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Make a scratch cake more moist

post #1 of 38
3/4/10 at 8:26am
Thread Starter 
How can I make a scratch recipe more moist?

I tried the Confetti Cakes recipe for white cake, but both my husband and I found it to be very dry.

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post #2 of 38
3/4/10 at 8:43am
Thread Starter 
In her book, she states that this recipe is good for carving, which is why I was interested in this cake recipe.
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post #3 of 38
3/4/10 at 10:33am
I use the WASC cake recipe on here for any cakes that need to be carved. It is moist, yet dense - works perfectly for me.

I dont' have much luck with scratch cakes - there are many on here who do though, and I am sure they will chime in soon.
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Knowledge is a candle that when shared, doubles the light, but the insecure person believes knowledge is a candle that is diminished when it is split between two wicks.
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post #4 of 38
3/4/10 at 10:44am
What kind of cakes do you usually eat? Boxed or scratch? They are totally different and scratch cakes tend to taste dry if you've never eaten them before.
I usually will let my cakes sit for a day and they do become less dry tasting. On white cakes I do put a simple syrup on it.
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post #5 of 38
3/4/10 at 11:01am
I bake from scratch mostly except when doing the WASC. My hint is to let your cake rest in the pan for a few minutes till it pulls away from the sides, but is still hot. I flip them out onto a rack, lay plastic wrap in the pan and flip the cake back into it. Wrap it up real good; you'll see steam form under the wrap. I'll put foil over the top (even though it has plastic wrap on it) and then I freeze them. Even if it is only overnight, the steam stays in the cake and they are so moist it's unbelievable. I have actually never had a dry cake, even white, doing this. Since I like my cakes really, really, moist, I'll also use simple syrup at times, flavored with organic flavorings.
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post #6 of 38
3/4/10 at 6:03pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Usually, we eat box cakes-Pillsbury- and this is my first foray into scratch cakes.

Thanks again.

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post #7 of 38
3/4/10 at 6:20pm
i've heard to stir 2 tbsp of oil into the batter just before putting into your cake pan.
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post #8 of 38
3/4/10 at 6:26pm
add a packet of 3.4 oz pudding mix, should do it....
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post #9 of 38
3/4/10 at 7:46pm
I have never had good luck with Pillsbury. I find they tend to be drier and don't raise as high as Betty Crocker or Duncan Heinz. That's just my opinion and others may not have had the same issues. I have never had a complaint about my cakes being too dry. Truth is I hear all the time how moist they are. If I HAVE to use Pillsbury, I add an extra cake mix, more oil and cook it less time.

I also agree with the previous post. Put plastic wrap over the warm pans and freeze the cakes. Freezing them helps to add moisture.
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post #10 of 38
3/16/10 at 5:58am
Well, I don't like the confetti cake recipe either...very dry.
I do have a good recipe and it is really moist but had a customer complain that when it was refridgerated, it went dry and dense. Hmmm
I will try the wrapping while hot too. I always thought that if I did that, it would make it goopy. But now I know!
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post #11 of 38
3/16/10 at 6:22am
Thanks for this, I've been wondering this as well. I don't do any box mixes because we can't have the chemicals like aluminum and hydrogenated oil, but it's a real problem because, well, at least in the U.S., our taste buds have just gotten used to the extra moistness of box cakes! But... I don't like to freeze my cakes either....I think, if it's frozen once and rethawed, then if it's frozen again, like as in an anniversary layer, it's going to be that cardboard-refrozen-rethawed nasty cake thing. So do you just freeze it for a little while, just to seal in moisture? Or do you have to freeze it overnight or equivalent?
Another question, about pudding or oil added -- I've really thought about doing this, because my chocolate cake recipe uses some veg oil and it is ALWAYS SO YUMMY and moist. But I've been afraid to do the same with a white or yellow cake, because I haven't been doing this long enough yet to feel confident about messing with the chemistry. icon_smile.gif How much oil do you put in, say, for a standard two 8 inch layer recipe? And do you cook it at the same time and temp as the basic recipe?

Thanks so much. I love this website!!!
Debby
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post #12 of 38
3/16/10 at 7:22am
Also, REALLY watch your baking time... boxed cakes are specifically formulated to stay moist, and fool-proof, so even if you overbake them a little (though not TOO much, of course), they still taste decent. Scratch cakes are not so forgiving. Don't depend on the baking time of the recipe--it's just a guide. Start checking early and take the cake out when it's JUST done. The #1 cause of dryness is overbaking.
Tara
<---wonders if anyone uses REAL ingredients anymore--sugar fruit nuts, cream, butter etc--instead of flavoring chemical cream from a bucket with pudding & jello and calling it "mousse"
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Tara
<---wonders if anyone uses REAL ingredients anymore--sugar fruit nuts, cream, butter etc--instead of flavoring chemical cream from a bucket with pudding & jello and calling it "mousse"
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post #13 of 38
3/16/10 at 7:36am
I tried her chocolate cake recipe and it's good. Maybe it's the recipe? Have you tried her chocolate one?
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post #14 of 38
3/16/10 at 7:56am
I have a chocolate cake recipe that I won't waver from, because it is easy and always comes out perfect. icon_smile.gif What I'm in constant search for is a white or yellow cake that is just as perfectly moist. I tried once to take my chocolate cake recipe and..well, just take out the chocolate and see what happens. It was edible, but too dense/heavy, so my quest continues.
Who do you mean when you said "her chocolate cake recipe"? Because if whoever she is has a good chocolate recipe, maybe she has a good non-chocolate recipe too! icon_smile.gif
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post #15 of 38
3/16/10 at 9:30am
I think the White Almond Sour Cream cake (in CakeCentral Receipe section) has already been mentioned. I tried it over the weekend because I have to do a sculpted husky dog and it was fantastic. I'll never make another white cake.

It's easy too because it takes 2 white cake mixes. It's dense like a pound cake and the flavor is really wonderful.

If you know of a wonderful chocolate cake, it would be nice if you would share that.
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