Why Does My Banana Bread Sink in the Middle? Solved

Last Updated on July 20, 2024 by Lori Walker

**New bakers often ask, “Why does my banana bread sink in the middle?” Even with simple recipes, there are a few reasons this can happen.**

Read on as we uncover why your banana bread sinks in the middle instead of rising up and achieving the right texture, flavor, moisture, and appearance.  

5 Possible Reasons Why Your Banana Bread Sinks in the Middle

1. You Put Too Little or Much Banana

Bananas contribute to the bread’s moisture; thus, too many bananas will make it heavy and damp in the center, resulting in a soft and undercooked texture. 

Natural oils come from bananas, so don’t forget to put the exact amount of ripe bananas and egg yolks to improve consistency and flavor [1]. 

Oil will become your emulsifier and bind the bread together. This will help prevent the loaf from sinking or cracking.    

2. Wrong Measurement of Ingredients

Ensure to measure all the ingredients and use the correct amount. For every 400g of cake flour and baking soda, you also need 400g of mashed bananas.

Your bread will lack moisture and end up dry and sink if you use too much cake flour or other ingredients like baking soda and yeast. 

Using too much vanilla extract, on the other hand, can leave your loaf tasting bitter.

Find out the reason why the dough shrinks when you roll it here.

3. It Is Not Cooked Thoroughly

Forgetting to check your banana bread while cooking can also be why it sinks in the middle. 

Yeast and baking soda work best at the right temperature, so if the baking time is insufficient and the temperature is too low, your loaf won’t rise.

Use a skewer to check the center of your banana loaf. Sometimes it may look cooked on the outside, but the inside is still sticky and runny. 

Read: Can Baking Powder Be Used Instead Of Baking Soda In A Banana Bread Recipe?

4. Your Leavening Agent Might Be Expired

Check the expiration date of your dry ingredients, like dough, baking soda, and baking powder, before using them. Using products beyond the expiry date will ruin your recipe. 

Leavening agents create air bubbles that expand the dough, and if it isn’t activated properly, your final product may collapse once it cools [2]. 

5. Wrong Temperature

If your baking temperature is wrong, the bread can be undercooked. 

Set the oven to the right temperature and carefully place the loaf pans on the oven rack with your banana bread mixture. 

As mentioned earlier, use a skewer or a stick to check if it’s cooked. Undercooked banana bread will have a dry, thick, and soft spongy cake and dough. 

But why isn’t the center of my cake cooking?

How To Prevent It

Measure Your Ingredients Properly

Properly measuring your recipes is one of the several factors in developing perfectly baked goods. 

Calculate and properly measure the amount of butter, milk, flour, sugar, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and other dry and wet ingredients to achieve the right taste and appearance. 

Check Your Ingredients

Banana is the main ingredient in this recipe hence, ensure to use ripe bananas and avoid overripe bananas. 

Too many bananas and leavening agents may cause your banana bread recipe to fail in achieving the desired texture, taste, and flavor.  

“Whenever I try to spell ‘banana’, I feel stupid because I don’t know when to end it.”

Elvis Presley, American Singer

If you have banana leftovers, store them in an airtight container. Do not add them to your batter or mixture. 

Also, measure the quantity of baking soda, flour, butter, sugar,  baking powder, and leavening agent you’ll use and take note of its expiration date. 

Check out the possible reasons why your banana bread is dense here.

Measure The Bread’s Internal Temperature

Check the temperature of your banana bread every few minutes while you bake or cook them. This is to ensure that your banana bread loaf is thoroughly done. 

Use a stick to check your banana bread. If the stick comes out clean, your banana bread is done, and let it sit or cool on a wire rack or cooling rack. 

Mix The Batter Well

This recipe calls for achieving the right consistency of your batter mixture. Do not overmix your batter, as overmixing will ruin its texture. 

Note that the right combination of flour, sour cream, baking powder, and white sugar will lead to ivory white color – this should be the outcome of your batter.  

Tips & Tricks To Make The Perfect Banana Bread

• Only use ripe bananas and avoid underripe bananas.
• Use different types of flour aside from the commonly used all-purpose flour such as cake flour, gluten-free flour, etc.
• You may use maple syrup or honey to replace white sugar to keep your bread moist while maintaining its sweetness. 
• Keep the moisture using butter, eggs, and oils. Do not mix the batter properly, and measure all the ingredients correctly. 
• You can add chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, and dried fruits.
• Use the right oven temperature. 

Related Post: 5 Quick Ways To Know If Banana Bread Is Done

How To Fix Sunken Banana Bread

If your banana bread sinks, it is probably undercooked in the middle, and rebaking will not make it rise again. 

You may save it by cutting off the baked parts and toasting the undercooked parts. You may also pan-fry the slices in the skillet, like french toast, and top it with fruit slices and maple syrup.

Also Read:

• How Do I Save A Cheesecake With A Burned Top?
• How Long Does Banana Bread Last In The Refrigerator?

FAQs

In Conclusion

Newbie bakers may find baking a quick bread recipe a little complicated since a single mistake could ruin everything.

Here are some key takeaways you must remember when baking banana bread.

• Only use ripe bananas and set the right oven temperature.
• Measure and check your ingredients properly. Do not overmix or overbake the batter.
• Check whether your banana bread is done using a toothpick or a stick. 

References:

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275936424_Studies_on_the_Peel_Oil_from_Two_Varieties_of_Banana
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/leavening-agent