Why Does Your Homemade Cake Dome? Top Reasons and Fixes

What causes a cake to dome while baking in the oven?

When the cake batter is baking in the oven, two things are happening! First, the batter rises and increases in volume, and second, it loses moisture. Once the batter loses its moisture, it becomes firm, and the rising process stops. This happens more quickly around the edges of the cake pan, where the temperature is higher. In the center of the pan, where most of the batter is concentrated, the temperature is lower, and the moisture loss process hasn’t started yet. This is why the batter continues to rise in the center, causing the cake to form a dome shape and become convex.

How to Prevent Your Cake from Doming

• First, it's important to remember that the main reason for a cake to dome is that the edges of the cake bake faster than the center. This stops the puffing process at the edges, and after the batter has risen, the center forms a dome. The simplest way to avoid this is to lower the baking temperature. Instead of baking at 180–190°C for 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to 170–180°C and bake for 35–40 minutes. Make sure to preheat the oven at least 30 minutes before baking.

• Try to ensure that the temperature inside the cake pan is evenly distributed. To achieve this, always use the middle rack of the oven. Additionally, take an old, clean towel, cut it to the size of the cake pan, soak it in cold water, and wrap it around the outside of the pan. Secure it with a pin, and place the pan on a baking sheet to prevent direct heat from reaching the towel. This method helps distribute the heat evenly across the pan.

• Evenly distributing the cake batter in the pan is crucial. When pouring the batter into the pan, make sure it's spread out evenly. After pouring, gently tap the pan a few times on a flat surface to release any air bubbles, which will help the cake have a smooth top.

• The size of the pan should be appropriate for the amount of batter. You shouldn't use a large pan for a small amount of batter, as this can cause the cake to dome. The batter should cover about one-third to half of the pan. If it covers less, the cake won't bake evenly and will likely dome.

What to Do If Your Cake Domes?

One of the most common issues when baking homemade cakes is that the cake domes after baking. After spending hours preparing the cake, instead of it coming out of the oven smooth and beautiful, it forms a dome, making all your efforts seem wasted. It's frustrating, right? Achieving an even, flat cake is a challenge almost everyone who enjoys baking faces. In the following, we will teach you two methods to flatten a domed cake.

Towel Method

One way to flatten the excess puff in the center and remove the dome shape is: once the cake is baked and domed, immediately after removing it from the oven (while it's still hot), place a clean towel over the domed part. Press down gently with the palm of your hand for about 10 seconds to flatten the dome.

Note: This method works best if the doming is minor. If the cake has domed significantly, try the second method.

Cutting Method

Allow the cake to cool completely. Then, place your palm on the surface of the cake and, using a long, sharp knife, carefully cut off the raised part of the cake to make it flat. Now your cake is smooth and ready to be decorated with cream or chocolate.