Tips to Prevent Cake Doming

You’ve whipped up a delicious cake at home. You take it out of the oven, proud of your handiwork. But oh no, it’s got a dome. Don’t worry you’re not alone – a dome, hump or bump appearing in the middle of a cake happens to loads of at-home bakers.


Here we’ll look at why it happens, how to fix it and the things you can do to completely banish domes from your baking. 

Cake doming happens when the centre rises higher than the edges during baking. Usually caused by too high heat, uneven batter, or overmixing.

There are two main reasons why you’ll be dealing with a dome in your cakes: 

• The cake tin is heating up faster than the cake: When this happens the edges of the cake set before the cake has properly risen. So, while the rest of the cake cooks, it rises in the centre and creates a dome. 

• The cake tin is too small: A cake tin that’s too small for the recipe will result in a domed and cracked cake. Your bake will be doomed (or domed) from the start. 
A dome isn’t the end of the world, as you can fix it. But it’s better to stop it happening at all. Let’s look at how to fix your domed cakes and how to prevent domes occurring when you bake.

If your cake comes out of the oven with a dome, all is not lost. You have a few options, including: 

• Use a cake leveller: It’s a handy gadget you can use to slice the dome off the top of your cake. You’ll be left with a nice flat surface for stacking or decorating. Alternatively you can use a long serrated knife. 

• Cool upside down: If your dome is on the smaller side (yay), leave the cake in the tin, flip it over and let it cool down. The weight of the cake and the heat still trapped inside should help to level the dome. 

•  Use the dome: Who said your cake had to be perfect? If it’s domed in the middle why not make something great out of it and use it in your decoration? Football cake anyone? 

• Make cake pops: And if you really can’t salvage your dome, you can always repurpose your cake. Everyone loves cake pops don’t they? Check out our Cake Pops recipe to find out how to make them – you’ll craft some tasty treats and cut down on any food waste.

Yes, you’ve got a few handy ideas up your sleeve to fix a dreaded dome if one appears. But let’s get ahead and sort that dome out before it even gets a chance of showing up. Here’s how: 

•  Dip it for the win: To help your cakes bake flatter, create a dip in centre of the mixture using the back of a spoon before baking.

• Get the right equipment. Baking is all about precise measurements, and that applies to your baking tin too. Always use the exact size of baking tin specified in the recipe, otherwise your cake will be oddly shaped and unevenly baked. 

•  Lower the temperature and cook for longer: This is one of the easiest solutions. Lower the temperature by around 10-20°C and increase the baking time slightly. This will make sure the cake tin doesn’t heat up too quickly. Once you’re past the cooking time specified in the recipe, keep checking your bake every 10 minutes or so. 

• Use baking strips: These are long pieces of fabric that are soaked in ice cold water before being wrapped around the outside of your cake tin to stop it heating up too quickly. If you don’t have baking strips, you can try double wrapping it in foil.

Now you’re armed with some tactics to deal with a dome when it arrives you can avoid any food waste in the kitchen. And with our top baking tips you might even stop it happening in the first place.  So, let’s get baking. Check out our Coconut Cake, Coffee and Walnut Cake and Gluten Free Chocolate Cake recipes for a little inspiration.

Do I need to lower the oven temperature for flat cakes?
Yes, by reducing 10–20°C (25–35°F) can help prevent doming. You will need to bake longer at slightly lower heat for even cooking.
 
What are cake strips and how do they work?
Cake strips are moist fabric strips wrapped around the pan to insulate edges. They slow down baking at the edges, allowing the centre to rise evenly.
 
Does the type of tin affect doming?
Using a dark, thin tins absorb heat faster, increasing doming risk. So, we would use a light-coloured, heavy tin with straight sides bake more evenly.
 
Is doming more common in certain types of cakes?
Yes, sponge and butter cakes often dome due to air and fat expansion. Dense cakes (like pound cakes) are less likely to dome.
 

Why not experiment with your baking and try our baking powder, natural flavourings and baking mixes . Plus, we have loads more handy baking tips and tricks at Dr.Oetker. Discover our tips for Icing a Cake, our guide onHow to Cover a Cake with Fondant Icing, and more.