What Is Your Secret To Baking A Moist Cake?
Decorating By simplysweetcakes Updated 19 Feb 2007 , 9:19pm by simplysweetcakes
I'll start...I've always been told to add a heaping spoonful of sour cream in addition to the other ingredients.
Also, i just read in a magazine that you can replace oil, eggs and water in a cake mix with a 12 oz can of soda (Coke in chocolate cake, Lemon-Lime in white or lemon cake). It's supposed to reduce the fat by 75% and still keep the cake moist and fluffy....I have NOT tried this one yet.
Also, i just read in a magazine that you can replace oil, eggs and water in a cake mix with a 12 oz can of soda (Coke in chocolate cake, Lemon-Lime in white or lemon cake). It's supposed to reduce the fat by 75% and still keep the cake moist and fluffy....I have NOT tried this one yet.
My mom makes cakes with soda all the time. They're fine for what they are, but the texture suffers A LOT. They are very fluffy and don't hold together at all. I don't think you could decorate one of them, I certainly wouldn't want to try. You can't even eat with a fork, it just falls apart.
I have never heard of adding the pop instead of the fats...has anyone tried it? I usually add applesauce instead of oil but not pop... Sounds interesting.
I also add sour cream, I usually use the Super Enhanced recipe from this sight or the WASC cake for vanilla/white cakes.
Tracy
Shelbur - the white cake mix with orange soda is both my favorite to make, and the most requested! I don't know how your mom does it, but the directions I got here made it fabulous! Stays together for decorating nicely, but not sure about carving.
Applesauce instead of oil keeps things moist, as does using whole eggs in white cake instead of just whites. The color isn't true white, but the flavor makes up for it.
You could try doing a search for "moist cakes" and am sure you will find a lot of stuff there on moist cakes, recipes, and tips.
Everyone has their own tips on how to make a cake moist so get ready for a LOT of good info.! 
I asked the same question a few days ago on the forum. For a chocolate cake the crazy cake recipe (which is on this website) was recommended. I tried it and would definitely make it again.
I have done this for 35 years: As soon as the cake comes out of the pan, I immediately wrap in plastic wrap. It seals in the moisture wonderfully. People are amazed that I use box mixes.
Zmama, I'll have to check out the recipe and try it...admittedly, my mom is not the best in the kitchen... She just adds the soda to the cake mix and bakes. It's yummy, but I tease her and call it her fluff cake. 
As far as moist cakes, I always add a box of pudding and a egg to any box mix. I can't make a moist scratch cake to save my life![/quote]
I have done this for 35 years: As soon as the cake comes out of the pan, I immediately wrap in plastic wrap. It seals in the moisture wonderfully. People are amazed that I use box mixes.
I used to seal my cakes in plastic wrap while still warm but I thought I saw a recent post whjere someone said if you wrap cakes before completly cooled, you run the risk of creating an environment condusive to breeding/harboring bacteria????
I have done this for 35 years: As soon as the cake comes out of the pan, I immediately wrap in plastic wrap. It seals in the moisture wonderfully. People are amazed that I use box mixes.
I used to seal my cakes in plastic wrap while still warm but I thought I saw a recent post whjere someone said if you wrap cakes before completly cooled, you run the risk of creating an environment condusive to breeding/harboring bacteria????
I have never had a problem. For my wedding cakes, I also freeze them so I can handle them better. But all my small cakes, I leave in the wrap til cool, then frost.
It's all in the timing. Do not overbake. Bake for the minimum amount of time and check it every minute of so after. I always bake at 325 also. Even if you use the finest ingredients and the extra moisturizing stuff, if you overbake you are going to blow it and lots of people overbake. My husband thinks I am too picky but honestly it is very important.
great advice everyone! So if your replacing the oil with applesauce do you replace cup for cup? What is the recipe calls for butter, same thing? Simply syrups...how do you make, how much and how do you apply to cake?
I let my baked cakes sit in the pan for the recommended 10 minutes. I wrap them in Saran Wrap as soon as I remove them from the pan. It doesn't matter what kind of cake mix/recipe/add-ins I use, they are always moist 
For my wedding cakes, I also freeze them so I can handle them better.
The larger cakes are a pain to keep from cracking while positioning them on a board or on each other. I have not tried freezing them. So (for a 2-layer cake) after you freeze them do you let them thaw before stacking one on top of the other or do you put one frozen cake on your cake board, spread on the filling, put the other frozen cake on top and then let it thaw?
Re: the soda added to the cake. I know if you add champagne you are supposed to let it go flat. I would think that would work with the soda. All the bubbles in your cake are put in by mixing, and the leavening just helps with size. By adding the extra CO2 gas to the mix you get bubbles that are too large and can't support the structure of the cake. 
As far as moistness, I always let my cakes cool and then wrap in several layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze depending on how long until I will be decorating. 
I recently bought a cake mix from target and it called for sour cream. It was the best cake mix I ever had. I tried adding the sour cream to a box cake and it worked!!! So far I have tried up to a cup of sour cream but that seemed to over do it and it broke my cake so I am going to try 1/2 cup next time.
My cakes seem moister ever since I starting using baking strips around the pans. And I agree with some of the others, to check the cake for doneness EARLY and OFTEN.
I tried recently turning the pan upside to let the cake cool on a cookie sheet straight out of the oven. When they were still warm but cool enough to handle, I wrapped in plastic wrap and put in the freezer. The latter part I do all the time and always have moist cake.
I also add pudding to every single box. I may start trying the sour cream addition too!!
With the freezing of large cakes, I agree this is a much easier way to handle them. Leave them frozen to stack the layers too. I did a book cake for a friend and torted, stacked, and carved the book while the layers were frozen. So much easier than trying to manuever soft big layers.
These are all awesome tips!!
I tried the extender recipe over the weekend and was very happy with the results! (box of pudding and extra egg) Everyone was rather impressed at how moist and yummy the cake was!
I'll have to try the frozen cake tips...I always have such a problem handling the big cakes...maybe that will help!
nutcase68...I usually add 1 heaping spoonful, if I had to guess I'd say probably 1/4 cup or so
I repalce the oil with yougurt. reduces fat and makes the cake super moist. I use vanilla but you coulsd use flavored I guess. Add pudding and an extra egg too.
My cakes always seem to come out moist and I use the recipe my Wilton instructor gave me. Here it is:
Start with any Duncan Hines cake mix (I have
used BC mix also)
add 1/3 - 1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 Jumbo eggs, make sure they are Jumbo not
Large or Extra Large
1 1/4 C. of water
Cook 1 hr at 300 degrees. Chocolate or Dark
cakes need to cook about 1 hr and 15 minutes. Works everytime, yet I have also used the cake mix extender and got great results.
HTH,
Bradymom
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