How to correct a cake error

Hi Madeline, I would flip it over onto another pan, scoop out the bottom, put it on the top as best as you can and bake it another 5-10 minutes.

Unfortunately there is no way to salvage this 'soggy bottom' situation, as the proper ratio of moisture to substance (dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, baking powder) has been upset.

If you try to put the cake into the oven for some more time, the flour batter in the bottom will not rise or bake properly. What will happen is that the edges and outside will dry out, risking burning, while the heat from the oven will continue to make the moisture from the apples evaporate into the already dense and wet batter. The texture will not be right and it will most likely be a dried out half baked glumpy mess.

Were the apple pieces put into the batter just after being cut, or did you pat them dry first?

When did you add the apple pieces to the batter - before the wet ingredients were added to the dry, or after?

Were the apples the correct type of apple, as recommended by the recipe? (Apples that have a softer flesh cook faster and are wetter than other types that have a firmer flesh.)

Ok, for this cake, you probably can't do anything more, you could try to bake it more, but you may not get the results you hope for. Apples are a fruit with a high water content and are heavy in batter.

Here is a trick you might try next time. Whenever you are baking with fruit, it has a natural tendency to sink, just by weight and texture. Take a small amount of flour and coat the fruit (& nuts) before you put it in the batter, this will help you with the sinking problem you have experienced.

When the pandemic was in full stride and everyone was staying home and baking, I made lots of banana cake loaves, they had lots of fruit (blue berries, cranberries) and nuts in them and that is what I did to prevent the fruit from sinking.

I would flip it over into another pan so it dries out and becomes a little less soggy. Then maybe you can scoop it into bowls and serve with ice cream.

Flip it over and make a streusel topping and bake again for a few minutes

Try putting it back in the oven at a lower temperature for 10-15 minutes.

I saw on a cooking show that you preheat a baking pan for 10 minutes. Then place your cake on the pan and bake as usual.

Hi Madeline, sorry about your cake error, we all do it. Can you take the top off and remove it while you rebake the bottom, it may not look the best, but I bet it tastes great. Good luck.

Hello Madeline,

Sprinkle Sugar on top of apple and place under a grill till golden and firmer. Use that as the top, or make a toffee with butter and brown sugar in a pan and when about to set, pour over the apple. Best wishes. Sounds delicious!

You can turn over the cake and bake it bit more. I make apple cake and the key is to make sure you don't add extra apples.