Why do cakes sink in the middle?

[fartmeistergeneral]

Didn't open the door before the due time? Sunk completely. Bah.

bump

Is it cooked through? I always thought it was because you took the cake out too soon.

when it happens to me it's because it isn't cooked in the middle
maybe put it in on a lower heat for longer

I need to know this too. 2 cakes in two days and both have done this :( I don't know if it's the recipe I'm using, it uses oil and milk rather than butter so the mixture is very runny. I need to get it right next time as these two have been practice runs for a birthday cake. I may switch back to my old faithful Delia recipe

Either you haven't used enough raising agent or the cake is not properly cooked in the middle. It depends what sort of cake you are baking but as a rule of thumb if you press the top of the cake and it springs back it is ready.

I put it at the temperature in the recipe (Delia!) and took it out 5 mins after she recommended, it was all sinky, but the edges are quite crisp. Think if I left it in it would be too well done round the side. sigh.

Sounds like your oven was too hot - they do vary enormously and it is often a matter of trial and error til you figure yours out or you can buy an oven thermometer cheaply which may help

Which recipe was it? Those with lots of sour cream/yogurt or other heavy ingredients can be a bit tricky.

The reasons for cakes not rising in the middle are:
Batter overmixed
Too much fat and/or sugar or leavening in the mixture
Not enough liquid or flour
Oven temp too low for size of pan -- the size of pan specified in the recipe and the oven temp are related
Egg whites (if used separately) not fully beaten before folding or folded in incompletely