Hiya all i have been baking for a number of years now. But i cant seem to find the key of a really good moist cake. Is there one ingredient i can use to make this happen. Please help me please!!!

Applesauce.

I add an individual cup (like those puddin cups) sized applesauce to virtually every cake that I make. I do it with my scratch cakes and also with my scratch-open (boxed) cakes.

I know that most of the hard-core bakers don't believe in cake mix, but I haven't ever had anyone complain that mine taste like one. I reduce the water to one cup, add the oil and eggs to the mixer, mix until frothy, add the sifted cake mix and then when the batter comes together I just dump a snackycup of applesauce in there and let it beat.

Hope this helps...Happy Caking!

For scratch cakes, I look for sour cream and buttermilk. Maybe some oil. I bake mostly very moist cakes and some very light ones, depending on what I want as the outcome when paired with the frosting. A good book on baking chemistry will be the best investment to finding great recipes. Soon you will be able to look at a recipe and know exactly how it will turn out.
Bakewise, by Shirley Corriher, and I'm Just Here For More Food, by Alton Brown are my favorites. There are many great bakers who have written books and share their philosophy. Warren Brown, Sarabeth Levine, Nick Malgieri, Joanne Chang, and John Barricelli are just a few that are so knowledgeable... I'm a cookbook addict.

There really is no shortcut to finding great recipes. It comes with knowledge. But the satisfaction when you get it right is a great feeling. then you have that recipe for life.

I would suggest great pans, baking strips, and flower nails to help bake the cake evenly, not drying out the outside while waiting for the inside to cook. An oven thermometer is a must. I also take many of my cake out of the oven when the crumbs are a little moist to account for the continued baking for that few minutes out of the oven... but this doesn't work with all recipes. Overcooking will dry out a moist cake.

i don't know if this is the reason that my cakes are super moist and stay super moist for days. even if left uncovered (my husband takes a slice and then doesn't cover it for example my best test ).. but I use extra large eggs instead of large. I have done this for about 32 yrs. I have never had a complaint on any of my cakes. They always coment on them being so moist.
I recently tried to cut back on cost and use large eggs.. I made cupcaks and a cake to test. AND different mixes.. I really tested my theory.. and the ones with the large eggs.. they just werent as good. in fact they dried out by the 2nd day. I don't know how to explain it but that is the only thing that I do... with total success for a great product.

along with great fresh ingredients, is to not over-beat your cake. don't know the science of it, but i do know overmixing can cause your cake to fall even bfore you put it in the pan. also get your cakes in the oven asap. dont let them sit around. im no expert, but my cakes are usually very moist.