Why Things Sometimes Go Wrong With Cakes

Collapsed Center - Too much sugar or shortening; too little backing powder; under baking

Fallen Cake - Same as collapsed center; also to little flour

Lopsided Cake - Unlevel oven shelves; also sometimes cake pans touching one another or oven walls.

Cake Overflowing Pan - Using to small pan

Heavy Cake - Too much sugar or too little baking powder

Dry Cake - Too much flour or too little shortening; also over baking.

Coarse Texture - Too much shortening or baking powder; undermixing ; too low on oven heat.

Uneven Texture - Undermixing.

Cracked or Uneven Top - Too much flour or too hot on oven heat.

Sticky Top or Crust - Too much sugar.

Uneven Browning - Crowding oven rack; using dark pans; baking at too high a temperature.