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Uneven Cakes

Ever wonder why your cakes sometimes turn out lopsided?

Ever wonder why your cakes sometimes turn out lopsided?

Cakes can come out lopsided for a few reasons. Naturally, if the oven or oven rack is not level, the batter will flow toward the lower side. So first check to make sure that the rack is seated properly in its grooves. If it is, use a carpenter’s level to see if your oven itself is crooked (check for levelness both on a rack and on the floor of the oven). Most ovens have adjustable feet that allow you to correct for floor slant.

Cakes can also come out asymmetrical if your oven is hotter on one side, so lopsided cakes may indicate that it’s time to have your oven serviced. You can mitigate the effects of sloping and uneven heat by rotating your cake pans midway through baking. And if your oven is drastically hotter on one side? If all else fails, bake only one layer at a time so you can put the pan in the center of the rack and rotate it midway through baking.

THE BOTTOM LINE  Make sure that your oven and racks are level. Also, rotate the pans midway through baking to counteract uneven heating. 

 

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