Deflating sponge cake (2024)

FAQs

Why is my sponge cake deflating? ›

Incorporate too little air and your cake won't rise enough. Too much air and your cake will collapse because it simply can't hold onto all that air. Overbeating can add too much additional air and/or large air bubbles which the cake can't support, causing it to collapse in the oven.

For foam or sponge cakes, the only tool you need to test for doneness is your hand. You can tell when a sponge cake has finished baking by gently pressing the top of the cake. When the sponge springs back, it's done. If the indentation remains, give the cake a few more minutes in the oven.

If you end up with a flat cake, there are a few possible causes. Overbeating the flour will overwork its gluten, so fold in dry ingredients with a light hand. Remember to add the raising agent – self-raising flour already contains this, but if you use any other flour you need to mix in baking powder.

The perfect cake is moist and fluffy, which makes for a very delicious crumb. When overcooked, a cake will come out hard and dry, and when undercooked, it has a gummy and dense texture. If you don't know how to tell when your cake is just cooked right, then baking will become a very tedious and unrewarding task.

If it is still raw in the centre, cook for a few more minutes until a metal skewer comes out cleanly. An oven thermometer will help you check that the oven isn't too cool. If the cake is cooked but sunken, it's just one of those things, it could be an issue with raising agents.

Baking at a lower temperature yields a lighter crust. And not only is the crust lighter, it's more tender, as well. Notice the thicker, darker crust from the cake baked at 350°F (above left), compared to the crust from the cake baked at 325°F.

How to stop sponge cake from deflating? ›

Cake sinking after baking can be prevented by ensuring the oven is preheated correctly, using the right size of baking tin, avoiding opening the oven door too early, checking for doneness with a toothpick, and allowing the cake to cool gradually in the oven before removing it.

If your cake rose in the oven but then collapsed the more likely cause is that it was underbaked. When you bake a batter it forms a crystalline structure which holds its shape, if it's not baked long enough this structure won't be properly formed, and will collapse and be dense as you describe.

While both chiffon and sponge cakes have a light and airy texture, they have some differences that set them apart. The primary difference lies in the ingredients used. A sponge cake typically contains flour, sugar, eggs, and baking powder. In contrast, chiffon cake also includes oil, which gives it a moist texture.

Adding too much baking powder or baking soda can make a cake sink. When too much amount of leavening agents are added, there can be too many air bubbles develop in the batter and the cake may rise too much without enough support, then it sinks.

Lower the temperature and cook for longer: This is one of the easiest solutions. Lower the temperature by around 10-20°C and increase the baking time slightly. This will make sure the cake tin doesn't heat up too quickly.