The one great thing that we all know and love is that when we eat cake we want it to be mouth-wateringly good, fluffy but most of all moist. A cake can look out of this world, but if you cut into it and it's dry, then it's like all your hard-earned efforts have gone done the pan.
So to combat this problem I've decided to put together a few things to help ensure that your cakes turn out divine.
First things first...
Ingredients
Always make sure that your scales are working correctly, your ingredients are fresh, and you are using the correct quantities. Baking is not like the Chef from the Muppets; you can't just ersh de birsh your way through it. There is an exact science to it, and if you start faffing about with the measurements of your ingredients, you could end up with a dry, stale mess.
Baking Times and Temperatures
These need to be followed, check, check and double-check that your oven temperature is at the correct temperature, get on eye level with it and make sure it lines up or is programmed to the correct setting and always ensure that you preheat the oven before baking. If your oven is temperamental or you're not sure it's running at the right temp invest in an oven thermometer and always check on your bakes/cakes while they are in the oven. A cake can always be baked on a lower heat for a longer period but once you've burned it there's no going back, it's game over. Your cake is literally 'well done'. That's why it's always good to check your cakes while in the oven at regular intervals.
Glaze/Stock
When some cakes leave the oven, they can be covered in a glaze immediately which gets absorbed straight into the cake which will create a moist more refreshing cake or after a cake has cooled a stock syrup can lightly be brushed onto a cake to give it extra moisture.
Water Tray
If you are baking a cake for a long time in the oven, say for instance a fruitcake you can add a water tray to the bottom of the oven, what this does is to convert to steam when your cake is baking, and the moisture it creates gets locked into your cakes.
Fillings
To help keep cupcakes or muffins moist for longer, you could try adding grated apple or pear to the ingredients before baking. The fruit locks in additional liquid and allows the cakes to stay fresher for longer.
So to combat this problem I've decided to put together a few things to help ensure that your cakes turn out divine.
First things first...
Ingredients
Always make sure that your scales are working correctly, your ingredients are fresh, and you are using the correct quantities. Baking is not like the Chef from the Muppets; you can't just ersh de birsh your way through it. There is an exact science to it, and if you start faffing about with the measurements of your ingredients, you could end up with a dry, stale mess.
Baking Times and Temperatures
These need to be followed, check, check and double-check that your oven temperature is at the correct temperature, get on eye level with it and make sure it lines up or is programmed to the correct setting and always ensure that you preheat the oven before baking. If your oven is temperamental or you're not sure it's running at the right temp invest in an oven thermometer and always check on your bakes/cakes while they are in the oven. A cake can always be baked on a lower heat for a longer period but once you've burned it there's no going back, it's game over. Your cake is literally 'well done'. That's why it's always good to check your cakes while in the oven at regular intervals.
Glaze/Stock
When some cakes leave the oven, they can be covered in a glaze immediately which gets absorbed straight into the cake which will create a moist more refreshing cake or after a cake has cooled a stock syrup can lightly be brushed onto a cake to give it extra moisture.
Water Tray
If you are baking a cake for a long time in the oven, say for instance a fruitcake you can add a water tray to the bottom of the oven, what this does is to convert to steam when your cake is baking, and the moisture it creates gets locked into your cakes.
Fillings
To help keep cupcakes or muffins moist for longer, you could try adding grated apple or pear to the ingredients before baking. The fruit locks in additional liquid and allows the cakes to stay fresher for longer.
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