How do I make a nice moist cake? What contributes to all this? I'm a newby and one of my main concern is that my cakes are coming out more on the dry side. It also cooks faster on the edges and longe on the center. How can I avoid this? Thank you in advance.

I love the original WASC cake recipe by kakeladi, it makes a very moist cake. You can search in the forum for her recipe.

A couple of thing you can do to help cook the center of your cake at approx the same time as the outer edges is to use a upside down (greased) flower nail in the middle of your cake batter which will help radiate heat to the center of your cake. You could also use a heating core but I just use the flower nails because I have them on hand. Make sure you coat them with the same thing you coat your pan in and put them in upside down in your pan. You can put it in first and then pour your batter around it or pour your batter in and work it in to the bottom. When you turn your cake over to cool make sure the nail is between the squares of your rack so it does not tear your cake.

Also wanted to mention that I like to make my own cake release to cover my pans (you can buy ready made, use parchment paper, or sprays. If you would like to make your own you will need equal amounts of shortening, veg. oil and flour and mix well.

You might also want to invest in some bake even strips which will also help make a more level and moist cake. If you don't want to buy the bake even strips you can always use cut up strips of an old terry towel and secure it with a pin or metal binder clips.

Another handy thing to have is an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is at the right temp. You can pick these up at Walmart and they aren't very expensive.

I hope this helps!

i use a victoria sponge, its nice and moist.
and you can make a simple syrup to coat your cake in, which will add moisture.
xx

Also remember that the texture of a scratch cake is never going to be identical to the texture of a mix. I prefer the former, but not everyone agrees.

and don't overbake your cake!

Thank you so much for your replies. What is a syrup and how do I make it? Can I use it on all my cakes. Thank you.

Simple syrup is a mixture of 1 part water to 1 part sugar.

In a saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow it to cool completely. You can then use this syrup to brush onto your cake. You could also add flavouring if you like.

Sounds good. What will I do without you guys.