Why Does My Cake Sink in the Middle?

A cake that rose beautifully in the oven and then dipped in the middle as it cooled is one of the most common baking frustrations. The cause is almost always one of a handful of things, and you can usually work out which by looking at the cake.

Every oven, tin and recipe behaves differently, so treat this as a way to narrow down the cause rather than a single guaranteed fix.

Quick diagnosis

What you see	Most likely cause
Gummy, wet or doughy centre	Underbaked
Dip with a coarse, open crumb and a tunnel-like look	Too much raising agent, or over-mixing
Whole cake looks pale and slightly dense, with a dip	Cake underbaked, or oven cooler than the dial says
Dip appeared right after you opened the oven early	Door opened before the structure had set
Cake sinks and the edges are very dark	Oven too hot, outside set before the middle was cooked

The most common causes

1. The cake wasn’t baked long enough

This is the most common reason. The outside sets and looks done while the middle is still liquid, and when the cake leaves the oven the unset centre collapses. Test with a skewer in the middle: it should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs, not wet batter. The top should spring back lightly when pressed.

2. The oven door was opened too early

A rising cake relies on the structure setting around the air bubbles. A rush of cool air in the first part of baking can make it fall before it firms up. Wait until the last quarter of the baking time before checking.

3. The oven is running at the wrong temperature

Many home ovens are well off the number on the dial. A cooler oven bakes slowly and the cake can rise and then fall; a hotter oven sets the outside too fast and the middle dips or cracks. An inexpensive oven thermometer is one of the most useful baking tools you can own.

4. Too much raising agent

Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda produce gas that makes the batter rise. Too much creates large bubbles that grow quickly, can’t be held by the structure and collapse. Use level, not heaped, spoonfuls.

5. Over-mixing, or the wrong amount of air

Beating a batter for too long after the flour goes in develops gluten, which can make the cake tough and cause tunnels. On the other hand, under-creaming butter and sugar leaves too little air in the batter. Cream for the full time the recipe says, then mix the flour in only until combined.

6. The wrong tin size or an over-full tin

A tin that is too small or too full for the amount of batter makes it hard for the middle to cook through. A tin that is much bigger than the recipe expects gives a flat, shallow cake. Use the size stated in the recipe.

7. Too much sugar, fat or liquid

Recipes balance flour, eggs, sugar, fat and liquid to hold the structure. Adding extra sugar, butter or milk, or swapping ingredients freely, can weaken the structure and lead to a collapse. If you change a recipe, change one thing at a time.

What to do next time

1. Check your oven temperature with a thermometer and adjust the dial if needed.
2. Measure precisely. Weigh flour and level your spoons.
3. Use the right tin and don’t fill it more than about two-thirds full.
4. Cream properly, then mix gently once the flour is in.
5. Leave the door shut until the last quarter of the baking time.
6. Test for doneness with a skewer and the spring-back test, not just the clock.
7. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out, as the recipe says.

Recipes to try

If you want a well-balanced starting point, try our moist vanilla cake or easy chocolate cake, and read our guide to keeping a cake moist without making it dense. For smaller bakes, see the soft vanilla cupcakes.