Cakes
Dry crumb
4 likely causes, sorted by where the problem lives. Work down the list and change one variable at a time.
Likely causes
- techniqueOverbaked.
- formulaToo much flour, often from measuring by volume.
- formulaToo little fat, sugar, or liquid.
- equipmentOven running hot.
What to change
- Bake to doneness and no further: about 205 to 210 °F (96 to 99 °C) at the centre for butter cakes and sponges.
- Scale by weight.
- Raise the sugar, fat, or liquid, or replace part of the butter with oil.
- Soak lean sponges with flavoured syrup, which is what they are designed for.
Read it with the four domains in mind
FormulaThe recipe itself: ratios, quantities, and ingredient choice.
TechniqueWhat you did: mixing, shaping, timing, handling.
EnvironmentThe room: temperature, humidity, altitude, storage.
EquipmentThe gear: oven calibration, pans, mixer, tools.
Adapted from the master symptom matrices in Environmental Variables & Troubleshooting. General sourcing across these tables: Figoni (2011); Gisslen (2016); Corriher (2008); McGee (2004); Modernist Bread (2017); King Arthur Baking technical guides; BAKERpedia.
Other cakes symptoms
Sunken centre
Domed or cracked top
Dense and heavy
Tunnels: vertical holes through the crumb
Coarse, open crumb
Overflowed the pan
Stuck to the pan
Soapy, bitter, or metallic taste
Sour taste
Cakes & Sponges · Pan Size Calculator · The full troubleshooting method · All 50 symptoms