How to Keep Your Cakes from Doming and Cracking (2024)

So why do cakes get taller in the center?Adriana Patterson, PhD, says, “The reason why cakes dome is because the outer perimeter of the cake sets before the interior. Generally, the batter touching the pan will heat more quickly as the metal is a better conductor of heat than the ambient oven air.” Sometimes, she notes, the outer perimeter sets much faster than it should, resulting in a big dome in the center of the cake. The cause here? Likely an oven that’s too hot.

How to avoid the dreaded dome

If you don’t already have anoven thermometer, it’s a wise investment. This handy tool will let you know what your oven’s temperature actually is when you’re heating it to 350 degrees (or any other temperature). Check the temperature once your oven is preheated—if it’s much higher, check your oven’s manual to calibrate it so that 350 degrees actuallymeans 350 degrees. Patterson also suggests simply lowering the temperature by 10 degrees if you notice your cakes significantly doming all the time. “This may be enough to equilibrate the temperature difference between the center and perimeter so that the cake rises at the same level,” she says.

If your cakes keep doming, even after checking (and calibrating, if necessary) your oven, it may be time to invest in a set of cake strips. “These are straps of fabric dipped in water and placed like a wet belt around the cake pan. Left on during baking, this effectively lowers the temperature of the metal and allows the cake to rise at a consistent even rate,” Patterson tells me. There are a few brands of cake strips out there, but theseWilton Bake-Even Cake Strips are pretty inexpensive and versatile. You can adjust them easily and secure them to your cake pans using the attached loops, and they’re oven-safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pastry chef Cheryl Day offers another alternative: “lining the edges of the pan with a double layer of heavy-duty foil will prevent the pan from heating up too fast and help prevent the cake from doming in the middle.”

I bought a set of cake strips to see if they’d actually make a difference in my baking. I whipped together the batter for thisvanilla-buttermilk cake and wrapped one of the cake pans with the soaked cake strips and left the other unadorned. Sure enough, when the time went off, the cake-strip-lined layer was more level than the one baked without cake strips. I ran the same test with a boxed cake mix—and the cake strips won again.

Patterson points out that if your cakesstill dome significantly after taking these measures, the recipe itself may be the cause. “If there’s an imbalance of leavening agents (baking powder or baking soda plus acidic ingredients), the cake batter may continue to produce more carbon dioxide than necessary for the amount of cake batter,” she says. She also mentioned that there’s not necessarily a perfect ratio of leavening agents to other ingredients, since all cakes are a bit different. “However, a good starting point is one teaspoon of baking powder or one quarter teaspoon of baking soda (plus your acidic ingredient) to leaven one cup of flour,” she explains. If there’s a major imbalance of leavening agents, your cake may also have a soapy or chemical taste to it. Yuck.

Is cake doming really that big of a deal, though?

It’s natural for cakes to dome a little bit during baking. “Honestly, it’s not something I worry about. I usually just level with a serrated knife and embrace the dome for the top layer,” Day says. If you’re not confident that you can trim the cake to a flat level, you can also use acake-leveler for a more precise method. This tool has a sharp, adjustable-height wire suspended between two poles—simply stand it next to the cake you want to level, and push the cake through for foolproof flat tops. Patterson shares Day’s view on leveling cakes. “Almost every baker I know has to do a bit of dome-trimming before prepping for a large layer cake,” she says.

Both Day and Patterson see the trimming process as an opportunity to take a baker’s treat for yourself, as well as a chance to inspect the crumb and flavor before decorating. There’s no need to make mountains out ofmolehills cake domes.