Why did my cake flop?

[CathyR]

So maddening! Baked a carrot cake in 2 layer pans. Both tested done -- shrank away from sides of pans, sprang back when touched lightly in the middle, left no crumbs on the cake tester. Turned them out to cool. One was perfect, the other v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y began sinking in the middle and then oozed through the rack into a mess on the table. Why did this happen? And what can I do to try to avoid it happening next time?

[dutchdot]

It has to be a combination of the oven being off kiilter and not hitting the middle of the undone cake. How frustrating. Have you had oven problems with other foods? Maybe you just cooked the roast longer when it cooked slowly. I know that my oven is a little under the temperature it should be and prepare to leave things in longer. Perhaps you should switch your cake pans half way through ---

[goodhealthgourmet]

"Perhaps you should switch your cake pans half way through ---"
~~~~~~~
bingo. many (if not most) ovens heat somewhat unevenly, so it's always best to rotate/swap them when baking or cooking multiple pans at once...and even if i'm only using one at a time, if i'm *really* concerned about achieving perfect results i'll still turn it once.

[Quine]

But, if both layers "tested" done as OP states, the question is not why the recipe, oven or anything else failed, but rather why the same test that showed perfectly done of both pans; ONE test failed?!?

OP clearly states ; "Both tested done -- shrank away from sides of pans, sprang back when touched lightly in the middle, left no crumbs on the cake tester.".

So why did did those tests fail?

[goodhealthgourmet]

either she didn't push the toothpick in far enough, or as already suggested, she tested off-center or in a part of the cake that was more done.

[Quine]

Well, since she went by the 3 signs/test, the toothpick/crumb one, shrinking from the sides of the pan and sprang back when touched, and the 2nd pan so miserably failed (geesh it oozed outa the pan) ; let me suggest, the failure was that since one pan was testing perfect, it was assumed the 2nd was fine.

Then it can be diagnosed as cold spots, etc. of oven.

[Quine]

OK you say both test same. Both tested perfect. Only one after all this testing of perfect, wasn't? Ya know since one tested perfectly done and was...and the other turned out so UN done, what conclusion can we draw??

[jsaimd]

My only guess is that you tested off-center, toward the edge.