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meme060504
Newbie
Joined: Mar 25, 2009
Posts: 4
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 Posted:
Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:05 am |
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I've tried several recipes lately and none of which have turned out a moist cake. I'm not sure if it's the pan I'm using or the recipe. I made a buttermilk yellow cake last night that had me fold in the egg whites at the end - it turned out dry -- almost cornbread consistency. I'm using the 6" Wilton Cake pain to make the cakes. The recipe to bake at 350 for 25-30mins. I'm having to bake it for 40-50mins. Any advise or a good yellow and chocolate cake recipe that would be moist would be great! |
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kakeladi
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: May 26, 2004
Posts: 6472
Location: Northen Indiana
Birthday: Aug 11
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:11 am |
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1 - check your oven. It might not be at the right temp. This is called 'calibrating'.
2 - Post your complete recipe. Sounds like you are scratch baking. Those who do can assist you I'm sure
3 - bake at lower temp - 325 is best. |
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terrig007
Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 31, 2007
Posts: 531
Location: VA
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:20 am |
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I'm a scratch baker and kakeladi is right on about checking the oven temp and baking at 325. I have gotten better results baking at that temp. Also, what recipe did you use? I had bad results with yellow cake myself until I started using Sylvia Weinstock's recipes. I bought her new book (dont' get it for advice there's none in there) for the recipes alone. Those are the only ones I use now. I got inconsistent results with Toba's yellow cake but in the 17 times I've done Sylvia's they've been great. I also sometimes use simple syrup as well especially if I want to add a depth of flavor to it. HTH
terri |
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meme060504
Newbie
Joined: Mar 25, 2009
Posts: 4
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:32 am |
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Here's the recipe I used:
Buttermilk yellow cake
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
3 cups flour (AP flour but can substitute equal weight of pastry flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup buttermilk
1.5 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and sugar until light. Add egg yolks, one at a time until well incorporated. Sift dry ingredients. Add alternately with buttermilk/vanilla, starting and ending with dry. Mix only until smooth. Don't over mix. Whip up the whites separately to firm peaks and fold into the batter. Bake in a 9x13 pan at 350' for approximately 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. |
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Cakeonista
Frequent Member
Joined: Jun 08, 2008
Posts: 386
Location: New York
Birthday: Feb 22
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:45 am |
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Recipe sounds fine, you could also brush some simple syrup on the cake with a pastry brush. It helps make cakes nice and moist. |
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nickshalfpint
Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 11, 2005
Posts: 819
Location: Torrance, Ca
Birthday: Sep 19
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:45 am |
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SUUMEME
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 30, 2007
Posts: 75
Location: MD
Birthday: Oct 20
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:49 am |
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I am a "box" baker and I like my cakes so moist that you don't need icecream or milk to be served w/ it.
I add 1/2 box of dry pudding (the smaller instant kind), bake at 325* and take it out of the oven 5 mins before the "done" time on the box says.
Then I let them sit in the pan for no longer than two minutes and then flip them out onto Saran wrap, wrap them up tight, trapping in all the steam and once cool enough put them in the fridge to firm up.
I have never had a moister cake than mine. Be warned, my cakes are not "light and fluffy" rather dense and moist.
My favorite filling is a small tub of Cool whip w/ 2 TBS dry pudding whipped in for 3 minutes. Once firm spread between layers.
HTH  |
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cakes22
Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 02, 2009
Posts: 878
Location: ummm, I'm not really sure..?
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:58 am |
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I like Serious_cakes yellow cake recipe. It's posted in the recipe section.. |
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MacsMom
Forum Fanatic
Joined: May 05, 2007
Posts: 3012
Location: CA
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:01 am |
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Even an overbaked cake can be kept moist by wrapping while still warm and freezing, thawing in the fridge. I also press down on the top of my cakes if the toothpick comes out too dry to force some hot steam out to stop the baking (it doesn't "smash" the cake).
And lastly, you can brush a simple syrup over the tops. |
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tirby
Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 29, 2005
Posts: 989
Location: N. Idaho
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:09 am |
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What about the oven?!?! Do you have a seperate temp gauge? Maybe the temp is not accurate. |
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moxey2000
Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 23, 2007
Posts: 518
Location: Andros Island, Bahamas - Supporting Our Troops!
Birthday: Mar 08
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:14 am |
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meme060504: Your recipe looks OK, but try these alterations:
Don't separate the eggs. Place all 4 eggs into a bowl of hot water for about 5 minutes, then break them into a dish. Add one at a time to your creamed butter and sugar.
Make sure your cream the room temp butter and sugar really well, at least 5 minutes, before you add the eggs.
I'm not familiar with using pastry flour. I use AP flour plus 1 tsp of salt and 2.5 tsp of baking powder.
Add a 1/4 cup more buttermilk and a box of vanilla pudding.
Bake @ 325F.
The other suggestions, wrapping the cake and freezing, and using a simple syrup, are very good ideas and they work very well. I love the taste and texture of my cakes after they've been frozen.
Good luck! |
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melhoneybee
Regular Member
Joined: Feb 27, 2009
Posts: 101
Location: Seattle
Birthday: Sep 28
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:16 am |
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I only bake from scratch, and the base for my recipes (i.e. butter, sugar amounts, etc.) is very similar. That does, however, sound to me like a bit much flour in contrast to the other ingredients. I would do a 1/4 of a cup less, and have you considered using cake flour? They always say to add an extra TBS per cup called for in a recipe, but I don't, and I think it really helps with the moistness. You had also mentioned that your cake has a cornbread like consistency. Part of that IS due to dryness, but part could be because of the flour you are using. Cake flour is a lot finer and produces a MUCH better final product. Be sure too not to overcook, that leads to dryness QUICKLY once cake is finished cooking. Cake is done when you touch it lightly in the center and it springs right back.
The other suggestion I have is to mess around with your liquid ingredient. When I was going along trying to find "the recipe" I couldn't find one that was perfect, so I ended up having to build it myself off of ingredients I knew that worked. Buttermilk never worked as well as I wanted it to, and I tried a whole slew of other things, until I found what worked AMAZINGLY! Unfortunately the moistener in my recipes is a "secret ingredient" of sorts, that I found with MONTHS and MONTHS of trial and error, so I can't share it, but it is my best advice to just play around until you find something that works the best for you. I would stick with your recipe (with 1/4 cup less flour and cake flour instead) and just get a new moistening ingredient! Hope I helped a bit! HTH |
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melhoneybee
Regular Member
Joined: Feb 27, 2009
Posts: 101
Location: Seattle
Birthday: Sep 28
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:18 am |
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| moxey2000 wrote: |
Don't separate the eggs. Place all 4 eggs into a bowl of hot water for about 5 minutes, then break them into a dish. Add one at a time to your creamed butter and sugar.
Make sure your cream the room temp butter and sugar really well, at least 5 minutes, before you add the eggs.
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Oh yes! I forgot, I was going to suggest the same thing with the eggs! |
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MacsMom
Forum Fanatic
Joined: May 05, 2007
Posts: 3012
Location: CA
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:21 am |
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| Acupcakenameddesire wrote: | | moxey2000 wrote: |
Don't separate the eggs. Place all 4 eggs into a bowl of hot water for about 5 minutes, then break them into a dish. Add one at a time to your creamed butter and sugar.
Make sure your cream the room temp butter and sugar really well, at least 5 minutes, before you add the eggs.
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Oh yes! I forgot, I was going to suggest the same thing with the eggs! |
Really? I read a tip here that if your ingredients are really cold the cake will come out more moist. |
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melhoneybee
Regular Member
Joined: Feb 27, 2009
Posts: 101
Location: Seattle
Birthday: Sep 28
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Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:40 am |
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Oh yea! I do the same thing with the hot water bowl, OR I just leave them out at room temp for a while. I know you are always supposed to use room temp ingredients. I had some ideas as to why of my own, but here are the real reasons why from an online search:
"room temp butter, egg whites & yolks will create more volume faster when they whip...as well as making a more even mixture."
"what happens if you've creamed that room temp butter with sugar, and then drop a cold egg in it? Sure enough, the fat hardens, and you lose that smooth texture."
"If you take a combination of ingredients, such as flour, butter and eggs, then try to mix them together while they are all varying temperatures, you will have a cold, messy lump–resulting in a baked, messy lump. Knowing that a cake’s (or bread’s) final internal temperature is about 200º, when you begin all ingredients at the same temperature (68º), they will all reach the final temperature at the same time."
"1. Cold butter does not beat well; room-temp butter will break-down and create air bubbles, allowing aeration
2. Cold eggs will not blend properly; room-temp eggs are maleable and will beat fluffier and act as a binder between wet/dry ingredients
3. Cold milk (or water) will coagulate and clump in the batter, requiring extra beating time to mix the ingredients; room temperature liquid will moisten the dry ingredients without the need over-beat, therefore avoiding gluten (when flour and liquid are over-mixed—tasting like glue, with a gluey texture)
Problems:
* Batter too thick, won’t spread evenly in pan
* Outer edges cook faster while middle is still raw
* Finished product is dense, not aerated
* Heavy product, gluey-taste
Solution:
* Allow butter to come to room temperature naturally; to speed up, cut into smaller pieces and rest in single layer
* Heat eggs in bowl with hot tap water for five minutes
* Warm milk (or liquid) in microwave"
hehe it's nice to know real reasons!
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