Cake Too Dry (For My Taste) And I Am Stressing!
Decorating By Tierney Updated 8 Mar 2009 , 11:39pm by mom262
This is only the 2nd cake that I have sold, and the first yellow cake I've made. I made it the night before and wrapped it in saran while still warm in the hopes of retaining moisture. I had to double to recipe in order to make 2 10" cakes that would then be torted and made into a figure 8 shaped cake (2 10" layered cakes together basically). Well I filled the pans a little too full which resulted in being slightly overbaked.
I tried some of the cake this morning and I found it dry. I torted it and liberally applied sugar syrup to cut parts of both layers. I decorated it as per usual, it has a layer of buttercream and then is covered in buttercream as well, so I hope this will cut the dryness.
I am a wreck about this, it has me on the brink of not wanting to do this anymore. I don't charge much for my cakes as I am just starting out, so the cake I was making today I was only charging $35. Considering costs were about $20 and with baking, icing, decorating, etc; my $15 profit broke down to about $3/hr labour. Not much.
Anyway, my DH says the cake is a little dry but not sawdust and he would eat it and say it was fine.
I just feel horrible that I can't give someone my best and this is going to eat me up, that this cake is going to be at someone's birthday.
As a result, I only charges $20 to cover my costs and let the buyer know that since it wasn't 100% up to my standards I wouldn't charge 100% either. He thanked me for my professionalism and said he's sure it will be fine.
Make the guilt go away! Help me find moist yellow/white cake recipes. Ack, I have to do this again next weekend? I am thinking of throwing in the towel all-together!!!
Are you wanting a scratch recipe? I've heard good things about SeriousCake's recipe
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-7267-54-Easy-Yellow-Cake.html
I like The Mermaid Bakery's---up the milk to 1 1/4 (I got the tip from moxey2000)
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-4313-178-Vanilla-Butter-Cake-from-The-Mermaid-Bakery.html
If you're looking for starting from a box & dr it up here are a couple
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1972-47-Durable-Cake-for-3D-and-Wedding-Cakes.html
A favorite of a lot of CCr's
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2322-2-White-Almond-Sour-Cream-Cake-WASC.html
I do recommend using Betty Crocker for WASC & I've had success w/ using meringue powder for the egg whites & yogurt instead of sour cream
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