How to Make a Moist Cake

How many times have you been at a party and are looking forward to getting your slice of cake, only to be disappointed with the dryness of the cake which make you wish you had a cup of milk near by?  I hate that feeling and would rather just not have the slice.  Home made cakes are usually considered to be better tasting than the supermarket or mainstream factory made cakes but  you would be surprised at how many home made cakes turn out this way.This is due to the balance or lack there of ingredients in the recipe. All homemade cakes generally use the same basic ingredients that balance each other out: eggs, flours, sugar, and a fat (butter or oil). Here are a few tips and tricks I  have learned throughout the years I have been baking.

Things that will alter your cake

Firstly it is important to follow instructions and ingredients list properly, do not substitute ingredients like using margarine instead of butter. This will not only change the richness but also the moistness. Do not over beat your mixture, if the recipe calls for beat at medium speed for 2 min., then only beat for 2 min. Over beating causes for too much gluten to form, and too much gluten, can cause a dry cake. It is always advisable to use the most natural form of ingredients. If the recipe calls for real vanilla extract then that is what should be used, in my experience it gives the best flavor. Now pure Vanilla extract is costly in Toronto on average it is about $10 for a tube with one Vanilla been or if you're lucky 2, and if you are baker on a budget then the artificial/imitation Vanilla extract is just fine.

Dry cakes

• Dry cakes like Swiss Rolls and white cakes are made with a lot of egg whites which tend to dry out the cakes. 
• Baking a cake too long will also make for a dry cake, to avoid this you should keep a timer running.
• Add more flour than the recipe calls for will also result in a dry cake. This usually happens when you are measuring your cups (if using single cup measuring cups) and do not scrap off the excess. 

How to moisten cakes

• Taking out a cake from the oven just a few minutes before the time is up is an excellent way to make the cake moist. The cake finish cooking if left in the pan it was baked in.
• For a richer cake you can add an additional 1/4 cup of oil even if the recipe does not call for it. This works especially well for chocolate cakes.
• You can add  1 cup of sour cream to a box recipe.
• To get a moist cupcake prepare a day before eating. I think the letting them cool and settle is was does it, it's something I have noticed throughout the years.
• Simple syrup is a way to moisten the cake after it is already baked. Simple Syrup is made by simmering equal parts of water and sugar in a sauce pan until the sugar is dissolved. once cooled you brush or pour the syrup over the cake layers to moisten.

These are all techniques that I have used and have all aided in making the cakes more moist. My everyday go to moistening technique is adding the fruit juice of whatever fruit I am using in the filling to brush over the cakes. For chocolate cakes you can either brush over milk or even coffee, and it will also give it a great taste.

Try these techniques out and let me know if they work out for you and you have any techniques of your own please share, I would love to hear them.

Making and Buying Fondant Cakes

Cake decorating has turned into one the fastest growing industries lately. With the launch of reality televisions shows such as “Ace of Cakes” which first aired in 2006 and chronicled the baking to selling process of a Baltimore bakery. This show opened up a niche in the market that was solely a professional thing. Then with the second reality television show “Cake Boss”, the cake decorating boom soared in popularity like never seen before. These shows which focused on fondant covered customised cakes, made it possible for people at home to pick up fondant and try decorating a cake themselves. The problem was that fondant was not readily available and could mostly only be bought wholesale to bakeries. This is where Wilton, one of the first companies, was able to capitalise in on the trend and mass produce fondant to be available to the home baker. Wilton is now one of the most diversified and largest companies in the craft industry and holds the number one position in cake decorating and bake ware. Soon after many other companies followed as the trend grew. Now fondant can be found in many places.

For those home bakers, as I, making fondant cakes takes lots of hours of labour. Many times, depending on the complexity of the design of the cake, things have to be prepared days in advance and once decorating is done, hours have gone by, especially if you are doing it solo. The cost of fondant is somewhat expensive ranging from $8/lb - $25/5lbs. All this is part of the cost that needs to be taking into consideration when selling the cakes - And here is the problem. Most people do not like paying the high price tag of fondant cakes and always try to get reductions or just simply reply with a "the price is too high". The trouble in these situations is that the customer expects a beautiful unique cake with attention to detail and great craftsmanship on the decorating but does not consider the hours of work, production costs and the skill of the baker. These are important thing to consider on both parts when making and buying a fondant cakes.

Designs can be simple or more complex and with many different components. Either way it is usually a labour of love and skill and should be appreciated.