Why Is My Cake Still Raw? Common Causes and Simple Fixes

If your cake comes out raw after baking, chances are your oven’s too hot or you just didn’t give it enough time. When the oven runs hot, the outside bakes way too fast, and the middle never gets the chance to catch up.

The cake might look done, maybe even a little burnt, but slice it open and—ugh, raw in the center.

Sometimes, you forget to preheat the oven, or maybe you set the wrong baking time. It’s easy to assume a cake’s ready just by the smell or color, but the inside can be stubborn and need more time.

You can usually fix this by adjusting the temperature and letting your cake bake a little longer.

Recipes aren’t always perfect either. If the batter’s super dense, the middle just won’t cook right.

If you want a deeper dive, check out this guide on fixing undercooked cake.

Common Reasons Why Cakes Are Undercooked

A raw cake center usually means something went off with the oven, baking time, pan choice, or the batter itself. Each of these can mess with how heat moves through the cake.

Incorrect Oven Temperature

When your oven’s too hot, the outside cooks in a flash and the inside stays raw. That crust forms a barrier and just traps the heat outside.

If the oven’s too cool, the cake bakes at a snail’s pace or comes out uneven. Always preheat your oven and grab an oven thermometer—trust me, most ovens lie about the temperature.

Ovens can be off by about 25°F, sometimes more. Adjust the dial if you need to.

Try not to open the oven door too early, either. Every peek drops the temp and messes with the bake.

Inaccurate Baking Times

Sometimes, your cake just needs more time. Ovens and pan sizes vary, so don’t always trust the recipe’s timing blindly.

Set a timer, sure, but poke the center with a toothpick or cake tester. If it comes out gooey, let it bake longer.

A cake pulled too soon will have a raw middle. Wait until the tester’s mostly clean—just a few crumbs is fine, but no wet batter.

Improper Pan Size or Material

The pan size really matters. If it’s too small, the batter piles up thick and takes forever to bake.

A pan that’s too big? The cake bakes too fast and dries out.

Pan material isn’t just a detail, either. Dark pans soak up more heat, so you get a burnt outside and a raw middle. Lighter or glass pans spread the heat better, but you might need to bake a bit longer.

Stick to the pan size your recipe asks for. Pay attention to what your pan’s made of—it makes a difference.

Too Much Liquid in the Batter

Add too much milk, water, or eggs, and your cake will stay wet inside. That extra liquid keeps the batter from setting up right.

Measure carefully. If your batter looks way runnier than usual, add a bit more flour or baking powder to even things out.

Tweaking liquid changes both texture and bake time, so it’s best to follow the recipe if you want a cake that’s not raw in the middle.

Need more tips? Here’s a solid guide on undercooked cakes.

How to Diagnose and Fix Raw Cake Centers

If you’re dealing with a raw cake center, you’ve gotta check for doneness, tweak your baking steps, and use methods that help the cake cook evenly. Each step helps you figure out what went wrong.

Testing for Doneness Effectively

Grab a toothpick or skewer and poke it into the center. Pull it out and see what sticks.

If it’s covered in wet batter or sticky crumbs, your cake’s not done. Check more than one spot—edges can fool you, but the middle’s the real test.

Moist crumbs on the tester are fine, but if it’s wet, keep baking.

If the top browns too fast but the center’s raw, try lowering the oven temp next time. Cover the cake with foil so you can bake it longer without burning the top.

Adjusting Baking Techniques

Double-check your oven temp with a thermometer. Don’t just trust the dial.

Avoid opening the oven door over and over—it just lets out heat and slows things down.

Pan size matters more than you think. Deeper or smaller pans need more time for the middle to bake. Larger pans might actually need less.

If your batter feels too thick or you overmix, the middle can stay raw. Mix until just combined.

If your cake’s undercooked, slide it back in the oven at a slightly lower temp—maybe 10-15 degrees down—and give it another 10-15 minutes. Cover the top with foil if it’s already browned.

Best Practices for Even Baking

Place your cake right in the center of the oven. That way, heat can circulate more evenly.

Stick with the middle rack. If you use a rack that’s too high or low, you might get burnt edges while the center stays raw.

Choose your bakeware wisely. Light-colored metal pans usually reflect heat better, so the edges cook more gently. Dark pans? They often make the sides overbake.

Follow the recipe’s baking time, but don’t just trust the clock. I like to start checking for doneness a few minutes before the minimum time, just in case.

Once it’s done, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. This gives it a chance to finish setting up and helps prevent it from collapsing when you take it out.

If you’re dealing with a raw center, there’s a handy guide for putting an underbaked cake back in the oven at namelymarly.com’s Undercooked Cake.