Middle of the cake always sinks

[jyotigupta]

Hi All,
I used to bake eggless cakes with butter, condensed milk, baking soda and baking powder,self raising flour, vinegar,milk and extract for flavour with exact proportion..but always the middle portion sinks when the cake baked completely..first half it rises so well..but in the last time suddenly middle portion sinks... kindly advice...always keep the temperature at 180 degree as i have oven thermometre...
Thanks...

Could it be a ‘bad’ recipe? Some recipes just don’t work no matter how hard I try! Do you have this problem with each recipe or just this particular one? I have to say I haven’t a cake recipe with vinegar in. Do you want a recipe for a Victoria sandwich cake?

Are you looking for specifically eggless cake recipes?

Sounds like too much baking powder - maybe try with less?

I think that baking powder is stronger than it used to be. All the basic sponge recipes I have for a 3 egg cake specify 1.5 tsp baking powder, but when I use that much the cake rises too much then sinks.

So I'm inclined to agree that you need to use a little less baking powder

Yes I want a good eggless cake recipe...will be very grateful if you share with me...thank you...

Okay, will have a look and get back to you

Thank you...

I will be waiting eagerly...

There are some fantastic cake recipes here

Sound like too much raising agent, cake over-rises and sinks back.
Try using baking powder and plain flour, OR S-R flour.

I looked on bbc good food website for eggless cake recipes and found some of interest for you so have a look there. I agree with other posters that it sounds like too much raising agents may have been used so look for recipes calling for plain flour plus baking powder OR self raising flour

Ohh...thank you all for these informations... Really a great help to me... kindly suggest me which brand plain flour should I use???I used self raising flour with baking powder and the receipe called for plain flour with baking powder...it was my mistake that i did not notice that.. thanks to you all... please let me know the best brand plain flour to bake cake....thank you all again...

I live in Uk...so kindly suggest me the best brand plain flour available in Uk...thank you all again...

Some things to consider. As other posters have said, check you are not using too much raising agent. Self raising flour doesn't need any baking powder when making a sponge. Also make sure you don't open the oven door until the cooking time is complete. Once you have made your batter and divided it between the tins, put it straight into a preheated oven. That way the rising agents will not have had time to react with the other ingredients and will only start to work once in the oven.

Good luck and post a picture of the finished cake next time you try it!

I've never had a problem with any brand of flour. I'd just use whatever you have - supermarket own brand would be fine.

Ohh ok...now i understood...plain flour and baking powder equal to S-R flour...but the receipe calls for plain flour,baking powder and baking soda...So if I use S-R flour,then what about baking soda??? should I use baking soda??or should I skip soda also???

if it's an all in one type of recipe then you do sometimes get SR flour and a little baking powder as it gives a boost.
I'd not use anymore than a teaspoonful and probably only half.

I would not use SR and Baking powder and baking soda all together in a straightforward recipe

I make eggless fairy cakes - this recipe ought to scale up to make a sponge cake (two thin layers)

200g self-raising flour (I use Waitrose own brand)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g caster sugar
1/2 tsp - 1tsp vanilla essence (depending on how strong a flavour you like)
200ml milk (I use soya milk)
20ml cider vinegar
80ml vegetable oil

Stir the cider vinegar into the milk and let stand for around 10 minutes. Whilst you wait, put the oven on to Gas Mark 4/180c and prepare your cake tin/cases.
Mix all the dry ingredients together, stir well.
Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients, then add the oil & vanilla essence.
Mix with a metal spoon, just enough to ensure that there are no dry bits.

Divide the mixture between the cake tins/cake cases, and tap the tin/cases on the worktop a couple of times to release some of the bubbles.
Bake for around 20 minutes in the centre of the oven.

I tend to keep watching my cakes as they cook as if I use the oven for a few cakes in succession, it tends to cook 'hotter'.
The amount given above makes 12 cupcakes, or around 20-24 fairy cakes.

Here's the last cake I made to this method (I scaled up to 300g of dry ingredients, and added food colouring)

Can't help with post but my eyes completely deceived me then and I read the title as 'why does middle of cake STINK' (or along those lines)

Hi All,
Today I made one cake with my usual receipe,just cut down the quantity of baking powder into half(using S-R flour).The cake came out so perfact...Thank you all for your tips and suggestions.... :-)

Picture please...

Ohh I am so sorry. I forgot to take a picture of the sponge.But here is the picture of the final cake...

Hi All,
I am back.just to show that the tip given by you all,is working so well.
I made a cake yesterday.It came out so perfect.
Thank you so much.Here is the pic of the sponge.

Well done - it looks lovely!