All the best tips for how to make a cake moist! The 6 best tips for how to moisten a dry cake and ensure it has perfect texture!
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When baking a cake, it can be a challenge to make it moist and balanced in texture.
Having a dry and gummy cake can ruin a cake’s overall taste and is just a total bummer!
To prevent your cake from being dry, make sure to follow these tips on how to make a dry cake moist and soft.
Why is some cake too dry?
There are many steps along the baking process that can make your cake too dry and you might not even realize what you’ve been doing wrong.
One of the most common reasons why a cake becomes too dry is because of incorrect measurements.
Adding too many dry ingredients like flour or baking powder and not enough wet ingredients can definitely impact the moisture of the cake. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key to having a moist cake.
Other factors that can make a cake dry are oven temperature and ingredient substitutions.
Tips on How To Make A Cake More Moist
1. Don’t overmix
Follow the mixing instructions written on your cake recipe. Mix the wet and dry ingredients just until they are fully combined. Overmixing your ingredients or not mixing them the right way can make your cake dry because it adds too much air to the cake batter. When your batter is full of air, it tends to deflate in the oven and becomes a dry and dense cake.
2. Don’t overbake
Overbaking a cake will dry it out. Make sure to check the recipe’s baking instructions and to follow the baking time. Keep a close eye on the cake 1-2 minutes before it’s done to check whether it’s done. To check whether your cake is done, insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, your cake is finished baking.
You can also try rotating the cake pans once the cake is baked about two-thirds of the baking time to prevent it from collapsing. If you are baking two cakes at the same time, this is the time to switch their racks.
3. Add vegetable oil
If your cake recipe tends to dry out, the dry and wet ingredient ratio of your cake batter might not be balanced. The next time you make the recipe, add two tablespoons of vegetable oil to the batter to make the cake moist. Some people also find that replacing butter with oil can add more moisture to their cake.
4. Brush with simple syrup
Brushing your cake layers with simple syrup can prevent your cake from going dry and keep it moist for days. Simple syrup also keeps the cake moist throughout every stage of assembly and decoration while adding a sweet flavor.
Simple syrup is super easy to make. You can also make it using 1:1 ratio of sugar and water by boiling it in a saucepan until all sugar is dissolved. You can also add different flavors to your simple syrup such as fruits, caramel, chocolate, etc.
5. Add sour cream or yogurt
Adding a dollop of sour cream to cake recipes can make it extra soft and moist. Sour cream works wonders for the texture of cakes because of its lightness and creaminess. Aside from adding moisture to your cake, sour cream also helps make your cake thicker and and richer. Adding plain yogurt instead of sour cream has a similar effect.
6. Let it sit
After baking the cake, let it sit for about 10-15 minutes and remove it from the pan. Brush it with your simple syrup mixture, then wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge for a few hours. This helps to seal moisture in the cake.
FAQs for How To Moisten A Dry Cake
How To Keep Cake Moist While Storing
Improper cake storage can also dry out a cake. To keep it moist and fresh for up to five days, wrap your unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container such as a ziploc bag or tupperware. You can store your cake at room temperature for five days.
If you intend to keep it longer than that, wrap it in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and then store it in an airtight container. Place it in the freezer for up to three months, or in the fridge for up to two weeks. Make sure that your cake has completely cooled before you store it in the refrigerator.
How can I store frosted cakes?
Frosting actually works well to protect your cake from losing moisture. You can use an upturned bowl to keep you cake safe from dust and bugs. This way you can keep your cake at room temperature for up to five days.
How long can I keep my cake moist?
When stored properly, your cake should be able to retain its moisture and freshness for up to five days at room temperature. Cake that has already been cut tends to get stale more easily as moisture tends to be released once the cake has been sliced. A sliced cake can stay fresh for three to four days at room temperature.
A cake soak can help your cake be moist, but it can also destroy a cake if it's not needed. If a cake has good, moist texture, there's no reason for a cake soak!
Fat is what makes a cake moist. Whether it be butter or oil, fat is essential for a moist cake. It's also important to measure ingredients properly and avoid over cooking a cake if you want the cake to be moist.
If your cake is dry, you can try a cake soak. You can also try adding a glaze or frosting to compensate for the dryness.
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