How to prevent a dry cake (reasons & tips)

Sometimes it seems like everyone is experiencing the same problems at the same time. Lately, I’ve been getting quite a lot of questions about dry cakes. Maybe it’s a seasonal thing as I do tend to bake more cakes and pies in the fall.

It’s the perfect time to experiment with new cake flavors. Now my cakes are never dry, but I’ve had years of experience in testing the cakes for the best results.

So I am going to tell you how to prevent a dry cake from coming out of the oven. I love a good and moist cake and I’ll be sharing my top tips on how to ensure succes every single time.

Why is a cake dry?

Before we dive deeper into the matter of how the cake becómes dry, let me first explain why it féels dry in the first place. It has to do with the moisture content of the cake. While you’re baking your cake in the oven, the moisture evaporates and if you take your cake out at the perfect moment, the cake is cooked through and there is just enough moisture left in the cake to make it delicious and moist.

So that means that a dry cake is not because there is something wrong with the recipe itself but mostly because there is not enough moisture left in the cake when you take it out. Which leads me to the reasons this can happen. I’ve made countless cake recipes to make sure you can succeed on all your next baking adventures.

Baked too long

As I mentioned above; the longer you keep your cake in the oven, the more of the moisture evaporates. And the longer it stays in the oven, the drier the cake gets. So one of the most common reasons a cake is too dry is simply because it has been kept in the oven for too long.

Baked too hot

If you set the temperature of your oven too high the moisture will also evaporate quicker. So even if you followed the rest of the recipe to the letter, you might still get a cake that is too dry if you set your oven at a temperature that is too high.

So most important is to make sure your oven temperature is set correctly. The temperatures in the recipes are almost always for a conventional oven. Do you have a convection oven? Set the temperature 10-20% lower. You will find that can make a big difference.

Every oven is different

When a recipe fails, people often point the finger at the recipe as being wrong. This happens to me a lot, but also to many other recipe developers. Of course, sometimes there can be a flaw in the recipe, but very often it is really the execution.

This is not to say that you are doing something wrong, as it is usually just the conditions in which you are baking. The chances of them being exactly the same as the original creator of the recipe are slim. So always use a recipe as a guideline and adapt it to your circumstances if necessary.

The most important part of this story: the oven. Every oven is different, and if my cake comes out perfectly every time at 180˚C (350˚F), you may very well get the same results at 170˚C (340˚F). So it is very important that you get to know your oven. For example, with the old oven at my parents’ house, I knew that it always took longer than the recipe said. My current (new) oven is often a little faster.

If you’re unsure of the way your oven performs it might be a good idea to use a separate oven thermometer you can place inside your oven to check if the temperature is what it should be. But after having cooked a couple of cakes you will also get to know your oven better and you will be able to prevent your cakes from going dry.

Avoid overmixing

So yes, the oven is your most important part of making sure the cake stays moist, but there are more factors that contribute to a successful cake baking. And it starts with the batter. Using ingredients such as sour cream, buttermilk or adding fruit into your cake batter will all make for a more moist result. It also helps to not mix your batter for too long.

If you do overmix your cake the air that gets trapped inside will deflate more easily and will create a dense cake. You want to have a batter that is just mixed but not longer than necessary. Unless the recipe calls for a long whip! So always make sure to double check the recipe instructions.

What to do once the cake is baked

So you’ve now baked the perfect cake. It is lovely and moist when it just comes out of the oven. But how do you make sure it stays that way and doesn’t get dry after one day. There are a couple of tricks you can use to ensure a moist cake for days to come.

​Add a liquid to the cake after baking

One great way to keep the cake moist is to add something to the cake once baked. Think about adding a little drizzle of your favorite liqueur or even something simple like coconut milk or some honey will help to keep the cake moist. You can also add layers to the cake. Think about adding some topping, like my favorite cherry pie filling or a delicious jam. That will also definitely help in retaining the moisture inside.

Frosting

We talked about adding frosting and I already gave you my favorite recipe for ermine frosting here, but did you know that it also helps in retaining moisture if you frost your cake. Makes sense too if you think about it. Once the cake is cooled completely frosting prevents the remaining moisture from evaporating, thereby keeping the cake moist for longer.

Storage

This might be a no-brainer but storing your cake properly also makes sure it stays delicious and moist for longer. Using an airtight container or wrapping it in plastic wrap will definitely help to keep it fresh for longer.