ISO Moist Cake help

[marissa82]

one of my best talents in the cooking field is making cakes or so they say,
anyway the only flaw in my cakes are that they come out to dry...not moist enough like in the shops.
so can ppl give me tips on how to make them more moist and possibly get them to rise more, as my cakes also tend to come out of the oven really big but end up losing all its air and size

 

[licia]

Are you baking them too long? following a tried and true recipe?

 

[urmaniac13]

This site contains loads of useful tips and suggestions on making desserts. It saved my hiney more than one time... worth a look!!

http://www.baking911.com/cakes/101.htm

 

[marmalady]

Things that will dry out a cake -

- Beating the eggs in too long (this would also account for the cake falling as it cools - you've put too much air in the batter).

- Oven temp not calibrated; if the recipe says 350, that's what you should use!

- Cake pans on top 2/3 of the oven; I always use the bottom shelf of the oven to bake cakes.

- Always use the ingredients the recipe calls for - ie, if it says butter, then use butter, not margarine. Make sure your eggs are the size called for in the recipe; if not stated, then use large. Using extra-large or medium eggs is asking for disasters!

 

[marissa82]

Things that will dry out a cake -

- Beating the eggs in too long (this would also account for the cake falling as it cools - you've put too much air in the batter).

- Oven temp not calibrated; if the recipe says 350, that's what you should use!

- Cake pans on top 2/3 of the oven; I always use the bottom shelf of the oven to bake cakes.

- Always use the ingredients the recipe calls for - ie, if it says butter, then use butter, not margarine. Make sure your eggs are the size called for in the recipe; if not stated, then use large. Using extra-large or medium eggs is asking for disasters!

oh gosh, i don't do any of those things...i have a tendency to beat the eggs for a long time, so in regards to that when i add the flour afterwards how long should i beat it, cuz i like to beat it for a long time

i always turn the oven temp abt 250 degrees celsius for abt the first 10 mins and then turn it down to its required temp

i always use margarine instead of butter, how would that effect the cake's result

and i also tend to want to put the cake in the highest shelf, so do u suggest to put it lower?

 

[marmalady]

oh gosh, i don't do any of those things...i have a tendency to beat the eggs for a long time, so in regards to that when i add the flour afterwards how long should i beat it, cuz i like to beat it for a long time

i always turn the oven temp abt 250 degrees celsius for abt the first 10 mins and then turn it down to its required temp

i always use margarine instead of butter, how would that effect the cake's result

and i also tend to want to put the cake in the highest shelf, so do u suggest to put it lower?

Beat the eggs only for as long as the recipe says, and at the speed the recipe says. Different cakes require different techniques to develop the airiness; some say to beat the eggs for 3-4 minutes; others will just have you incorporate the eggs into the dry.

Set the oven temp to - again - what the recipe says; if you're putting the cake in at a hotter temp than the recipe calls for, the cake is rising too fast in the oven, causing it to fall later.

Margarines don't react the same way butter does in a batter, and some of them contain quite a bit of water, which could affect the texture and 'rise' of the cake.

The highest shelf is where the most heat is (heat rises); again this could contribute to the rapid rise of the cake, and its subsequent fall.

When in doubt - follow the recipe; at least until you're comfortable enough with basic baking principles to experiment a little on your own.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have found that adding an extra 2 tbs. cooking oil to any batter will result in a superior texture, that is, more moist and tender. Also, to give cake more rising ower, rely more on the leavening agent (baking soda/acid or baking powder) to cuase the cake to rise rather than on the air beaten into the batter. I usually add 1 extra tsp. of baking powder to the recipe. However, by adding the extra baking powder, that cake may not have enough substance to hold together well when sliced. My cakes have actually come out too tender so that they wont' hold togeter when sliced. To counteract that, I add 1 extra egg to the recipe. By making these modifications, my cakes come out extra moist, and tender.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Cakes are not as complex as many people believe. Once you understand how different ingredients contribute to the final quality of the cake, you can pretty much create your own cakes, using just a basic ratio of four-fat-leavening.

And remember that leavening can be produced by using baking soda (alkali) and cream of tartar (acid), or baking soda (alkali) and yougurt or buttermilik (acid), or acidic fruits and juices such as apple, pineapple, strawberries, basically any fruit with a sour componant, and baking soda. The final leavening agent for cakes is baking powder that has both the acid and alkali ingredients together. I prefer double-acting baking powder as it starts to leaven the batter as soon as it is made wet, and then has a second leavening action that doesn't start until heat is applied. This results in a lighter final product.

Cakes are simply oversized pancakes with flavorings and more sweetener. And remember, that if you add the normal ingrediants, plus acidic fruits, or even more cocoa powder (again it's acidic) you will need to add more alkali (baking powder) to ballance the chemical ratios.

After that, it's a piece of cake(pun fully intended).

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[cartwheelmac]

So can ppl give me tips on how to make them more moist and possibly get them to rise more, as my cakes also tend to come out of the oven really big but end up losing all its air and size

I find turning off the oven and leaving the door cracked with the cake in the oven helps with the falling problem.

Cameron

 

[CanadianMeg]

You can also add a grated apple to most cakes to make it more moist without impacting the rest of the recipe.

 

[purrfectlydevine]

I have found that adding an extra 2 tbs. cooking oil to any batter will result in a superior texture, that is, more moist and tender. Also, to give cake more rising ower, rely more on the leavening agent (baking soda/acid or baking powder) to cuase the cake to rise rather than on the air beaten into the batter. I usually add 1 extra tsp. of baking powder to the recipe. However, by adding the extra baking powder, that cake may not have enough substance to hold together well when sliced. My cakes have actually come out too tender so that they wont' hold togeter when sliced. To counteract that, I add 1 extra egg to the recipe. By making these modifications, my cakes come out extra moist, and tender.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Cakes are not as complex as many people believe. Once you understand how different ingredients contribute to the final quality of the cake, you can pretty much create your own cakes, using just a basic ratio of four-fat-leavening.

And remember that leavening can be produced by using baking soda (alkali) and cream of tartar (acid), or baking soda (alkali) and yougurt or buttermilik (acid), or acidic fruits and juices such as apple, pineapple, strawberries, basically any fruit with a sour componant, and baking soda. The final leavening agent for cakes is baking powder that has both the acid and alkali ingredients together. I prefer double-acting baking powder as it starts to leaven the batter as soon as it is made wet, and then has a second leavening action that doesn't start until heat is applied. This results in a lighter final product.

Cakes are simply oversized pancakes with flavorings and more sweetener. And remember, that if you add the normal ingrediants, plus acidic fruits, or even more cocoa powder (again it's acidic) you will need to add more alkali (baking powder) to ballance the chemical ratios.

After that, it's a piece of cake(pun fully intended).

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

Have you posted one of your recipes?

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I usually alter boxed cake mixes, but here's a scratch recipe that makes a very good cake. Of course, I modified it from the original for the purpose of making a multi-layer cake (6 layers (2 three-layer cakes).

This is a double recipe to make 2 cakes.

Cocolate Mayonaise Cake
Ingrediants:
2 cups Boiling water
1 cup Cocoa, firmly packed
4-1/2 cups All-Purpose flour
4 t Baking soda
2 tsp. double-acting baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 cups Mayonnaise
4 tbs. cooking oil
2 large eggs
2-1/2 cups Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease and flour two 10-inch spring-form pans.

In a stainless steel or plastic bowl, pour the boiling water over the cocoa, and stir until smooth. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat together the mayonnaise, oil, and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Slowly incorporate the vanilla and cocoa. Continue beating for another minute.

Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the flour mixture. Donb't overmix. Just beat until everything is combined into a batter.

Pour batter into the cake pans and bake 55 to 60 minutes. Test the cake by inserting a clean knife into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool for 15 minutes. Turn cakes onto a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.

Next, we are going to slice each cake into three equal slices. At Wal-Mart, in the craft section, you can purchase this cool cake slicing gizmo that has a thin wire atatched to a steel frame. There are notches on the outside edge of the fram that allow the wire to be positioned acurately on either side to insure a perfectly level cut sideways through the cake. I highly recomend purchasing this tool. Also, purchase four, thin, plastic cutting sheets.

Using a long, thin knife, or the cake slicing gizmo, slice sidways into the cakes to create three equal slices. After each slice, starting with the top slice, slide a plastic sheet between the slices and remove the whole slice to the side. And then we put on the icing (frosting). For this cake, we will alternate rasapberry flavored and dark-chocolate flavored icing.

Raspberry Icing:
2 cups powdered Sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
concentrated raspberry extract
Christmas Red Food Color paste

Combine the powdered sugar and butter with a mixer until completely blended and smooth. Add 2 drops of raspberry flavor. Mix well to distribute the flavor and taste. Feel the consistancy in your mouth. The frosting should be silky smooth and soft, but not runny. If it's too stiff, add more softened butter. If you need stronger raspberry flavor, add 2 more drops. And remember, you can always add more, but once it's in the frosting, you can't remove it, so go slowly. The raspberry flavor will have to copete with dark chocolate flavor, so it should be a bit strong, but not overpowering.

Finally, dip a toothpick into the paste and add it to the frosting. Mix it in thoroughly. Continue mixing in more food color, a little at a time, to get the color you want. If you mix in just a touch of blue food coloring, it will give you a truer raspberry color.

Chocolate Icing:
Ingrediants:
2-2/3 cups Powdered Sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
6 tbs. room-temperature butter
1 tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

In another bowl, dift together the powdered sugar and cocoa. Add the butter and gently cream everything together. Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy smooth.

Finally, coat the bottom cake layer with jsut enough icing to cover the top. Place the next layer on top and cover with the raspberry icing, again to cover just the top. Alternate successive layers with chocolate and rasperry icing, finishing the top layer with a swirled rasperry/chocolate icing. Do this by covering the top and sides with whichever icing you have the most of. Then, using a butter-knife, swirl the other icing in.

Serve with something to freshen the pallate after this rich desert, like milk, or sparkling raspberry water.

Hope you enjoy this cake.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[purrfectlydevine]

Thanks so much. For the box mix you add 2 extra tablespoons oli, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 extra egg and otherwise follow package directions? Sometimes I have to be speed baker and there is no time to start from scratch. Besides, I have several box mixes on hand. Thanks again for your help.