Why cakes fail

 

Cakes can fail for a lot of sneaky reasons—sometimes it’s the recipe, sometimes the technique, and sometimes just bad luck (or an oven with commitment issues). Let’s break it down by the most common problems and causes:

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1. Cake Sinks in the Middle

Why it happens:

• Underbaking (center still raw when removed).

• Oven temperature too low.

• Too much leavening (baking powder/soda), causing the cake to rise fast then collapse.

• Opening the oven door too early—cold air shocks it.

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2. Dense or Heavy Cake

Why it happens:

• Overmixing after adding flour → develops too much gluten.

• Not enough air incorporated during creaming of butter and sugar.

• Old or expired leavening agents.

• Too much liquid or not enough baking powder.

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3. Dry or Crumbly Cake

Why it happens:

• Overbaking (even a few extra minutes matters).

• Too much flour (measured incorrectly).

• Not enough fat or sugar (both provide moisture).

• Oven too hot, drying it out quickly.

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4. Tough Texture

Why it happens:

• Overmixing the batter.

• Too much flour or not enough fat.

• Using the wrong flour type (bread flour instead of cake flour).

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5. Cracks on Top

Why it happens:

• Oven temperature too high (outside cooks too fast, inside pushes out).

• Too much leavening agent.

• Pan too small for the amount of batter.

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6. Cake Sticks to the Pan

Why it happens:

• Pan not greased/floured properly.

• Forgot parchment paper.

• Removing too early or too late (cooling time matters).

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7. Weird Flavor

Why it happens:

• Too much baking soda (metallic taste).

• Using rancid butter or old eggs.

• Flavorings like vanilla extract forgotten or fake tasting.

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✅ Golden Rule for Success:
Measure accurately, use room-temperature ingredients (unless recipe says otherwise), preheat oven properly, and resist the urge to open the oven door too soon.