Why Did My Cake Crack?

Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash

Hi, so your cake cracked. No worries; it happens to the best of us. Let’s see if we can fix it for your next bake. Your cake is probably split for one or more of the following reasons.

Photo by Jacob Thomas on Unsplash

1. Your Oven is too Hot: If your cake forms a crust on the top too fast, the middle of the cake will continue to cook and rise in the center pushing through the top and causing it to crack. Chances are your oven temperature was set too high. It’s a common problem because no oven is calibrated the same. Home ovens run differently than commercial ovens. Sometimes the fan setting also needs to be adjusted. If you have a conventional oven, I usually set my oven to 20% fan when making baked goods. You can check your oven by setting a thermometer inside and checking the temperature. If your oven temperature is correct, it could be a fault with the recipe you’re following. I would drop your temperature a few degrees the next time you bake and periodically check on the status of your cake. Also, check the oven placement of your cake. Most cakes should be baked on the middle rack because your top shelf may run too hot.
2. Too much Leavening Product: You probably added too much baking powder. You can reduce it or find a more reliable recipe for your next bake. Weighing your ingredients could help prevent particular measurements instead of using cups and spoons.
3. Cake tins are too Small: If your recipe calls for two 8" cake tins, you add all the batter to one larger cake tin; it’s too small. You have to consider the added weight to the cake. To remedy this, add a water bath at the bottom of your oven. The steam helps to encourage an even bake.
4. Recipe Imbalance: You may have used too much flour or too little liquid, such as milk and eggs, for your cake batter. You can tell if this is the problem because your cake will also be heavier and dense.
5. Over mixing: When you mix flour and liquids, it will build up the gluten in the flour. Gluten is excellent for bread but terrible for cakes. Over mixing will cause the batter to be heavy. Be careful to follow the recipe carefully.
6. Opening the oven: When baking, we want to check the status of the cake by touching the spring and progress. But opening and closing the oven frequently can cause the temperature to fluctuate and stress your cake. So, keep the oven closed and peek through the window with the oven light on.

I hope this helps. Though your cake is not the most beautiful, I’m sure it tastes delicious. Best of luck and happy baking!

Precious Pioneer