I’m experiencing an issue with my cakes consistently sinking in the middle, despite using the same recipe for the past three years. What could be causing this sudden change?
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Any of the following could be the reason your cake sank in the middle: underbaking, which leaves the center raw; opening the oven door too early, which drops the temperature quickly; measuring ingredients incorrectly, especially leavening agents; or overmixing the batter, which can add too much air.
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The most plausible offender is doming. The pan is a little black or the oven is too hot. The cake rises in the center because the edges set more quickly. While the edges appear done, the center is underbaked and crumbles when removed. It will be somewhat moist and dense in the center.
Reduce the oven’s temperature, bake for a further few minutes, and make sure the batter is distributed evenly. To check the cake’s interior temperature, use an instant-read meat thermometer.
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Do you remember anything specific about your baking process, like how long you baked it or how much leavening agent you used?
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Overmixing can cause excess air to be incorporated into the batter, which can lead to uneven rising and eventual collapse in the middle of the cake. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined to avoid this issue.
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The likely culprit is the oven temperature. In my old place, the new oven baked my cakes perfectly. However, the second-hand oven in my new place seems to run about 25°F cooler than it should, causing all my reliable cake recipes to sink. Your oven might be losing its effectiveness as well. Adjusting the temperature should fix the problem.