Even though baking a cake is not a difficult task, making it in such a way that it remains moist and flavorful does require practice and patience. Here are a few suggestions on how to make a perfect moist cake.
asks you to add 1 cup sugar, add an extra ⅓rd cup. Oil works best as it retards the production of gluten, which can strip a cake of its moisture leaving it dry and crumbly.
The flour and eggs provide the protein which aids in setting up the cake batter. Egg whites, in particular, can make the cake lose its moisture. To avoid this, separate the egg white from the yolk and discard it.
Do not use margarine in place of butter. Butter contains more fat, which is required for a moist cake.
Other popular moistening ingredients you can use are applesauce, sour cream, and mayonnaise. But don't be too generous with these, or you may end up with a soggy mess.
Often, a pudding mix will help the cake become more moist. Add pudding mix to the cake batter and you will have a cake that's nice and moist.
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly to produce a smooth batter. Make sure that everything is fully assimilated into the batter, since this will make sure that your cake turns out as moist as you want it to be.
Use aluminum pans for baking your cake, which are best suited for use in ovens since the cakes will have a nice, golden-brown crust. Liberally coat the pan with a baking spray and flour to avoid the cake from sticking to it. Always place the pan in the center of the oven.
The baking process is another important factor which decides whether the cake will be moist or not. Buy an oven thermometer to check the oven temperature when you bake the cake. Insufficient baking will result in a cake with a molten center inside, and overbaking will leave you with a cake that's dry and hard.
If you do not plan to eat the cake immediately, cover or wrap it and store it in the refrigerator so it does not dry out.
If you want to moisten a cake that's crusty and dry, add sugar syrup to it. To make the sugar syrup, add ½ a cup of sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice (use one orange) to one cup of water and boil this mixture till the sugar dissolves completely. Once it cools, drizzle this syrup over the dry cake, and you will have a cake that's delicious and super moist!
Recipe for a Moist Cake
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1⅓ cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
A box of instant pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
Nonstick cooking spray
Method
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, pudding mix, and baking powder. In a smaller bowl, beat the egg yolks and add to the dry mixture. Add the butter and oil and whisk all the ingredients well, ensuring that the cake mix is not lumpy. But be careful not to overwhisk, as this might cause the cake to turn dry and brittle as it cools down. Preheat the oven for a few minutes till you reach the desired baking temperature of 350°F. Grease a pan with the nonstick cooking spray and then sprinkle flour on it. Pour the cake mix into the pan and bake it for half an hour at 350°F. Monitor the oven to check if the cake is set. To test if the cake is done, insert a toothpick into it. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
This is one of the easiest moist cake recipes you can try out. But as mentioned earlier, it might take you a few tries before you hit on the right recipe that yields the right kind of moist cake you want. Be prepared to land up with cakes that will be either too hard because you overbaked, or with a mushy center as a result of improper baking. Unless you bake a lot, you will not know what things you need to modify to get a cake that's soft inside. After all, practice makes perfect!
