Hi I have had a couple clients recently say that my cupcakes were a little dry..I use a betty crocker mix what can I do to make them more moist?? I was thinking of adding an extra egg to the mix..
secondly, how do you guys deliver your two tier cakes...is there somewhere to get boxes that they will fit into? I've only seen the reg boxes..
What temp do you bake at? I bake at 325 not 350. You can substitute part of the liquid with buttermilk this helps make cakes moist. You could also try freezing them before frosting this will also help keep them moist.
make sure you are not over mixing, and that your timing and temp is spot on. other wise i cant think why a mix would be dry, usually they are moister. unless its an older packet or something?
have a look on the specialist cake web sites, and cake box sites, there should be something there (previous posts have had relevant links, if you can find them here). when i have been stuck though, i take my regular box, stick tall cardboard to the corners, and wrap in clingfilm!
xx
I don't understand how a cake mix can be dry. I have never had that problem. Don';t get me wrong, I don't mean to say it can't happen. I'm just surprised. I usually gravitate towards Duncan Hines when I do use a mix. Have you tried switching brands.
But like the other poster said you can try turning down the heat. Or you can try baking them for a little less time and start checking them about 2 minutes before you think they are done. They do residual bake once you take them out of the oven, so a toothpick should have a little residual crumb clinging. I had that happen on some scratch cupcakes I just made. But I believe I baked them too long. And these were made with oil too.
Good luck.
Triplicate post, please also see:
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6875775.html#6875775
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6875776.html#6875776
HTH
I add homemade pudding to my box batches as well as my scratch batches. i prefer not to freeze because i'm simply afraid lol horrible I know, but i'm a clutch baker like I am in athletics - better under a time crunch!
also the lower temp helps :] goodluck!
I thought here was a good opportunity to ask a question about baking with the exact same mix - every time I get the most beautiful moist cupcakes, but every time I bake a whole cake, its that tad dry and nothing to boast about.
Does anyone know why this is happening?
I would take it out of the oven sooner but usually there's that raw bit still in the middle and I can't.....
I thought here was a good opportunity to ask a question about baking with the exact same mix - every time I get the most beautiful moist cupcakes, but every time I bake a whole cake, its that tad dry and nothing to boast about.
Does anyone know why this is happening?
I would take it out of the oven sooner but usually there's that raw bit still in the middle and I can't.....
Do you have a separate internal thermometer inside your oven? You can buy them pretty inexpensively, but they are very helpful to know exactly what temp your oven runs. Even if your oven is telling you it's at 350F, it's not necessarily true. It sounds like your oven is hotter than it's saying, if the outside of your cakes are done, but the center is still raw. 
I thought here was a good opportunity to ask a question about baking with the exact same mix - every time I get the most beautiful moist cupcakes, but every time I bake a whole cake, its that tad dry and nothing to boast about.
Does anyone know why this is happening?
I would take it out of the oven sooner but usually there's that raw bit still in the middle and I can't.....
Do you have a separate internal thermometer inside your oven? You can buy them pretty inexpensively, but they are very helpful to know exactly what temp your oven runs. Even if your oven is telling you it's at 350F, it's not necessarily true. It sounds like your oven is hotter than it's saying, if the outside of your cakes are done, but the center is still raw.
Hmm... well I know that I actually have to keep the cake baking for longer than the instructions suggest, so I would have thought it my oven is out of whack, it would be weaker not stronger?
Thanks for all the input everyone...I bake at 345 on my oven because i think it runs hot but I will get a thermometer and check it...I freeze my cakes but have never done that with my cupcakes..I will try that..will keep checking the replies and will let you know what works for me on this order for next week.
What temp do you bake at? I bake at 325 not 350. You can substitute part of the liquid with buttermilk this helps make cakes moist. You could also try freezing them before frosting this will also help keep them moist.
Do you frost the cake straight from the freezer or do you let the cake thaw out first, and then frost?
I froze some cupcakes a few weeks ago, I pulled them out and let them thaw before decorating with choc ganache - the tops were sticky (or moist I guess?) I froze 12, and I also had to bake another 12 - I got some great feedback and I was happy with the one I ate - but I don't know if I got a fresh or frozen one! (Should've kept seperate and eaten both to compare!)
I also use mixes and had a lot of problems with dry cakes. I finally decided on Betty Crocker, but doctored up. As a rule, I add 2 T. oil and 1 egg over what the package calls for. My oven is a little off for temp, so I have to bake at 375 instead of 350, and a 24 count cupcake pan goes in for 16 minutes for light cakes and 17 minutes for dark ones. If you end up baking for an extra minute or two, no big deal. For some flavors, I add a scoop of sour cream for each box, for carrot, 2 containers of baby food carrots, and for strawberry an 8 oz carton of strawberry yogurt for each box. I think it makes it taste less "boxy" and more homemade.
I also use mixes and had a lot of problems with dry cakes. I finally decided on Betty Crocker, but doctored up. As a rule, I add 2 T. oil and 1 egg over what the package calls for. My oven is a little off for temp, so I have to bake at 375 instead of 350, and a 24 count cupcake pan goes in for 16 minutes for light cakes and 17 minutes for dark ones. If you end up baking for an extra minute or two, no big deal. For some flavors, I add a scoop of sour cream for each box, for carrot, 2 containers of baby food carrots, and for strawberry an 8 oz carton of strawberry yogurt for each box. I think it makes it taste less "boxy" and more homemade.
great idea on the extras to avoid the boxy taste!
Do you use extra oil to keep it more moist?
Perhaps I can keep the cupcakes the way they are but try adding more oil in my large cakes? ugh, I don't know what I'm doing!
great idea on the extras to avoid the boxy taste!
Do you use extra oil to keep it more moist?
Perhaps I can keep the cupcakes the way they are but try adding more oil in my large cakes? ugh, I don't know what I'm doing!
Yes, the oil and egg are both for the moisture. I worked for a restaurant for several years and they used boxed mixes for their desserts. The owner said if the package calls for eggs, you add one more than it recommends, and if it calls for oil, you add 2 tablespoons. If it calls for both, you do both. I guess it's more of a habit for me, but it works. He claimed you could overbake a cake or brownies by at least 10 minutes and not have a dry cake. So far, so good.
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