. After they cooled in the pan for 15 minutes the sides had sloped inward a bit, so the diameter at the top of each layer is probably 1/2″ to 3/4″ smaller than the diameter at the bottom. I know I can trim the sides straight before frosting but I’ve never seen this happen before. Is this a sign the layers were undercooked? One of them appears to be (it sunk a little in the middle). The other 2 are still pretty much flat. I don’t have cake strips but I have been getting pretty even layers ever since I upgraded to 3″ tall pans. Any idea what causes this?
I’ve also had this issue come up. Would be really interested to hear your thoughts on it! Accompanied with this, one cake in particular tends to “deflate,” not so much a dip in the middle, but the whole of it just becomes more squat as it cools. I feel the two are maybe interrelated.
Thanks!
Please let me know what you did regarding the deflating. Usually my cakes they rise but after they are cooled down a little they deflate. Only once it didn’t deflate it was when I let it cool upside down
Please let me know what did you do to get it to stop deflating.. I don’t know what I’m doing it maybe needed a little longer in the oven or what. It doesn’t sink in the middle but just deflates from the size it came out in. Only once recently it didn’t deflate was when I let it cool upside down.
Hi, thank you so much for posting – this is an awesome guide! I know it’s common to freeze cakes when decorating but does the freezing/thawing process affect the texture of the cake?
Hi Chelsweets, Why does my cake come out of the oven with a greasy film at the base? Is it because the butter was too soft while creaming? Many thanks.
Rubina
Thank you so much! I was reading to find out why are my edges not straight like yours. I guess I just need to level my cakes. Thank you again
Hi I have just came across your Instagram and website and they are filled with your brilliant baking and so informative ! I was wondering, when buying cake tins which depth do you go for ? Thanks 🙂
Hi this is vineela from india….I tried to cook eggless cake ….taste was good but came out as it was cooked not spongy….what should I do to get spongy
love your tiktoks, my cake was not cooking i might have been because i used a 10 inch pan but that was all i had was that the problem?
So, the cakes I bake are always moist but when I flip the cakes it breaks or gets stuck to the baking pan. Is there a way to stop the cakes from falling apart and keep the cakes moist? I hope this make sense. Thank you!
Plz make a video on how to make tiramisu!!!
Hii your trouble shooting guide was amazing..
I just had one question um after my cake comes out from the oven it looks perfect but after it cools down the size deflates a little bit and also the top part like mainly the middle top part becomes moist types.. Is it cause of the humidity?
Thank you!!!
Hey first of all I love your videos! I want to make your vanilla cake layers and it calls to bake at 325 degrees, is it degrees celsius or ferhenheit because in my country we use Celsius so will I have to convert
Hi Diana,
Thanks!! I meant 325 F, sorry for not specifying!! You can bake it at 163 C 🙂
Hello! I only have 2 molds to bake the cake. how do i bake my cake?
can I replace butter with vegetable oil?
I live in Colorado at 6900 feet in altitude. I am desperate from some solid, dependable advice on baking layers at this elevation. Please help!!! ?
2 questions: if I make your Bachelorette cake and do the first layer of frosting on day one, then refrigerate overnight, do I make a 2nd batch of frosting day 2, or refrigerate what will be the 2nd layer of frosting and just bring it to room temperature before I use it on day 2?
Also, when do I put the flowers on? How long will they look fresh?
This was incredibly helpful! Thank you so much ?
You are a gift to home bakers! Thank you!
Hello Chelsea,
Thank you for the post, it was really helpful.
I’ve been (home) baking for a few years and it’s been a hit and miss situation. Guides like yours help me get my baking game to a better level.
I noticed that my chocolate and red velvet cakes bake into two distinct layers every single time. The top layer has the perfect colour I want (dark brown or red) while the bottom is always a lighter brown colour.
I’ve used different generic cocoa powder brands, I’ve been careful to ensure the batter is properly mixed, but it happens everytime. How do I get this to stop and for my cakes to come out in one beautiful colour only?
I’m having the same issue with my cakes. The top center gets crusty and almost airy, while the rest cooks normally. The first time it happened, I thought I mixed it too long. I’ve changed pans and tried different cakes, but it continues to happen. These are scratch cakes. Someone said it’s baking unevenly, but everything else seems to bake just fine. The temp on my most recent cake was 300°. I never bake higher than 350°.
Hi, thanks for answering the cake troubleshoot which was very helpful..I had a question in mind.. I does my loaf cake get crumbly while I try to cut it..it is super soft and tastes well but is falling apart when I cut through it.
Will appreciate if you can help.
Thanks a lot.
Hi – Thank you for posting this guide. Super helpful to look at pictures and understand what went wrong. I was forever in search of a good ‘moist’ fluffy chocolate cake recipe and landed on one. But it appears like it is too moist? Not sure how to best explain this situation – the cake was so delicate that when I tried to cut layers, one of them broke and I couldn’t use it. I understand it could be because of too much “wet” ingredients but is there anything else that could attribute to that? I have an oven thermometer and I don’t over-mix and the cake was cooked perfectly… Would just wish it wasn’t that ‘delicate’. Any suggestion would be deeply appreciated.
Hi. I have been using a vanilla cake recipe for a long time and all of sudden it’s baking with a thick layer of oil and gummy texture on the bottom of the cake. I am desperate and have no idea what happened. This was my perfect recipe
Hi! thank you for posting this amazing guide!!!!
If I may ask, What should i do if my cakes cracks on top and under bake at the bottom, i’ve been trying to make chiffon cakes but it always fail, after i turn it upside down, the bottom sinks and it is really frustrating.
Hi Kerryn, thank you so much for this post. This was perfect. I’ve been struggling with seemingly underbaked cakes for a while now and didnt know how to fix it. I’m definitely going to try out you suggestions here. Thanks so much ?
Hi, i just wanted to ask a question, I recently bought a cake of a lady but for some reason it smelt and tasted of strong latex. I was just wondering if you knew what would cause this to happen.
Hi, what’s happening when the cake only rises in the middle and not around the outside
Hi, I’m melita. Could you also include, when my cake turns extra soft, and while frosting for a taller cake..it doesn’t stay at the proper shape.. it gets tilted. And while cutting, the cake slices breaks. Doesn’t have a firmer piece.
What about carmelization around the cake? I’ve been using the Wilton strips and maybe I have them to wet but when the cake is cooled and I remove it from the pan all the carmelization just falls off. This makes it harder to crumb coat. I use the Wilton strips because I always get a huge hump in my cakes.
Thank you for sharing the information…….Its is very useful for the homemakers to make a cake…….
Thanks for sharing the recipeee…..It is very helpful
I actually like my cakes to be dense (maybe not gummy) but heavy and moist. Sometimes I’ll even use a pound cake recipe or use extra eggs when I’m doing layers but I have to be careful that it doesn’t turn out to dry.
What is the best way to properly make a dense heavy cake that stays moist?
good receipee
A chocolate cake I just baked, the side/edge has a very uniform center part that is skinnier than the top and bottom. Wish I could send a picture. The edge isn’t just straight down it goes in. Understand?
This trouble shooting guide was extremely helpful!! And I’m excited to try your Vanilla and Chocolate cake recipes
Hey
I am following the correct recipe
But why is my wet in middle and greasy when I touch it it becomes like a dough pls reply me
Why my chocolatemoist cakes crushed ?
Hello,
Such great information! I love baking and recently baked a cake using cake flour for the first time. My cake layers shrunk from the sides and very little from the top. Do you know what could have gone wrong?
Thank you,
Mayra
hello my name is precious, after i am done baking cake, some people says its very ok while some would complain so bitterly that they cannot point out the problem all they know is that they just dont like the cake and this complain is getting too much.
for instance; i made a big pan cake then the remaining batter i used for cupcakes. people liked and enjoyed the cupcake but the big pan cake wasnt tasting nice at all even when the two came from the same mixture or batter. Please what do you say to this?
wowww!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing the articlee
Hi Chels,
I discovered your vids during 2020 and now I swear by your recipes. I know how hard you work on your recipes and all the testing that goes into them. I appreciate all the work you do. All my customers love your vanilla cakes and I also use your buttercream on almost all my cakes. Thanks for your excellent work.
Hi Karan,I have made a butter cake layers frosted with Swiss Meringue Buttercream.When I cut my cake the layers are separating and its not attached to each another and that wasn’t a perfect slice of a cake.It was a mess.After trying it for three times the result is the same. Would you help me on this ?
I love all your recipes when I lived in Florida. But I live now at 4000’ in NC How can I adjust for this.
i made a pink cake and followed the instructions perfectly but while they were baking in the oven they looked gooey and odd do you happen to know why that might be ??
My cakes, such as pumpkin bread or lemon loaf, baked in loaf pans are driving me crazy. The bottom half cooks far faster than the top half. So I end up with gooey tops and usually over cooked bottoms. Please help. Same has been happening with Bundt cakes.
I made your marble cake for someone ans she said it was dry and gritty! It tasted so good when I cut the tops off and frosted it, place in fridge for two days. (Your cakes are my “go to” with rave reviews always!! What did I do wrong? Could you shed some light so I can learn? I promised her a new cake! Thank you!
I understand that I shouldn’t over mix the cupcakes, especially your vanilla recipe; should the batter still have some lumps in them as I pour into the pans? Also, when I take them out of the oven, they are happy looking but after 10 minutes, they flatten. Any ideas what I am doing wrong? I use a scale for measuring and all my ingredients is newly purchased. Thanks for all your help!
Thank you we are learning
My cake batter gets thin instead of getting baked.. why it happened
I made a cake for a 2 layer cake for a friend and she thought I forgot crow sting between layers because the layer separated in 2. It didn’t crack and the cake was lemon made with cake flour. What went wrong?
@Alexis Stewart, *I made a 2-layer lemon cake for a friend. When she cut into it she asked if I forgot frosting because the two layers separated into 4. It was made with cake flour and I’ve made the cake before without problems. What went wrong?
Even after cooking for 35-45 minutes my cake consistency is still liquid / flowy and not turned at all.
My cake mixture is too thick and looks too airy and it’s affecting the result because my cake is not rising well and it feels foamy after baking even though it hardens when it cools down but it is kinda falling apart.
Thank you for this awesome post!
can you tell me why my sponge is separating from the pan walls? I’m using dark colored spring form pan lined with parchment paper ( both the bottom and the walls) and no grease.
Hey, I made a vanilla sponge cake and it did rise while baking but after cooling it down it sinked. Also it was supposed to be a dome top but it was flat. I followed the recipe but no idea what went wrong. Could you suggest ?
Thank you!
I’ve been making chocolate cakes same recipe but lately they’ve been wanting to break when picked up. Why I haven’t changed anything. Recipe says use cake flour but when you get to ingredients it says flour. Should I have added the extra 2 tbs plus for it. It calls for 1 3/4 cup flour. I know you need to add 2tbs cake flour for every cup of all purpose. Please help. Hopefully when I take out of fridge to frost it stays together. Wrapped in Saran Wrap.
I go to a bakery in business for 30 years with all 5 star reviews. But I notice that the yellow layers seem grain and when I slice it they don’t stay adhered to the icing. What is the problem. I feel strange telling a baker of all these years how to do it right.
Here’s my question: I baked a cake, and when I took it out of the oven, there was oil on the surface, and the cake was coverd in oil! I mixed it really well, and I left the ingredients at room temperature. What can I do to save it? 🙁
Hello,
I love your cakes and cupcakes !!! So I have a little problem with reverse creaming method especially when I tried making the 6 inch vanilla cake. I get everything to room temperature but it doesn’t seem to come off right. It comes as a dense and elastic texture.
Hope you can help me out.
Your detailed instructions are so helpful! I learned a lot from you. Tjank you!
I am making an almond cake with ground almonds and 8 egg whites, in a tin loaf pan. The cake always burns on the bottom and seems raw on the top, despite using a greased pan and parchment paper. 350′ for 55-60 minutes are the baking instructions. I have tried going up to 375′ and down to 325′, various cooking times and still cannot get a good result. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Chelsey, regarding this part: Why didn’t make cake layers rise more?
is there a particular ingredient in some recipe that do make them rise more. the cake recipe I use does have baking powder but still comes out quite flat, too flat for me to sell for a decent price.but the recipe taste is perfect. what should I do?
thankyou,
simonetta
Hi what makes a vanilla cake white
Hi!
After my cakes are done (i use SMB) usually in between taking them out of the fridge and packaging them, they crack at the bottom between cake floor and base, not sure why this happens!
thank you!
Why my cake always craked?..messurement is accurate usually. I follow the right temperature.
Thanks my problem is solved now. I had an issue of over mixing the batter which I think allowed many tunnels in my cake!
My oven temperature is right. I use cake strips and yet the edges of my cake come slanted. It goes in on the top. Not straight like other cakes. What am I doing wrong?
Hi, I baked chiffon cake and it cracked at the sides when i tried to remove it, how do i prevent it ? Could it be too much liquid or flour used in my recipe or the oven is too hot ? Thank You.
I just want you to know that your troubleshoot guide is a great help…
??? Thank you so much
I recently made a red velvet cheesecake instructions were done correctly baked time required but when I took out of oven everything cooked except the middle (it was still raw then I tried a simple old recipe of banana bread and the same thing happened the center was raw
Why when my sponge layers are cooking in the oven they tend to erupt at the edge of the cake and the tin like lava out of a volcano and leaves a hole, all the rest of the cake has cooked well. I have checked my baking powder and sieved flour and baking powder well. I have been cooking cakes for 55 years and never come across this before. Can you help .
I would like to know how i prevent my color frosting from bleeding.Colors start bleeding after few hours or in refrigrator.(Whiped cream)
I want advice on why my cake has a grease line near the bottom even though it was lined with greased parchment and is otherwise perfect
Hi
I’m from the UK.
What does ‘fluffing’ your flour entail? I’ve never heard of that expression before. Thanks. ?
What are the cake spikes called that you use when baking your cakes?
Hi Stephanie,
I call the flower nails, but some people also call them heating cores! I like to use these ones that I order on amazon: https://amzn.to/3toyS2h
I just realized I only added 3 cups of flour instead of 4 cups to my cinnamon cake recipe. It’s already layered with cinnamon and brown sugar and in oven. Is there anything I can do? Will it be ruined? ?
Hi Nancy,
At that point I would say just back it up and cross your fingers that it turns out! Hopefully it did <3
Why does the top of my zucchini bread sometimes comes out a little gummy?
Hi Patsy,
It’s hard to answer questions like that when I don’t know which recipe you’re using! But my best guess would be that the zucchini had too much water or the bread is slightly underbaked. Some recipes suggest draining the zucchini and I find that’s always important when making anything with either carrots or zucchini. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Thanks so much for reply. Appreciate it.
Thank you so much, I found this tips helpful… please why are my vanilla cakes not white inside
Hi Joy,
It’s hard to say without know what recipe you’re using! If you want to make a white cake it’s helpful to use a recipe that use just egg whites, and no egg yolks like my WASC cake recipe: https://chelsweets.com/wasc-cake/
It bakes up bright white on the inside. Hope that helps, happy baking!
After your crumb coat and before your final coat of buttercream do you chill or keep at room temperature? After your cake is done do you keep at room temperature or chill/freeze?
Hi Chelsea,
I always chill my cake once I crumb coat it. I chill it in the freezer until the frosting is firm to the touch (usually 5-10 minutes) then I add on the second layer of frosting. Once I’m done decorating a cake, I usually store it in the fridge unless I’m planning to cut into it and eat it within an hour or two. Hope that helps, happy baking!
You forgot: why did my cake letters come out domed — much higher in the middle than on the edges?
A lot of cake recipe bake up with a dome, which is totally normal! Some recipes are formulated to rise less. It all comes down to the recipe that you’re using.
My cake texture is great, but all my cakes are discolored brown midway to bottom. The top part is normal. I have no idea what causes that. Please help.
Thank you.
Hi Mia,
It could be a few things! My first guess would be that it’s the type of pans you’re using! Light colored, aluminum pans usually bake best for making cakes. My other guess would be that maybe the bottom of your oven runs a little hot? I’d place an oven thermometer at the base of your oven and see if the temperature is right.
Also – a little browning on the sides and bottom of the cake layers is normal! It actually tastes great too. Another work around is to trim off the browning with a serrated knife. Hope that helps, happy baking!!
Never seen this before. Cake is golden brown on top, sides, and bottom. The cake color is normally white inside. This time, the color is golden brown on the bottom with the color rising near the top on the edge while tapering down towards the center. Near the top, the cake is white next to the top and side golden brown color like usual. Air cells are distributed equally throughout. Cake from any section tastes the same. Other than color distribution, the cake tastes normal. Not a problem, I just haven’t seen this in many years of baking, but would like to know why. Pix available.
Hi Rostov,
That does sound wild! What recipe were you using? Did you change your oven or pan type? I’m so curious how that happened too!
@Chelsweets, I spoke with my wife about any changes. She uses an All Purpose flour recipe so the cake isn’t sweet. We have a store called Winco that sells grains, flours, rice, beans, etc. cracker barrel style. We scooped a couple of pounds of the All Purpose flour (one change) and think something about the flour is the guilty party. However, the questions are: how could something as simple as flour be the culprit – and more specifically, how could the color change occur at an angle from the center of the cake sloping up to to the edge? Maybe this one has to go in the one in a million column.
Thank you for the advice….it confirms my guess….put those layers in the freezer before frosting to keep them whole.
Hi Drew,
Happy to hear that!! Hope your next cake turns out great 🙂
This was very helpful. Thank you so much! I hope to be like you one day?
My sultana cake comes out looking brownish inside and not pale like a recope i followed what am i doing wrong, it was naana lings sultance cake baked in a loaf tin
Hi Janis,
Unfortunately it’s hard to know what might have gone wrong using a recipe I’m not familiar with :/ I’m sorry! I’ve never made a sultana cake before.
Good information. I’ve had those same experiences as all 4 of your cake examples demonstrate. I learned a lot from your article
So happy to hear that Roxanne! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you very much this was very helpful. God bless you. How can I preserve my fondant cake after being cut
So happy you found this helpful Sharon! When I cut into a cake then have leftover, I usually either cover the cut part flush with plastic wrap or frost over the cut part with buttercream. Both help keep the cake fresh. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Thank you for the troubleshooting information. I am having trouble with my butter cake getting too brown. You said it could be my pans, as they are dark metal, I will change them up and try again. Thanks in advance.
Hi Carlmilla,
No problem! I hope switching pans to aluminum/light colored pans does the trick. Happy baking!
How many cups are in this recipe? I’m making a 12 in cake
Hi Audrey,
This post actually doesn’t have a recipe card in it. Are you asking about my vanilla layer cake (https://chelsweets.com/best-vanilla-layer-cake-recipe/)? If so, one batch of that recipe makes 10 cups of batter. Hope that helps, happy baking!
My cake was too brown on the bottom and had a gummy layer on the top that I scraped off with a spatula?.
Hi Dee,
So sorry to hear that! What recipe are you using? That’s the first thing I’ll need to know to help! What type of pans are you using? Sometimes dark pans can cause cakes to over brown. Your oven might also have hot spots or run hot on the bottom!
Have you tested your oven to make sure it’s baking accurately? Those would be my first guesses as to what might be happening!
When I make a round cake occasionally the frosting will bulge and start to fall off. I do not have this problem when I make sheet cakes. My frosting is half cup of Crisco four cups powdered sugar quarter cup of water. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Terri,
This can happen when the cake layers settle, or if air gets trapped between the cake layers. A way to help avoid this is to gently press on the cake layers once they’re filled and stacked, to remove any air before you frost the outside of the cake. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Why did my lemon drizzle, which is nearly always successful, rise but crack in the middle in the oven, on the correct shelf, then on taking out when cooking complete, fall and collapse.
Hi Virginia,
My first guess would be that it might need a little bit longer to cook! Without know what recipe you’re using it’s hard to know though. Sorry I can’t be of more help, I’m only really able to answer questions like that when they’re about my recipes or recipes I know well.
I am having trouble with my Hersheys chocolate recipe from falling before it comes out of the oven 9/10 of the time. I used to make it alot and it never failed years ago. This recipe calls for 1 tsp of baking powder and 1tsp of baking soda. Is that correct? And it also calls for 1 cup boiling water at the end. Do you see a problem here?
Hi Jeanette,
My first guess would be that your baking powder or soda might be expired! Both can lose their potency overtime, and some people even say they expire after 6 months. If that’s not it, I’d recommend trying to bake it for a couple more minutes and seeing if that might help. Hopefully we’ll be able to figure it out together!
My oven temp is correct, I have a thermometer in it. But my pound cakes get over cooked on the outside and not enough on the inside, in the allowed time for cooking. I find that I go way over just to have the inside cooked enough. What is going on?
Hi Robin,
My next question would about the ingredients! Are they all at room temperature if the recipe calls for it? Sometimes that can cause recipes to take longer to bake through fully. Another thing to consider is whether you’re using a convection oven or have that setting on.
Why after crumb coating my cake an letting it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes some
Of the cake still gets in my frosting when applying final coat of frosting
Hi Barbara,
What type of frosting are you using? You might need to add a slightly thicker coat of frosting to make the crumb coat, or use a different type of frosting!
This is awesome advice thank you, I have a question when baking a layered cake same kind of pan same size what makes one of the sizes smaller not thickness but round like one layer shrinks?.
Hi Connie,
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Cake layers naturally kind of contract once they’re baked! If one of the cake pans is towards the back of your oven or near a hot spot, it can bake a little bit more than the others and contract more as it cools. Another thing that can cause that is if one pan has slightly less batter than the others, then it will also bake a bit more and contract more. Hopefully that helps for the future, happy baking!!
Thank you for such an informative article.
I have some 2lb loaf tins which I use regularly. Recently I used the tins washed them and put them in the empty oven to dry not realising that I hadn’t turned the oven! i was distracted and they were in the oven for a couple of hours, i seem to be having ‘disasters’ eg I made a cherry loaf cake. It took a lot longer than usual to cook. The skewer came out clean, As the cake was cooling it began to sink in the middle . When it was cool I found that the cake was soggy in the middle. Is it the tin or the oven temperature> I;ve not experienced these problems.
Thank you
I’m so sorry to hear that Patricia! Unless the pan was somehow still wet when you used, I don’t think the tin should be the problem! Have you made that cherry loaf cake recipe before? Hopefully we’ll be able to troubleshoot together!
I have made your red velvet layer cake, but it keeps breaking apart. I am making a 3 tier wedding cake and following the calculation guide. I have put the layers in the freezer. Love the recipe and taste, just struggling with consistency when decorating!
Any thoughts
I’m so sorry to hear that! Are you saying you’re putting them in the freezer now, or you have in the past?
My first suggestion was going to be popping them in the freezer! If they’re frozen I rarely have any trouble with crumbing. If they’re cold to the touch, they should keep their shape quite well. My other thought is that maybe the frosting you’re using is too stiff? What type of frosting are you using? I’ve heard of other cake decorators heating up their buttercream just for a few seconds to make it thinner when they add on the crumb coat, to make it easier to spread. That might be another idea!
Hope that helps, and that the wedding cake turns out amazing! Let me know how it goes, I’m happy to keep troubleshooting if it doesn’t <3
Using box cake mix and following box directions my cake barely rises
Hi Melody,
Are the ingredients you’re adding in at room temperature? Sometimes if they’re a little bit cold it can affect the rise! Also, box cake mixes don’t rise a ton. Does the texture seem ok once it’s baked and cooled, or is it dense?
How much of my homemade strawberry filling would I put between the 8 inch cake layers? When I made my son’s b-day cake, a lot of jam seeped out the sides despite putting a buttercream dam. I believe i used too much jam. How much would I use to prevent it from seeping out?
It was a real messy disaster but it still tasted great.
Great question! It’s hard because you always want to add as much as possible for taste, but that can make it a real nightmare to frost!
It depends on the thickness of the filling, but I’d say 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup is plenty! I usually do 1/3 cup. Also doing a double ring for the frosting dam can help keep it all in. I usually freeze the cake before crumb coating it too, just to help lock the filling and frosting in place and prevent the layers from sliding. Hope that helps, happy baking!!
My cake was sugary on top once baked and crumbly
What did I do wrong
It was a sponge cake
It’s hard for me to know unless it’s one of my recipes! I test each of my recipes several times and understand how they’re formulated. Unfortunately I don’t have the same depth of knowledge when it comes to other people’s recipes :/
Hi Chelsey,
I think one thing I struggle with is that I have a 27″ oven and pan overcrowding is an issue. I just made your Oreo cake and baked all three 8×2 Fat Daddies pans at once for 32 minutes, but they were pulled away from the edges and had shrunk a bit.
What I would love to do is to use 8×4 pans and torte the cakes so I only have two pans in the oven and they have plenty of room, but I have no idea how to convert recipes for this situation. I think you have a 27″ oven as well (or did) so I thought I’d ask for your thoughts.
Thanks!
Hi Jody,
I can totally relate! Is your oven gas or electric? My tiny original oven was gas and even though the layers were def crowded, it actually baked pretty evenly/well! But I did have to rotate the laters between the racks to get them to bake evenly. A little bit of shrinkage is ok/normal once the layers have baked and cooled, but it sounds like you’re dealing with a lot of shrinkage!
A lot of my recipes use the reverse crumbing method, and those types of recipes don’t do great baking in an 8×4-inch pan. They’d just take a long to bake through, and you’d get a ton of caramelization in the process. But you can give it a try and see if it turns out better in your oven! If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
Hi my carrot cake recipe has turned out with light marbling not sure why?
Very well done. The pictures were very helpful. Kudos!
My lemon cake batter doesn’t come out yellow after baking, it comes out a tan color. The flavor is excellent, I’m just not happy with the color.
Hi David,
It can vary depending on the cake recipe you’re using! Lemon itself doesn’t really create a yellow color, some people either use extra egg yolks to make it more yellow or some use food coloring. Are the pictures of the recipe you’re making really yellow?
Tell me everything about Pound Cakes, and PC muffins or cupcakes.
Hi Donna,
This post is about targeting specific problems you’re having while baking cakes and figuring out how to fix them. Are you having a specific problem when you try to make pound cake?
Hello,
All the above was very useful but my problem is about the batter split between 3 tins not rising the same?
2 rose perfectly
1 didn’t rise at all.
They were on the same shelf and the oven was on fan
The 1 that didnt rise was at the back next to one that did.
They were all in 20cm tins but the tins were different makes.
Any ideas.
Best wishes
Annie
Hi Annie,
Ahh, got it! Thank you for the extra details, that really helps.
It sounds like you did everything right, especially baking them on the same shelf, but there are a couple of sneaky things that could’ve caused that one tin to underperform:
– Cake pan material matters more than we think! If the one that didn’t rise was a darker, thinner, or cheaper tin (even slightly), it may have conducted heat differently. Darker tins absorb heat faster and can cause the outside to set before the inside has time to rise properly.
– Uneven heat in fan ovens is a real thing! Even with a fan, some ovens have hot spots. If that back corner runs hotter, it might’ve caused the cake to set too fast on the outside before it had a chance to lift. You could try rotating the pans halfway through next time (gently, and only if the batter is mostly set!).
– Slightly different amounts of batter. Even small differences in batter between the tins can affect rise. One pan might look fuller and rise beautifully while the other struggles. A kitchen scale can help get them perfectly even if you want to be precise.
If everything else looked and tasted good, I’d bet it’s a mix of the tin and oven position. You’re super close to perfection, honestly, this kind of hiccup happens even to experienced bakers. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Brilliant recipes and asvice thank you! How do you prevent cupcake paper cases from pulling away from the cupcakes once baked please.
Hi Crispian,
Thanks so much! When cupcake liners pull away from cupcakes after baking, it’s usually caused by excess moisture, steam, or grease. To prevent this, remove the cupcakes from the pan one to two minutes after baking and transfer them to a wire rack. Letting them cool in the pan traps steam between the liner and the cupcake, which can cause the paper to peel away. Also, make sure your batter isn’t too wet! Recipes that use a lot of oil, fruit purée, or sour cream can be prone to peeling if ingredients aren’t measured accurately or if the cupcakes are slightly underbaked, since they continue to release steam as they cool.
It’s also important to let cupcakes cool completely before storing them; sealing them while still warm traps condensation, which loosens the liners. For best results, allow them to cool uncovered for about 30 minutes before placing them in an airtight container.
And the last thing is to make sure you’re using high-quality, grease-proof, or foil-lined cupcake liners! It can make a big difference. They hold their shape and cling better to the cake.
Hope that helps, happy baking!