Moist Cakes

Few things are more satisfying than a generous slice of cake – especially when it’s the perfect texture and consistency!

Learning how to make a moist cake is one of the best things a budding baker can do. They’re the basis of so many delicious treats and can be flavoured and decorated in hundreds of different ways. 

Overcooking, bad mixing or a poor recipe are some of the most likely culprits behind a cake that’s dry and crumbly. Luckily for you, we’re here to share our brilliant baking secrets so you can whip up delicious cakes with a dreamy texture and flavour every time.

If you’ve so far failed in your attempts to make a perfectly moist cake, don’t worry. There’s a number of different reasons why this might have happened – and plenty of tips to stop it happening in the future!

First things first, you need to make sure you’re using a good moist cake recipe such as our Victoria Sponge Cake. If you’re keen to bake something with more complex flavours and ingredients, look for a cake recipe specific to those ingredients rather than simply altering a basic sponge recipe.
 
Here are five really simple ways to ensure your cake stays perfectly moist:

1. Always measure out your flour properly. Getting the right amounts of every ingredient is crucial in baking, especially when it comes to flour. Adding too much flour is often the cause of a cake mix that’s too dry.
 
2. Soften your butter first. Creaming the butter and sugar together is a major step in most moist cake recipes. This will be much easier to do if the butter isn’t rock hard! Remove it from the fridge half an hour before you need it for the perfect consistency for mixing.

3. Make sure your ingredients are room temperature. How cold your ingredients are can have a big impact on how well they combine together and later react in the oven. It’s best to always leave any cold ingredients – from eggs and butter to milk – out of the fridge for a while before using them.


4. Make sure you cream your butter and sugar- you need to create good air into the cake by creaming together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy

5. Do not over mix- Try not to over mix the mixture, you will over work the gluten in the flour which will lead to the cake becoming dry. 

6. Do the skewer test. To check a cake is completely cooked, simply insert a skewer or very thin knife into the centre of the cake for a second or two then remove. If the cake mixture is still wet, and sticks to the blade, then the cake needs a few more minutes. If the blade comes out clean - your cake is ready for cooling. While all recipes will have a recommended baking time, it’s always best to go with your instincts. Keep a close eye on the colour of your cake and, once it starts to turn golden brown, stick a knife or skewer in the centre to see if the batter is cooked.
 
7. Try an oil cake. Cake recipes which use oil instead of butter or margarine are more likely to come out moist. You’ll find fruit cakes such as apple or carrot tend to use oil and they’re almost always a lovely moist texture when cooked. But if you do want to use margarine or butter, always opt for margarine in the sponge. This provides more moisture to the cake and does not stops the cake from setting solid like butter

Another easy way to achieve a moist cake is to use a Dr. Oetker cake mix instead of baking from scratch. Mixes have been carefully created with just the right amount of every ingredient, plus they’re super simple for kids and amateur bakers to follow!

Another easy way to achieve a moist cake is to use our Baking Mixes instead of baking from scratch. Our mixes have been carefully created with just the right amount of every ingredient, plus they’re super simple for kids and amateur bakers to follow! Additionally, why not experiment with your baking and try ourBaking Powder, Fine Dark Cocoa Powder and Natural Extract Flavours . And for more tips and tricks, check out our handy guides including Icing a Cake andTips to Prevent Cake Doming.