80 view

Why do sponge cakes fall after cooling?

Q: What happened to my sponge cake midway through baking?

A: Because sponge cakes contain a large amount of air and are based on a high proportion of eggs, they deflate more than other types of cakes when they cool after baking – if you watch carefully, you will notice them pulling away from the sides of the tin and losing some of their height almost immediately after they are removed from the oven. Yet, the major cause for a sponge cake to deflate during baking, causing it to sink in the center, is when a significant amount of heat has been lost from the oven, often owing to the door being left open. The structure of the cake hasn’t set enough to keep its form at this point in baking, and the cake will deflate when the air in the cake cools and compresses temporarily due to heat loss. It will also not rise again even if the oven temperature is restored.

Even though the overall baking time is short, it is preferable to leave sponge cakes in a preheated oven for at least 15 minutes before opening the oven door to ensure equal baking (sponges often only need about 20 minutes). Because of this early period, the structure of the cake has a better chance of setting before the oven door is opened and is less likely to collapse when heat is removed. Also when you do open the oven door make sure it is only for a very short period and the cakes are moved quickly – have your oven mit or tea towel ready and know exactly how / which way you are going to move them to make the process more efficient.

Related Questions

  • Why does my sponge cake keep falling?

    Too much leavening agent, such as baking soda or powder, may cause a cake to rise too rapidly and too high. Before the cake bakes through in the middle, the gas from the leavening chemicals builds up and escapes. This causes the core to collapse, causing your cake layers to sink in the center.

  • Why does cake sink after removing from oven?

    Common Reasons Why Cakes Sink

    1. 1: Your Baking Powder is Expired. …
    2. 2: Too Much Leavening Agent. …
    3. 3: Over-Creaming the Butter and Sugar. …
    4. 4: Your Butter is Too Soft. …
    5. 5: Over-Beating the Batter. …
    6. 6: Your Oven is Too Hot. …
    7. 7: Opening the Oven Door Prematurely. …
    8. 8: Your Ingredients Aren’t Room Temperature.
  • Why does chiffon cake sink after baking?

    Yes. A cake that has too much baking powder or baking soda will 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.

  • How do you keep sponge cake from deflating after baking?

    To prevent sponge cakes, such as Angel food cakes, from sinking, chill them upside down! By cooling the cake upside down, the cake has plenty of room to stretch out of the pan, instead of collapsing into the bottom of the pan.