Ask Nancy

There are several reasons why a cake might sink in the middle. These include: overbeating, which causes too much air to incorporate into the batter; under baking as a result of an oven temperature that is too low or a baking time that is too short; incorrectly measuring the liquid; or creaming the butter and sugar too much or too little. Make sure that you use a cake mix that does not already have pudding in it, and follow the instructions for mixing on the back of the box.