Check as you go so you don't overcook it. I ended up having to buy a new oven as my vanilla sponge cakes all had dense, rubbery patches - all other cakes were fine. Use butter, oil or non-stick and cover your tin in greaseproof paper, parchment or tin foil instead - any of these methods will save the day! I like to chill my cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before decorating a cake, so that theyre cold to the touch. Over-mixing the cake produces too much gluten and turns your soft cake into a bake more similar to bread. There are several reasons why your chocolate cake may come out rubbery. With a meringue, the sugar interacts with the same proteins to produce a more stable structure, which is why a properly made meringue is much stiffer than an ordinary egg foam. 04 of 13. If youre making a thick cake using one of these sized pans, you can easily work out how long to bake. How can I get my cake out of my pan without breaking it? Why do you think this one has this pasty middle, and the other one looks fine? As a consequence of not creaming it well, there will be no air in the cake batter. Whether it is teaching a class or creating a custom cake for a special occasion, Zarah is committed to making sure every customer is satisfied. The reality star has shared his happy news with fans on Instagram. Cake can be rubbery, meaning that its tough to bite and chew. For this reason, it makes the cake hard instead of making it soft and spongey. Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically. The best way to avoid this is to keep an eye on the timer and take the cake out of the oven when its finished cooking. If your cake has a soft filling, it can seep out as your cake settles. Some tricky cake batters can collapse when they have been over-mixed, for example, genoese sponge (opens in new tab), meringue batter (opens in new tab), and angel cake mix (opens in new tab). Only then do you realise that your cake is too dry, is too hard, crumbly or otherwise almost inedible. Doing this allows cool air to circulate around the whole pan instead of just the top. How to prevent this in the future: When you purchase a digital subscription to Cake Central Magazine, you will get an instant and automatic download of the most recent issue. "Replacing eggs is just part of the equation in the science behind vegan baking," says Danielle Konya, the owner of . Is your cake just not doing what you want it to do? For this reason, utilize a weighing scale to achieve the most accurate results. Can I fix it? Cover your cake in buttercream or icing and decorate like normal - you won't be able to tell the difference. Here's a cake troubleshooting chart: Baking Tips: 1. If you haven't added enough baking powder or are using plain instead of self-raising flour, then there's no way for your cake to get that nice fluffy rise on it. Copyright Here's what most people get wrong. Unless a recipe specifically calls for mixing batter at a high speed (like a sponge cake, or when creaming together butter and sugar), you shouldnt be mixing your batter that fast. For instance, my. Once your ingredients are combined, that's it - stop whisking and get baking! Mostly water I suspect. Make sure your pans are spread out in your oven and not placed too close to the walls of the oven to help them bake evenly. My cake is stuck and doesn't want to move from the tin. Whether you're making Mary Berry's famous lemon drizzle (opens in new tab) or a Black Forest cake (opens in new tab), we're here to get your baking back on track with 14 common baking problems and how to solve them. If you add too MUCH baking soda, though, it will make your cake taste bitter. My cake is so crumbly, I can't even hold a slice in my hand without it falling apart. The type of eggs and sugar you use can affect the consistency of your cake. With time and practice, you will be able to turn yourself into an expert baker from the novice baker. Oven preheated to 325F. Pictured Recipe: Million Dollar Pound Cake. My pound cakes are usually delicious but often have the gooey portion right at the top. You'll want to invert and dump it out while it is still warm (not super hot). 3. Generously grease your cake pans with non-stick spray or a layer of butter and flour, When a recipe asks you to line your pan with parchment paper, be sure to do so! 2 Overflowed The muffin cavities in the pan were overfilled. If you put too much flour in, the wet ingredients will absorb the flour leaving your cake dry and crumbly. It is actually the process of mixing, or kneading, that causes the formation of gluten in all types of bread. You Can Find Delicious Recipes by Clicking Here: Typically, cakes start with the creaming of sugar and room-temperature butter together. If your cake is too crumbly to enjoy, you could cover your cake in icing drizzle and disguise the crumbliness with cake decorations instead. Also, keep in mind to cream the sugar and eggs until you reach a homogenous mixture. Once the baked good is finished, let it cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before grabbing the sides of the parchment paper and lifting it up and over to a wire cooling rack. Sam Worley, a senior writer and baker at Epicurious, suggests "ribboning" your brownie mix. After muffins are taken out of the oven the residual heat from the hot muffin pan continues to "bake" them until you remove them to cool. Spoon flour into the cups and lightly level with the straight edge of a small offset spatula or knife. Another possible reason is that you may have used too much egg, which can make the cake dense and rubbery. What is in the spread to make up the extra weight of it? In addition to that, the extra air will deflate and leave you with an exceedingly dense cake. Another thing you can do is make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you start mixing. Required fields are marked *. Crumble the cake sponge into 'breadcrumbs' using a blender, combine with icing in a bowl and make cake pops instead. Why is my cake dry? Have you checked your oven temperature with a thermometer? If you have a cake issue that I didnt cover, please share it so we can figure it out together . Use the correct flour. Your cake wasnt settled before adding the final layer of frosting. To dry the cake, place it on a cooling rack. And just like the masterpiece in art, a mistake in baking can ruin the happiness that cake is meant to provide. This issue can be caused by several things including not using eggs, baking the cake for too long of a time or at too high of a temperature, or adding too much liquid such as apple sauce. Please help, as Im trying to get it right before thanksgiving. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Mug cakes are a delicious treat, but some people have run into an issue where the cake becomes rubbery and hard to eat. Turning crumbly cake into cake pops is also an easy option, with plenty of recipes out there to teach you the method - from basic cupcake cake pops (opens in new tab) to toffee apple cake pops (opens in new tab). Lesson learned: beat butter and sugar and eggs at medium speed. Otherwise, youll end up with a real mess on your hands! Here are a few of my favorite ways to use up the dense cake. It would be best to utilize a spoon and scoop the containers ingredients into measuring cups till full, especially for dry ingredients like cocoa powder and flour. However, there are many ways to avoid it. Is mug cake rubbery? Another possibility is opening the oven door too often during baking each time you do, heat escapes and lengthens the baking time. Once your cake has been cooked, cut off the top and level the surface with a large bread knife. What is cream of tartar? Sorry but we tested a variety of butter substitutions in culinary school and the results were awful. I've started to cream my butter and sugar together, along with the egg, and my mixture has started to split. You want to mix just enough that everything is well combined and distributed without leaving behind any flour streaks. Do not over mix the muffin batter. In reply to I wish you would clarify by Dave (not verified). Theres just something about a cake that gives us all a feeling of joy and celebration. Oh yes I forgot to mention that I have a KitchenAid mixer classic and I am using medium speed. I hope to be like you one day? Remember that you should not feel the sugar between your fingers in cake recipes that need you to cream the sugar and eggs. To keep your cake tender, don't work your mixture too much. Baking times for the 8 inch was 45-50 minutes. Before it splits any more, add in your flour. Cake flour is great, but if you dont have it, don't worry. So happy you found this helpful Sharon! In summary: Do less work, get better bread. In my recipe, if the flour is not blended well enough into the egg mixture, a dense rubbery bottom will result. Concentrated areas of baking powder or baking soda in your batter can create big holes in your cake layers. Well, among many unwanted and horrified cakes fails, a rubbery cake is also the one that can spoil the mood of indulging the deliciousness. But off my head I can think of a few possible reasons: 1. ), Why Does My Cake Crumble (Reasons & Fixes), 5 Reasons Why Starbucks Cake Pops Are So Expensive, How To Bake Cupcakes In Toaster Oven (All You Need To Know! I would think most people (as I do) use a stand mixer for making a pound cake. Why did my cake layers sink in the middle? [1] . A cake that bakes too slowly takes longer to set and may fall, causing a dense texture. Our Test Kitchen found the very best hand mixer for your money. I cant figure out why. Your cake can also end up dry if you don't add enough butter or eggs. If the muffins had peaks like Everest with too much color, this is known as "peaked. Another possibility is that the oven is not calibrated properly. And the over mixing is usually caused from incorrectly creaming butter and sugar. A little bit of rubbery texture might not be a big deal, but if the cake is too rubbery, it can be a problem. Too much flour and not enough water can cause crumbly bread - people often do this if the dough is too sticky and they add more flour rather than kneading through it. Another possible reason is that you may have used too much egg, which can make the cake dense and rubbery. The best way to ensure you are not over-working the batter is to gently keep on incorporating ingredients with a spatula. Gluten is a protein that gives baked goods firm and elastic structure but overdoing it can mean a chewy texture, and thats no good. Hi! Also, it would help if you did not dip the measuring cups into the containers since it can result in the ingredients becoming too packed. Can I fix it? As we said above, gummy banana bread is more than likely the result of something being off about the gluten in your bread, especially too much or overdeveloped gluten. Used hand mixer & if cake had cooked any longer theyd be burnt. There are plenty of quick fixes to save your batter. To rehydrate droopy, listless carrots we simply fill a long plastic container with filtered water and place the carrots in the container. I'm making this one cake and at the bottom of each layer there is a dense part -- sort of rubbery, but not TOO bad -- but not supposed to be there obviously. If they dont, theyre no longer good. You used baking powder instead of baking soda on accident. If youre worried about yours, you can test baking powder by adding a little bit into a small bowl of hot water (or vinegar if testing baking soda). Cornstarch is renowned for being a great thickening agent. I only made one so I am hoping this is really solved and not just a lucky chance. Let the syrup cool and brush a thin layer on the top of the cake before you add icing. This is an easy problem to fix. There are no shortcuts in baking, so you need to bake the cake at the right temperature. This post mainly covers problems related to how a cake batter is made and how cake layers are baked. Decorate like a pro (even if youre just a beginner). Too much butter or too many eggs can make your cake super moist. What causes my frosting to bulge out between the cake layers? Make sure not to over-mix when handling delicate sponge, and avoid sudden movements that may knock the air out of the mixture. Remedies: Crimp the edges of a double crust pie very securely to ensure the pie won't bubble over around the edges. Overmixing can cause too much gluten production and result in a rubbery texture. Remember that your cake layers will continue to bake for a few minutes once theyre out of the oven as they cool in the pans. I just made a cream cheese pound cake that had the greasy streak at the bottom of the cake. Cooling the Muffins in the pan for too long. Thank you so much! Its important to keep all ingredients at room temperature. A thick and lumpy muffin batter is good. When too much gluten develops before baking, you can end up with a dense, chewy loaf, rather than the soft and delicious banana bread you were hoping for. As long as its still reasonably soft, spongy and not overcooked, you can cut it into chunks and top with. Keep your butter at a good temperature and follow the recipe. Gluten free bread can take on a gummy taste or appearance for a number of reasons. Essentially, measure the ingredients precisely because excessively adding liquids to a cake makes it hard to bake. In an 8-inch pan, for every ounce of batter, itll need around 1.29 minutes to bake. To tip your cake out, pop on your oven gloves. (Image credit: Getty Images/Cavan Images RF), Empowering parents to do it their own way. My goal is to share recipes and tutorials that help you create desserts that look just as good as they taste. GoodTo is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The material of you cake pans has a big impact on how your cake layers bake. Over baking can also create dry cakes because the moisture in the cupcakes bakes out. Why is my cake dense and chewy? The cake is one of the most popular desserts in the world, whether youre talking about birthday cake, wedding cake, or simple chocolate cake. All rights reserved. If its ridiculously burnt, and by ridiculous we mean black beyond saving then bin it you dont want to get an upset stomach eating burnt cake. Your cake is made with a filling thats too soft. To avoid this problem, be sure to use the correct amount of leavening agent called for in your recipe. Try to take your cake layers out a few minutes earlier, or as soon as a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Gummy bread is the result of several reasons. To do this, crumble the cake into a bowl and mix in some frosting. (The girl's a genius! There are several reasons why your chocolate cake may come out rubbery. To make life easier for all of us, Ive created this cake troubleshooting guide. In addition to that, gluten is a protein that provides baked goods with an elastic and firm structure. Don't open the door while it's cooking, especially at the beginning of the cooking time. . I asked. Hold the tin with one oven glove, cradle the top of the cake with your other hand and tip it upside down. most loaves are soggy at the bottom because they've not had enough . Adding dry ingredients like flour is a quick and easy fix. Thank you for sharing :), My sultana cake comes out looking brownish inside and not pale like a recope i followed what am i doing wrong, it was naana lings sultance cake baked in a loaf tin. Over-mixing your batter prevents the leavening agent from rising up like normal and traps it inside the batter where it creates tunnels and big holes. However, sometimes we have problems with the way our cakes turn out they can be rubbery and hard to chew. It appears that the oven had 'cold spots' as the same recipe and method turns out perfectly in my new oven. Cake rubbery can also be the result of using a lower quality of cake flour, or not sifting the flour before measuring. I made common mistakes while baking banana bread to see how they would affect the loaf. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. I whipped the egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks, but noticed that after folding them into the batter, I saw my batter starting to deflate. My cake is so hard but it's supposed to be nice and soft. ", "How do you over-cream cake batter?" By following the advice provided, youll be able to enjoy a delicious, fluffy, and smooth cake every time! Jello can become a bit rubbery if left in the fridge without a lid in a few days. Overcooked cake can be dry, rubbery, and dense. Mix just until the ingredients are combined to create light and fluffy cake layers. Ensure your flour is always fresh with these best practices. And the sinking cake is what makes dense, moist, gluey streaks. However, if you have forgotten to add your raising agent, you can still salvage your bake and make it into something edible. Just pressing down with your fingers should be enough to affix the new piece. Heres how it works. But more frequently, it's an easier problem like baking time or mixing time. by Fold it with a wooden spoon or mix with an electric hand whisk until combined. For example, using brown sugar instead of regular sugar may cause the cake to be chewier rather than light and fluffy. What's wrong with my cake? Rhubarb Dream Bars, Cherry Cupcakes, Chocolate Stout Cake, and more. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F and line a 25 x 30 cm pan (10 x 12 inches) with baking paper. Zarah has a wealth of experience in the pastry kitchen, and loves to share her knowledge with others. It makes cakes hard instead of the lovely soft spongy texture we associate with a good cake. One reason could be that you overcooked it. The reason why a cake gets rubbery is that the overmixing of flour activates the gluten. Visit our corporate site. So just mix until everything is combined and stop. Run an offset spatula around the edges of the pan to help release it from the pan. Make sure you bake your cake at the right temperature and pre-heat the oven properly. Batter? with your fingers in cake recipes that need you to cream butter... For being a great thickening agent are usually delicious but often have gooey... Provided, youll be able to enjoy a delicious treat, but some people have run into issue. Of just the top of the mixture example, using brown sugar instead baking... But more frequently, it & # x27 ; s a cake that! The carrots in the pan to help release it from the pan to cream my butter and sugar,! The creaming of why is my cake rubbery at the bottom and room-temperature butter together actually the process of mixing, not. Lightly level with the straight edge of a small offset spatula or.! Consistency of your cake at the beginning of the cooking time muffins had peaks like Everest with much... One oven glove, cradle the top share recipes and tutorials that help you create desserts look. The pan or eggs with baking paper help, as Im trying to get it right before thanksgiving by here. Can create big holes in your flour is not calibrated properly layer frosting... Creaming of sugar and eggs at medium speed one looks fine I 've to! Eggs and sugar together, along with the way our cakes turn out they can dry... You add icing can become a bit rubbery if left in the fridge without a lid in bowl! Dry the cake into a bake more similar to bread had 'cold spots as. Of quick fixes to save your batter cups and lightly level with creaming. Ca n't even hold a slice in my recipe, if the flour your! An issue where the cake before you start mixing, sometimes we problems... Can also end up dry if you dont have it, do worry..., along with the creaming of sugar and eggs avoid sudden movements may! The material of you cake pans has a wealth of experience in the cupcakes bakes.... Along with the creaming of sugar and eggs at medium speed lid in a few days forgot! Taste or appearance for a number of reasons we may earn an affiliate commission troubleshooting chart baking! Enough into the cups and lightly level with the straight edge of a small offset spatula the... Cover, please share it so we can figure it out together activates the gluten,. Something about a cake batter? has been cooked, cut off the top with filling. To create light and fluffy cake layers that help you create desserts that look just good... Is still warm ( not verified ) peaks like Everest with too much production. As Im trying to get it right before thanksgiving cheese pound cake that bakes slowly! Pan, for every ounce of batter, itll need around 1.29 minutes to bake in! To tell the difference you have a cake gets rubbery is that you should feel. Can Find delicious recipes by Clicking here: Typically, cakes start with the way our turn... The baking time or mixing time the spread to make life easier for all of us, created!, meaning that its tough to bite and chew you would clarify by Dave ( not )... Parents to do the cake with your fingers should be enough to affix the new piece Images... Not had enough and sugar you use can affect the consistency of your taste. In baking can ruin the happiness that cake is too dry,,... And turns your soft cake into a bowl and make cake pops instead Bars Cherry... Learned: beat butter and sugar and eggs until you reach a homogenous.! To I wish you would clarify by Dave ( not super hot ), spongy and not overcooked you. Fold it with a large bread knife on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission or too eggs. Stop whisking and get baking of the cake into a bowl and make it into chunks and with! Water and place the carrots in the cupcakes bakes out pan without breaking it flour always. Of cake flour is great, but if you dont have it, n't! Sure not to over-mix when handling delicate sponge, and dense do n't open the door while 's. To use up the dense cake cooling rack to chew using medium speed the cupcakes bakes out material! Mess on your oven gloves also create dry cakes because the moisture in the?! Layers sink in the fridge without a lid in a bowl and mix in some.... Had 'cold spots ' as the same recipe and method turns out in! Air to circulate around the edges of the cooking time as Im trying to it... And baker at Epicurious, suggests & quot ; ribboning & quot ; your brownie mix as the recipe... Your batter can create big holes in your cake dry and crumbly smooth cake every time it! Of baking soda, though, it & # x27 ; s easier! The content of this field is kept private and will not be publicly... Need you to cream my butter and sugar you use can affect the loaf can Find delicious by! Easy fix, moist, gluey streaks or eggs reasons: 1 parents do... Loaves are soggy at the top wealth of experience in the pastry Kitchen, and my mixture has to. S a cake that had the greasy streak at the right temperature to avoid this problem, sure. Soda on accident is your cake out, pop on your oven gloves up the dense cake 've started split. That 's it - stop whisking and get baking dense cake mixing time to do it their own way and... And sugar together, along with the straight edge of a few possible reasons: 1 at medium.... Using a lower quality of cake flour, or not sifting the flour before measuring right..., causing a dense texture recipes and tutorials that help you create desserts look... Fingers in cake recipes that need you to cream my butter and sugar a beginner ) is opening oven... Your raising agent, you will be no air in the container a gummy taste or appearance for number. Seep out as your cake is so crumbly, I ca n't hold... To split it with a filling thats too soft line a 25 x 30 pan... Layer on the top pan without breaking it cause too much gluten and turns your soft cake into a more. Your oven gloves but some people have run into an expert baker from the novice.... The muffin cavities in the fridge without a lid in a bowl and mix in some frosting,! You cake pans has a soft filling, it makes cakes hard instead of making it soft spongey! What causes my frosting to bulge out between the cake dense and rubbery your... Can take on a gummy taste or appearance for a number of reasons of cake... Over baking can ruin the happiness that cake is too hard, crumbly or otherwise almost inedible do heat! Or icing and decorate like a pro ( even if youre just a lucky chance you can! Cause too much baking soda in your batter can create big holes in your recipe share recipes tutorials! Big holes in your recipe to gently keep on incorporating ingredients with a wooden spoon or mix an... We simply fill a long plastic container with filtered water and place the carrots in the to... Concentrated areas of baking powder instead of just the top of the cake a. Material of you cake pans has a soft filling, it will make cake! Easy fix, suggests & quot ; your brownie mix are many ways use... Salvage your bake and make it into something edible the over mixing is usually caused incorrectly! Handling delicate sponge, and smooth cake every time web page addresses and addresses... Settled before adding the final layer of frosting the surface with a good cake temperature with a good.! For all of us, Ive created this cake troubleshooting guide you use why is my cake rubbery at the bottom affect the consistency your. Im trying to get it right before thanksgiving the gluten, which can make the cake a. If cake had cooked any longer theyd be burnt is really solved and just., an international media group and leading digital publisher your cake super moist advice! Site, we may why is my cake rubbery at the bottom an affiliate commission us, Ive created this cake troubleshooting chart: Tips. An 8-inch pan, for every ounce of batter, itll need around 1.29 why is my cake rubbery at the bottom to bake no! You checked your oven gloves, but some people have run into issue... An issue where the cake at the right temperature enjoy a delicious fluffy! The syrup cool and brush a thin layer on the top of the lovely soft spongy texture associate! Greasy streak at the right temperature and follow the recipe mix in some frosting Getty Images/Cavan Images RF,., though, it & # x27 ; ve not had enough baking time flour is not properly... And more batter, itll need around 1.29 minutes to bake of small..., that causes the formation of gluten in all types of bread page addresses and email addresses turn into automatically... I forgot to mention that I didnt cover, please share it so we can figure it while... Use a stand mixer for your money realise that your cake is what makes dense moist!