CAKE FAULTS.

Cake faults

1. SHAPE FAULTS:

A. Collapsed or Sunken cakes:

i) Too much Sugar: This leaves sugar particles, as white spots on surface.  To avoid this, formula must be balanced and sugar correctly weighed

ii) Too little liquid: Less liquid can cause this fault. The cake mixture should have dropping consistency. Add milk or water to get this consistency.

B. Baked with peeled top:

i) Insufficient mixing: This is due to over or under mixing of the mixture. Over mixing causes air to escape, while under mixing leaves no space for air to expand. Hence mixing should be proper.

ii) To a much heat from top:  Too much heat will expand cake fast and set it early. The top crust will burst due to quick expansion. Since the oven has two heating elements, one below and one on top, the best remedy would be to switch off the top element. Otherwise the cake tin can be covered from top when there is only-one heater.

C. Cake with flat top:

i) Oven too cool: This gives a slower and more even expansion in the oven, yielding a flat top. Hence use correct baking temperature as mentioned in the recipe.

ii) Incorrect balance between fat and egg:  If the proportion of fat is high, the egg will not be able to support it and the result will be a flat surface. To avoid it, follow the recipe correctly.

2. STRUCTURAL FAULTS

A. Under baked area under top crust:

i) Under baking:  The area under the crust will have higher moisture content resulting in damp unbaked surface. If the top crust is highly colored and the area under the crust contains moisture, reduce the temperature and the baking time.

ii) Bumping the cake during baking: If the cake is shaken before setting, some of the cells in the middle will collapse resulting in damp, apparently unbaked area. Hence, do not disturb the cake in the oven before it is baked.

3. TEXTURE FAULTS:

i) Less baking powder: The cake will be heavy as no air will be released. Hence, weigh or measure baking powder correctly.

ii) Too much liquid: This will close the cake and the cake will lack lightness.

iii) Too little sugar: This will allow the cake to set too early and give less time to expand.

4. CRUST FAULTS:

A. Cracks on the surface of the cake:

i) Too hot oven: Due to excess heat the surface gets sealed and hard. Due to pressure from below the surface cracks during baking. This can be avoided by lowering the temperature of the oven by reducing heat and opening the oven door.

ii) Too little sugar: Sugar plays an important part in cake making. Hence measure it correctly. Too little sugar will allow the cake to set too early and as a result the surface of the cake will crack.

ii) Over filling the tin with cake batter: The batter reaches the top of the tin too quickly and crust will form before expansion is complete. This will make the crust crack. Try to line the tin 2" above the size of the cake to allow full expansion of cake batter.

5. COLOUR FAULTS:

A. Discolored crumb:

i) Too much bottom heat: The base is over baked and this causes discoloration. Regulate the bottom heat if the oven is too hot.

ii) Too much baking powder: Too much baking powder causes dehydration of sugar which causes it to caramelize. Hence measure baking powder correctly.

B. White spots on the surface of the cake:

i) Batter standing:  The moisture from the surface before too long baking of the batter will evaporate leaving the sugar in a dry state. When baked in this condition, white spots are formed on the surface of the cake. In case immediate baking is not possible, keep the cake batter in the cake tin covered so that the moisture from top does not evaporate.

ii) The use of very large grains: If sugar crystals are too large they dissolve slowly. Hence when the cake is fully baked the sugar crystals do not get dissolved leaving white spots. Hence fine sugar must be used.

6. MISCELLANEOUS FAULTS:

A. Mould growth:

1. Excessive moisture: Moulds require moist conditions in which to grow. If the outer surface of the cake becomes very moist it will cause mould formation. Do not wrap the cake when it is hot, but allow it to come to room temperature before wrapping.