Why Did My Vegan Cake Sink?
Having trouble creating vegan cakes that don’t sink in the middle? This post will help you out! Keep reading to learn the most common baking mistakes that might be making your vegan cake sink.
Have you ever baked an eggless cake, only for it to collapse, turn out flat or fall apart? There are many things that can go wrong with vegan baking and it can be frustrating to say the least. But it doesn’t have to be this way!
I’m in the midst of creating a vegan cake troubleshooting guide and thought these short posts could be useful to anyone starting out with vegan baking. One of the most common questions I’ve seen being asked is why vegan cakes sink. So let’s take a look at that!
Why did my vegan cake sink?
Here are some of the most common reasons why vegan cakes sink, as well as some easy steps you can take to stop this from happening.
1. You used too much raising agent
This is probably the most common reason why vegan cakes sink in the middle. If you use too much baking soda and/or baking powder, your cake will rise too quickly in the oven, causing it to collapse and sink.
To prevent this from happening, make sure to use the correct raising agent (baking powder and baking soda are not the same thing) and the correct amount of it. Measuring spoons are helpful for measuring small amounts.
2. The cake wasn’t baked for long enough
If you take the cake out of the oven before it’s finished baking, it will be wet and heavy in the middle and may cause your cake to collapse. To prevent this from happening, make sure to bake for the full amount of time in the recipe.
To check if your cake is finished baking, put a toothpick through the centre. If it comes out clean, it’s ready. If it comes out with cake batter on it then it’s not baked yet- pop it back into the oven in 5 minute intervals until a toothpick through the centre comes out clean.
3. Your oven is too hot
If your oven is too hot, the outside of the cake will bake a lot faster than the middle. You can even end up with a cake that’s burnt on the outside and raw on the inside!
To prevent this from happening, you can use an oven thermometer to ensure your oven temperature is correct. It’s also a good idea to bake your cakes on the middle shelf of the oven for best results.
4. You opened the oven door too soon
If you open the oven door too soon, too much air will escape and your cake will sink. When baking a cake, it’s best to look through the oven window to check its progress, rather than continuously opening the oven door. If you have to open it before the recommended baking time, make sure to do so very gently, to prevent excess air from escaping or entering, which may cause the cake to sink.
5. You used the wrong cake tin
If you use a tin that’s too small for the recipe, you’ll have too much cake batter in there. This will cause the cake to raise too high then collapse.
To prevent this from happening, make sure to use the tin size that’s recommended in the recipe. Alternatively, you can adjust the quantity of ingredients to fit your cake tin size.
Vegan cakes that won’t sink
If you want a guaranteed light and fluffy vegan cake that will rise beautifully, try one of the recipes below:
Related posts:
I hope you enjoyed this post. If you found it useful, please share with a friend using the share buttons on this page. Happy baking! xo
