Hey everyone, I'm having bad luck with boxed mixes! I'm doing as everyone here is saying by adding the box of pudding and an extra egg and I'm being told that my cake is dry! Should I try a half cup of sour cream as well??

Also should I be using instant or cook and serve pudding?

I'm so sad, I'm trying to do a lot of cakes for practice as I'd like to eventually do this as a business, but love the ease of boxed cake mixes.

I knew if there was any place I could go to for help would be here!!

I use instant pudding, not the cook type, although I'm not sure if it makes a difference.

What mix are you using? Duncan Hines is said to be the most moist. I personally don't care much for Pilsbury. It seems quite dry even with the doctoring.

You can also try putting a bowl of water on the lower rack when you bake your cake. That will add humidity to the oven and help the cake retain moisture. Works quite well in my dry climate. Not sure if you'd need it if you're in a more humid place.

I used Betty Crocker cake mix. I also used Bake Even Strips which says it's more even baking - would that have anything to do with it??

Maybe next I'll try to DH I'll do one with putting the extra pudding in and one without - then with sour cream and one without!! I'll just have to keep baking until I find what works!!!

I use milk instead of water, along with the instant pudding and extra egg. I do sometimes use 1/2 cup sour cream, but not always. Buttermilk works really well in chocolate. I also use Duncan Hines mixes.

Hi JessieB,
I use Betty Crocker Yellow Butter mix. I use real butter with it not margarine and it always comes out very moist. Now, if I could only get the chocolate to be as moist!
Hope this helps,
Amy

Sour cream or buttermilk is key!! If you have a 10 inch cake or larger, you will need a heating core or a flower nail to conduct heat to the middle. Bake at 325 instead of 350. The only reason I know this is because I had a customer say that the cake was a little dry and so now i'm anal about it. Also, when your cake comes out of the oven, let it set for a few minutes and then put plastic wrap over it. It keeps in the moisture. Absolutly don't level the cake until you're ready to ice it. Then do a pretty thick crumb coat so the moisture doesn't seep out. I hope this helps. Like I said, I'm anal about having a moist cake.

Try the extender recipe...my cakes are soooo moist!!!! I get fabulous compliments!!!

Thank you all so much, I'll be trying all of these ideas!!

I have had 2 dry cakes lately. I realized it is 2 that I wrapped in saran wrap. I will not be doing that again. I will use foil only.

you could always use the simple syrup trick. Just brush on (or use a squirt bottle) some simple syrup before you crumb coat the cake to add a little moisture insurance.

I would be the oven temperature is off. I only bake the cakes at 325 - and check my oven temp. weekly (it is consistently 25 degrees too hot!)