PSA: Your oven rack position is probably sabotaging your cakes

I kept getting domed, cracked tops on my sponge cakes for like 2 years. Then my aunt watched me bake and pointed out I had the rack in the middle of the oven. She moved it to the lower third position, right above the bottom element, and suddenly my cakes came out flat and even. The heat distribution is completely different down there, and the top of the cake doesn't set as fast. I've tested it 5 times now with the same recipe and the lower rack wins every single time. Has anyone else had this issue or was I just the last person to figure it out lol?

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jennys7214d agoProlific Poster

Feeling your pain so hard, I did the exact same thing for months and got so mad at my oven I almost bought a new one. My grandma finally showed me the lower rack trick and I felt like such a fool, but honestly it changed everything. The middle rack traps all that hot air on top and makes the crust set way too fast, which is why you get those ugly cracks. I've told like five friends about it since and they all had the same \"oh duh\" moment. Now I never bake a sponge without thinking about that lower position, it's a total game changer.