Hello! I have a question. I made my first wedding cake last week and everything went well except for the cakes were pretty dry. I need some advice on how to prevent this from happening again. I was a little embarassed because I was there when everyone ate it and I wasn't expecting it to be dry. This hasn't happen to me before. It didn't seem dry when I frosted it? Thanks in advance!

Laura

Hi and Welcome to CC, LauraE5803.

Did you make a scratch, box or doctored box recipe?

Here's an everything you ever wanted to know about making your 1st tiered cake:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-5958955-.html

How to make and use simple syrup washes:
(Usually used on scratch cakes.)

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-65643-.html

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-55178-.html

HTH

To me it is a little of a lot of things. Don't overbake. Use the proper temp. I always use wet towel strips or bake strips around the edges of my bigger cakes - that may put moisture a little extra moisture into the air and it helps with the humping in the middle and the dry overdone edges. And I always use XL eggs for my boxed mixes instead of the called for large. Good Luck! Hope one of these helps!

JanH- Thanks for the links I will have to print and read them all!

I used boxed Chocolate and scratch white. It was for Saturday so I baked on Wednesday, froze overnight, frosted Thursday afternoon, covered with MMF on Friday. Did I just bake to early? I used baking strips. I think I just needed to use the simple syrup.

Was your chocolate dry? Every white cake I've made from scratch is a little on the dry side. So I'm wondering if both types were dry, maybe you overbaked a little. I don't think you baked too early, your timeline sounds fine.

I always add a box of pudding to any boxed mix cake I bake. I also add baking powder and lemon juice and a little extra sugar I also use milk instead of water and butter instead of oil.

My cakes have never been dry. If I really want a dense consistancy, I add sour cream to the mixture. I did this for my DSS cake (my first cake ever) and it turned out so moist that my husband (who can't stand cake - ate many, many pieces) and the Chocolate cake I made My DSD (Dear Step Dad) who hates chocolate cake, was looking for more. He said it was the first EVER chocolate cake that was not dry and that is why he liked it.

Baking ahead is usually never a problem. The way my cakes stay really soft and moist(and I bake egg free cakes) is that when they are still warm I wrap them in plastic wrap and then when they are cooled I stick them in the freezer. When I defrost then I leave the plastic wrap on and they open up totally soft and moist.
Sometimes, if the cake overbaked then I will put a simple sugar syrup on the frozen cake and leave it open to defrost that way as it defrosts the sugar absorbs moisture from the air and makes the cake nice an dmoist, you would never tell it was over done!