We’ve all experienced a cake flop – even some of the most seasoned bakers among us have had failed attempts at baking. Depending on the severity of the flop, you can repurpose your cake so it doesn’t end up in the bin. It’s important to remember that unlike cooking, baking is a science, so every step needs to be followed to a tee.
Before moving onto the fixes, here are a few tips to help you determine where you might have gone wrong and what you should avoid doing the next time you’re in the mood to whip up a delicious sweet treat:
The cake is sunken in the middle
This often happens to impatient bakers who want to have a ‘quick look’ at the cake to see if it’s done (no judgement – we’ve all been there!). The key is to minimise the amount of times you open the oven door. When you do this, you let heat escape, which causes the middle to sink, often resulting in an under-baked cake. Follow the minimum recommended baking time and at the last minute, insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake to check if it’s done. If it’s still gooey, give it a few more minutes until checking again.
The cake is cracked or domed in the middle
Most people will be familiar with the chore of having to slice the top off cakes to level them out so they can be stacked neatly on top of each other for a beautiful layer cake. The main cause of a domed cake is an overheated oven. When you place cake batter in an oven that’s too hot, it starts to cook at different speeds, starting with the outer edges of the cake. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is at the right temperature, and just before putting the tin in the oven, drop it gently from a short height to get rid of any air bubbles.
The cake hasn’t risen
The mostly likely culprit of this is your leavening agent. If the baking powder or baking soda you used is past its sell-by-date, it can affect the height of the cake. A handy tip for making sure your baking powder is still fresh is to mix 1 tsp with 4 tbsp hot water. If it bubbles immediately, it’s good to go. Always store raising agents in sealed containers to ensure maximum freshness.
QUICK FIXES
Liven up stale cake with a liquid-based dessert
Liquid-based desserts such as trifle, tiramisu, bread-and-butter pudding and deliciously moist tres leches cake are all great solves for a flopped cake as they involve deconstructing it and dousing it in a generous amount of liqueur, coffee or cream.
Use icing to glue a cracked cake together
Depending on the severity of the cracks, you can use icing to ‘glue’ the cake back together. Once you’ve iced the outside of the cake and covered up any trace of cracks, people will be none the wiser!
Turn crumbled cake into cake pops
Elevate crumbled cake by combining it with a dollop of icing. Then shape the ‘dough’ into balls, dip each ball into melted chocolate and pop them on a stick. This is a great alternative to traditional children’s birthday cake.
Mix chunks of cake into ice cream
The contrasting texture of cake and ice cream makes it a match made in heaven. Leave a tub of ice cream out of the freezer to soften, then stir in chunks of cake before refreezing and serving up as a divine dessert.
