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What Happened to My Cake?
By Kathy Kochan
Published 2021
| Butter Cake | Sponge-Type Cake | |
| Coarse grain |
Used all-purpose flour instead of cake flour Excess leavening Not enough creaming Undermixing Baking temperature too low |
Used all-purpose flour instead of cake flour Excess leavening Not enough creaming Undermixing |
| Too heavy or compact | Excess liquid, butter, or eggs Not enough flour or leavening Overmixing Baking temperature too high |
Underbeaten egg yolks or overbeaten egg whites Overmixing |
| Heavy, soggy bottom layer | Excess liquid Butter too soft Underbeaten eggs Undermixing Baking time too short |
Excess eggs or egg yolks Underbeaten egg yolks Failure to bake batter properly after turning into pan |
| Hard top crust | Baking temperature too high Baking time too long |
Baking temperature too high Baking time too long |
| Cracked or humped top | Excess flour Not enough liquid Overmixing Uneven spreading of batter Baking temperature too high |
Excess flour or sugar Baking temperature too high |
| Sticky top crust | Excess sugar Baking time too short |
Excess sugar Baking time too short |
| Falling | Excess sugar, liquid, leavening, or shortening Overbeaten egg whites |
Excess sugar Incomplete mixing |
| Tough crumb | Not enough sugar or butter Excess flour or eggs Baking temperature too high Overmixing |
Not enough sugar Underbeaten egg yolks or egg whites Omission of cream of tartar (Angel Food Cake) Excess eggs Baking temperature too high Baking time too long |
| Crumbling or falling apart | Excess sugar, leavening, or butter Undermixing Incorrect preparation of pan Incorrect cooling |
|
| One side higher than the other | Uneven spreading of batter Pan warped Range or oven rack not level Pan too close to wall of oven Uneven oven heat |
Pan warped Range or oven rack not level |
| Pale top crust | Baking temperature too low Not enough sugar or butter Excess flour Overmixing |
Baking temperature too low Overbeaten egg whites Baking time too long Pan too large |
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