I have a recipe for spice cake that I love and I make small cakeletts. The problem is the cakeletts are very small and dry out very quickly.

Can I substitute some oil for the butter or is there something I can do to allow these tiny cakes to stay fresher longer?

Here is what is in them:

Recipe from Williams Sonoma Acorn Pan

1 ¼ cups (200g) all purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
½ cup (125 ml) milk
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
8 Tbs. (1 stick/125g) unsalted butter
½ cup (98g) maple sugar
¼ cup (60g) granulated sugar
2 eggs, lightly beeten

should I move this to the recipe forum?

Hi there! I have heard other cakers adding a small box of instant pudding and/or sour cream to your mixes. They may be drying out quicker just because they are small- cupcakes are like that. You can also try using a fork to poke a few holes in the top then brushing with a simple syrup, like warmed apricot preserves. Just a few tips i've read. HTH. =)

What you need to do is a use a moistening syrup. Mine is called simple syrup. You just drizzle it on the cake. It's just 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Then you boil it with a lid on. Add some flavor if you want to - when the mixture has cooled. Refrigerate in a tupperware container and it's good for a month.

I would start by upping the sugar. You have room to play there, also in the butter. I would play with those two. You could try adding an egg yolk.

Mike

Add sour cream. It will make it moist.

Sour cream. I put it in all my cakes even if the recipe doesn't call for it. It definitely helps to make for a more moist cake and you don't taste it at all.