I am really new at making cakes and am just now taking decorating classes. My cakes seem to be dry. What can I do to make them moist?

don't bake as long

Mike

And keep trying different recipes until you find some that you like.

Also, this is worth a try, I sometimes replace the milk with pineapple juice. That seems to make them more moist (but more dense as well).

Do you add anything to the box mix?? I use a doctored cake mix. I only buy Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker. I add an egg, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, an 8oz sour cream, a dash of vanilla flavoring and a pinch of salt plus whatever the box says to add. ALL my cake come out moist and super good using this.

HTH!!

When I bake my cakes, I set the timer from 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the cake. I will then check the cake, by shacking the oven rack to see how much of the batter still wiggles. Once the top of the cake stops wiggling, I will use a tooth pick to check the cake every 5 to 10 minutes depending on how much batter comes away with the toothpick. (I bake at 350)

What you want to see on the toothpick is small cake crumbs, not batter. If the tooth pick comes out clean you've cooked your cake to long. Be sure to check the cake for doneness in several different places, before you pull it from the oven.

Another way to tell when a cake is done, or almost done, is when you âstartâ to smell it cooking.

After the cake cools, Iâll wrap the cake with heavy duty foil and put it in the freezer. You want to leave it in the freezer at least overnight; I've left my cakes in the freezer for several weeks and the tastes remain the same. Putting the cake in the freezer will make a moister cake.

Hope this helps,
Tammy

Just FYI - The people at work alway tell me my cakes are very moist.

I have tried using sour cream in the mixes, that makes the cake come out moist and I almost always measure the wet ingredients that need to be added . I would keep an eye in the baking time so that it doesn't go over and that could also be a reason that your cake is not moist. Good Luck with the cakes and the classes!

ok, so when I use cake mixes I follow the following recipe: 1 cup sour cream, 1 small package of pudding and pie filling (same flavor as cake mix if available, if not, use vanilla), 4 eggs, 1/3 cup veg oil and the cake mix. Bake on 350 degrees depending on size of cake. I promise you if you use this recipe the cake will very nice and moist.

To save them if they are already dry, brush the tops with jelly or simple syrup.

Almost everyone here bakes them at 325 dergees NOT 350 like it says on the packages. It will take a few minutes longer, but they will be better. Take them out before they start to pull away from the sides of the pan.