Introduction to Sponge Cake Collapse Full Detail
The most painful moment in baking is when you open the oven door and your beloved sponge cake is slowly collapsing in the middle.This is a common problem for new and experienced bakers.
Personal Experience and Mistakes
At the beginning of my baking career, when I was in a vocational training institute, I made vanilla sponge cake two/three times, but every time the cake collapse in the Middle. I thought I had bad luck, but when I read Food science about it, I found out that it wasn't luck, but rather a protein failure.
I am Bakery Chef Hassan with hands on experience in making delicate and airy sponge cakes.
In this article, I will explain to you why your cake shrink or collapse. I will tell you all the reactions that go on inside the cake batter, by understanding these causes so that you can avoid the same problems every time you make a cake again.
Importance of Learning Science Behind Baking
By the end of this article, you will know two things very well: one, how to prevent sponge cake from collapsing and the other, we will understand the science behind the cause of cake collapse, So we will be able to fix any cake.
Whether you're making a vanilla sponge cake or a chocolate cake, or you're trying out gluten-free baking products, there's a whole science behind perfect baking.
So let's dive into the world of science behind sponge cake.
The Science Behind Sponge Cake Collapse
Sponge cake depends largely on air incorporation, protein structure, and heat. When you whip eggs with sugar, you are trapping tiny air bubbles in the mixture. And these airy bubbles are the basis of a light and airy cake.
During baking, the air bubbles in the cake batter expand due to the heat and the flour and egg proteins come together around it to form a structure.
But if something goes wrong, such as overmixing or underbaking, the protein network won't support it and the cake will sink in the middle.
Sponge cake contains eggs and eggs also contain water naturally, and in some recipes, we add some water ourselves to adjust the thickness of the mixture, but when this water evaporates quickly during Baking or Cooling, the cake then shrinks.
Baking Science Key Principles
Air Bubbles expansion: The heat also causes air bubbles to expand and the cake to rise.
Water Balance: Too much or too little water in cake batter affects the rise and shrinkage of the cake.
By understanding all these scientific principles, you can prevent your cake from collapsing or shrinking.
Remember all these principals and take pictures of actions where science works while baking and share them with me on Instagram @ProPastry.
Application of Science in Real Life Baking
Let's see how science applies to real life baking.
Eggs Over-whipping: Over-whipping the eggs causes them to become too dry and hard, and the brittle structure collapses under its own weight.
Pro Tip: When making sponge cake in Cakes and Bakes, I used to follow only one rule, which is to whisk the egg and sugar mixture until it reaches the ribbon stage. To check the ribbon stage, I used to lift the mixture with a spatula and drop it.
If the mixture falls in the form of ribbons, it means it is ready. If it falls down like a liquid, more whisking is required. If we do not take this mixture to the ribbon stage, it will not get enough air trapped in it and then the structure will become weak, due to which the sponge cake will fall.
Underbaking: If the center is not set, the cake will automatically sink in the center as it cools.
Oven Temperature Management: At too low temperature, the cake will not rise completely, and if the temperature is too high, the cake will bake on the outside but trap moisture inside.
For example, whenever you want to make a classic vanilla sponge cake, whisk the eggs until soft peaks form and preheat the oven. By following these principles, we can make a fluffy and airy cake every time.
Common Mistakes
Batter Over mixing: Overmixing causes gluten to develop more, making the cake dense and more likely to collapse.
Sensory Tip: When you are mixing cake batter, you have to keep an eye on its surface and consistency. If the surface of the batter looks shiny and the batter feels a little tight, then understand that the gluten has developed too much.
Perfectly mixed sponge batter is dull in color and light like a cloud. You have to stop mixing at this stage.
Open the Oven too Early: Opening the oven door repeatedly causes temperature changes, which deflates air bubbles and causes the cake to sink.
Incorrect Leavening: Using too much or too little baking powder also affects the rise of the cake and is also the reason why the cake shrinks.
Using Ingredients at the Wrong Temperature:
Using cold eggs, butter and milk does not allow the emulsification process to take place properly in the cake. When all the ingredients are not mixed well, the air is not trapped in the batter, which is very important for making a light sponge cake. As a result, the cake rises unevenly and sinks after cooling. Always bring butter, milk and eggs to room temperature before using to make a smooth batter.
Weak Batter Structure:
Sometimes the problem starts with the batter itself. The cake doesn’t hold its structure due to inaccurate measurements of ingredients in the batter or poor mixing technique. And this is a problem many bakers face in bread baking as well. If you’ve ever wondered Why is my Dough not rising, So the reason is similar to cake batter.
Keeping all these things in mind and understanding the science behind them can save us from many sponge cake disasters.
Some More Baking Related Information
If you want to make a soft and fluffy vanilla sponge cake, check out my Vanilla Sponge cake recipe. For more baking information and tips read my guide on how to fix an under baked cake?
Author Bio
Baker Hassan - Certified Chef from Pakistan
Hi, I’m Chef Hassan. I have done Chef Level 2 diploma from VTI and Food Safety course from Unilever Food Solutions. With hands-on experience in commercial bakeries like Cakes & Bakes and Jalal Sons, I will help you solve your baking problems by combining my baking knowledge and scientific logic so that you can do baking with 100% confidence.
FAQ Section
Q1: How do you keep a sponge cake from collapsing?
Make sure the eggs are well-beaten, avoid overmixing, bake at the right temperature, and open the oven door as little as possible. By following these tips, the cake can be protected from collapsing.
Q2: How do I know if I overmixed my cake batter?
Signs of overmixed batter include: It is too shiny. It is also too dense. And the batter has lost its air bubbles.
Q3: Why does cake shrink after baking?
The reason of the shrinkage of cake after baking is that most of the water in the cake has evaporated and the cake structure has not fully set and has sunk in the middle. Sometimes the reason for cake sinking is also the low temperature of the oven.
Conclusion
Sponge cake collapsing, sinking, and shrinking are always due to the physics and chemistry present in its batter. We can avoid problems that arise during cake baking by understanding air incorporation, protein coagulation, and moisture balance.By applying all these principals and avoiding common mistakes, we can make soft, fluffy, and airy sponge cakes every time.
