The batter contains too much raising agent. Too much baking powder will cause a cake to rise too quickly and too much, making it crack or spill over the sides of the tin. Reducing the amount of raising agent or using a combination of plain and self-raising flours will help produce a more even surface.
In an oven that's too hot, the outside of the cake cooks at a much faster rate than the inside. A crust forms early on, but as the inside of the cake continues to cook and rise, this crack crusts. You might experience the same problem if the cake recipe has too much leavener or if you've used a pan that's too small.
Most cakes bake at 350°F. Reducing the temperature to 325°F is all you need to do to get a flat-topped cake.
If your cake or has a badly cracked or peaked top you may have adding too much baking powder and/or bicarbonate of soda. You may also have overfilled the tin, or the cake may have cooked too quickly due to being too near the top of the oven or the oven being too hot.
or cupcakes have cracks on the top – again means they are rising much too fast – the oven is too high. Lower temperature slightly. Cupcakes bak quicker then the time stated (in 15 minutes as compared to the stated 20 minutes )–usually because the oven is too high. Reduce temperature.
The batter contains too much raising agent. Too much baking powder will cause a cake to rise too quickly and too much, making it crack or spill over the sides of the tin. Reducing the amount of raising agent or using a combination of plain and self-raising flours will help produce a more even surface.
Cakes can crack and/or dome (way beyond a gentle curve on top) when the outer edge crust sets too quickly and gets done before the middle, forcing the center to heave up as it rises.
To level a cake with ease, position the blade right where the cake's dome begins to rise up. With a gentle horizontal sawing motion, cut roughly one inch into the cake, then rotate the cake about 45° and repeat. Keep at it, turning and cutting shallow incisions, until there's a loose flap around the entire cake.
In order to bake cake evenly, you have to insulate its edges. Preventing the temperature of batter at the edge from increasing quickly allows the cake to rise longer before it sets. A cake whose edges rise at nearly the same rate as its center will remain flat across the top — no dome, perfect for stacking and icing.
The majority of cakes are baked in a regular oven at 180c (350F/Gas Mk 4), on the centre shelf of the oven.
Top/Bottom heating is the most effective setting to use when you are baking or roasting on a single level. The heat is emitted evenly from above and below, making it ideal for baking cakes.
Convection mode is required for baking cake, cookies and Pizza.
Baking soda and baking powder are not the same. Sodium bicarbonate and bicarbonate of soda are other names for baking soda. Baking powder is made of baking soda plus cream of tartar and cornstarch. Baking powder can be substituted for baking soda by tripling the amount of baking powder.
Add a small amount coconut oil or vegetable oil to the melted chocolate before pouring over the slice. This helps to stop the chocolate from cracking when sliced.
Too much leavening agent like baking soda or powder can cause a cake to rise too high too quickly. The gas from the leavening agents builds up and escapes before the cake bakes through in the center. This causes the center to collapse and makes your cake layers sink in the middle.
If your cake isn't moist enough, it can sink in the center. But too much moisture can also ruin a cake. This happens most often in humid climates, where extra moisture can collect naturally in ingredients like flour. It causes cakes to rise quickly and then crater during the baking process.
For a cake that is fairly evenly undercooked, simply put it back in the oven for 10 or so minutes. For a cake that is undercooked only in the middle, get out your handy dandy aluminum foil, cover the cake, and place it back in the oven for about 10 minutes.
To stop your cake from doming, line the outsides of your cake tin with a double layer of foil. Simply take long strips of foil, fold them to the height of your cake pan and wrap around the outside. The extra foil slows down the heating of the pan, so the cake batter at the edges won't cook as quickly.
Level out your cake layers with a knife so they are flat.
Use a bread knife to cut off the top layer of each cake. Try to make a flat line on the top of each cake so that it creates an even, flat top. It will be much easier to stack your cakes if they're already level.
When a pan is over greased the crust can literally fry and if flour is used it can burn, forming a dark hard crust on a finished cake. As the cake cools the crust becomes hard and dry. Hard crust on cupcakes can be caused by over baking.
Horizontal cracks occur because cake layers have moved, usually due to fillings that are too wet or too soft.
Baking powder will be labeled "double acting" or "triple acting." In a recipe, the correct amount of baking powder is 1 teaspoon per cup of flour (at the maximum 1-1/4 teaspoons); for baking soda it's 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour. Get the leavening right and you'll have lighter, finer textured cakes.