Why Do Fruit Cakes Sink?

Baking a proper fruit cake can be difficult, with the final product often emerging dry, hard, or even too sticky. Yet a fruit cake's presentation is almost as important as its taste, and unless certain precautions are taken, the fruit will often sink to the cake's bottom.

Ingredients

While fruit cake recipes vary, a list of common ingredients includes cherries, cranberries, pineapple, raisins, walnuts, and pecans.

Fact

A fruit cake's ingredients are heavier than normal cake ingredients. This weight can cause the fruit and nuts to sink.

Causes

Sinking fruit is an indication the cake mixture is too wet. Make certain the ingredients are measured properly and mixed according to the recipe.

Considerations

One way to remove weight is to ensure the fruit ingredients are dried and free of any excess water before being added to the cake batter.

Solution

Tossing the fruit and nuts in flour or ground almonds before mixing them into the cake will also prevent sinking.

References

• DeliaOnline.com
• AsianOnlineRecipes.com
• AllRecipes.com