Fix Cake Disasters

Baking cakes is great fun until something goes wrong. This article will help you to pinpoint the disaster and either to fix it where possible or learn how to avoid it in future.

Steps

 * 1) Don't panic. There is always a solution, even if it's feeding the disaster to the chickens or demonstrating to your kids how not to bake a cake. Focus on what can be done before racing down to the store to purchase a last minute substitute.
 * 2) *Always learn from your mistakes. Cake baking is an art and mistakes are all lessons in perfecting the art. Enjoy the mistakes as much as the successes, for they turn you into a better baker!
 * 3) Fix a burned cake. The first indication is often the smell and that d'oh! moment as you realize you've forgotten the cake! Try these fixes before tossing it:
 * 4) *See if it's possible to cut off the burned parts. Do this with care and only if the cake is slightly burned. Base and edges can be cut off and covered with frosting or icing.
 * 5) * Find a fine metal strainer. Use it to rub against the burned surface. This will remove all the charred bits without having to cut or break the cake.
 * 6) *Prevent burning by using a timer. Carry a timer with you if you're forgetful and tend to wander off.
 * 7) *To prevent the cake burning on the top, cut out two circles of baking or parchment paper larger than the cake pan. Sit these over the top of the cake prior to placing it in the oven for baking.
 * 8)  Fix a sunken cake. This is often a sign that the cake was undercooked or the oven door was opened at an inopportune moment. Always use a skewer to check when a cake is done before removing it completely from the heat. There are several possibilities for a sunken cake:
 * 9) * Cut out the middle of the cake. Suddenly it turns into a ring cake! Frost, serve and remain smug.
 * 10) *Turn it into baked Alaska or a trifle.
 * 11) *Crumble it into cake crumbs and use as topping on a tart. Add one beaten egg white and coconut to the crumbs, place on top of a pie and bake.
 * 12) *Fill the hole with lots of cream and fruit. For added decadence, pour liqueur or fruit juice into the sunken part before adding fruit and cream.
 * 13) Mend a cake with a bump. If your cake surface has developed its own Mount Vesuvius, simply slice it off and turn the cake over. Frost the base instead.
 * 14) *This is usually caused by an oven that is too hot. Double check the temperature next time you bake a cake.
 * 15) *It can also be caused by too much mixture in too small a pan. This is usually the case where the cake develops a crack. Try to match the cake mixture to a bigger pan. Some pans cause bumps or cracking due to their shape, such as ring and loaf pans.
 * 16) Rescue stale or dry cake.
 * 17) *Slice very thinly and add butter.
 * 18) *Pierce the cake. Sprinkle alcohol or fruit juice over the cake. Wrap in a plastic bag and leave to moisten for 2-3 days.
 * 19) *Add a slice of bread to the cake container. Put the lid on firmly and leave to sit for 2 days. When you open it again, you'll find the moisture from the bread has transferred to the cake. Throw the bread away.
 * 20) *Make rum balls from stale cupcakes or muffins.
 * 21) *Split a dry sponge cake in half. Make a simple syrup from 60g / 2 oz sugar dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of cognac or fruit juice. Brush the syrup over the sponge cake, then add a creamy or mousse filling and fruit.
 * 22) *Cut stale fruit cake into slices or pieces and saute in butter. Serve in a bowl with brandy butter; it's a great substitute for fruit pudding.
 * 23) Mend a sugary crust on a cake. This means that the butter and sugar weren't beaten adequately during preparation, or too much sugar has been added. Pass it off as a French delicacy and give the cake a good beating next time.
 * 24) *White specks on the top of a cake indicate that the sugar has not dissolved. Use a finer sugar for the recipe next time.
 * 25)  Repair a shrunken cake. Shrunken cakes have been subjected to too high a temperature for too long. Provided the cake is not rock hard, it's still edible, so ice or frost it and live with the fact that it's smaller than it was supposed to be. Again, consider passing it off as a French delicacy.
 * 26)  Manage your temper when the cake sticks to the pan. A cake that won't release from the pan probably has excessive sugar or sweetening in it or inadequate greasing of the pan surface. If it breaks when being removed, use it for a trifle, a smaller cake, or for baked Alaska.
 * 27) *Always line a cake pan or use non-stick or silicon pans.
 * 28) *Any cake recipe using honey or syrup should set off warning bells to line the pan with parchment paper.
 * 29) *Read How to fix a baked cake stuck to the pan.
 * 30)  Fix a mottled cake. If the cake has streaks across the top, it comes down to inadequate mixing of the ingredients. This won't affect the taste and is simple to remedy. Either ice or frost it, or pass it off as a deliberately striped cake, which kids will find delightful.
 * 31) *If there is a band or collar of a darker shade around the top of your cake, this indicates that it was baked at too high a temperature.
 * 32) *A cake with a pale top can be caused by having the parchment lining rise too high above the cake, or using a pan that's too large.
 * 33)  Mend a Swiss roll that falls apart. In this case, use a round cookie cutter or glass to make as many circles as possible. Use a filling and berries or fruit slices in between each round and make triple deck cake towers. Arrange beautifully on a plate and call it a gourmet dessert.
 * 34)  Improve a heavy cake. If a cake comes out of the oven feeling heavier than you know it should be, the solution depends on the texture.
 * 35) *If it's really soggy and dense from fruit or other moist content, turn it into a pudding. Allow to cool, then reheat as a pudding for dessert. Smother slices in custard or ice cream.
 * 36) *Turn it into a slice for dessert. Heavy cake can often be passed off as a dessert slice provided fruit, cream, ice cream, custard, etc., are included as compensation.
 * 37) *If it's really heavy and your heart sinks to look at it, try slicing it, brushing with oil or melted butter, and baking in the oven as for cookies.
 * 38) *Don't double the ingredients for the recipe that produces a cake like this. Some recipes produce excellent cakes in the 1x1 proportions but turn out heavy and gluggy when doubled. Take this as a lesson!
 * 39)  Fix a broken cake. Use frosting, icing, or cream to join together a broken cake. Gently push the cake into place and ice the whole to prevent the joins from being noticed. Allow to dry before serving.

Tips

 * A cake that hasn't defrosted in time for a dinner party can be passed off as a partially frozen dessert in some cases. Think creatively!
 * Check the oven shelves. A cake that hasn't risen evenly may be sitting on uneven shelves.
 * A flat and tough cake demonstrates that the flour and liquid ingredients weren't folded in together properly.
 * No matter what happens, pretend it was intentional, or laugh it off.

Warnings

 * Some cakes are best eaten on the day they're baked, such as a sponge. Trying to revive an old sponge isn't very successful and is best left to a trifle.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Add Rum to Fruit Cake
 * How to Fix a Burnt Cake
 * How to Bake a Never Fail Sponge Cake
 * How to Make Never Fail Soft Cupcakes
 * How to Fix a Ruined Strawberry Shortcake
 * How to Fix a Baked Cake Stuck to the Pan