How to Moisten a Dry Cake: 3 Ways to Rescue Dried Cake

Dry cake is cake that lacks moisture for one reason or another. A moist cake has a tender crumb and is light, fluffy, and bouncy. Professional bakers spend time and energy learning how to prevent a dry cake and how to fix a cake if it does dry out. Some cake recipes are more prone to drying out, while others remain moist almost no matter what. Layer cakes and cupcakes that dry out easily include chocolate cake, birthday cake, and red velvet cake. Cakes that are inherently moist and therefore more difficult to dry out include apple cake, tres leches cake, pound cake, carrot cake, and cheesecake.

Cakes are delicate desserts that can go from moist and tender to overbaked and dry in minutes. Here are some of the factors that can lead to dryness in cake:

• Not covering the cake properly: A cake starts to go stale the second it comes out of the oven. While it’s not always practical to cover a cake when it’s piping hot—especially if you plan to serve the cake the same day—reducing the amount of time you expose it to air can be crucial in preventing dryness. To avoid a stale cake, let the cake cool to room temperature, then cover each cake layer with plastic wrap or carefully place them in resealable bags.
• Overmixing the cake mix: With cakes, brownies, or cookies that use all-purpose flour, cake flour, or another type of wheat flour, you should mix the batter until there are no visible specks of flour—and no further. Overmixing cake batter causes too much gluten to form, which will lead to a tough, dry cake.
• Leaving the cake in the oven too long: Avoid placing your cake in the oven while the oven is still preheating. Let the oven preheat fully before you place your cake inside so the dessert cooks at the correct baking temperature for the entire time it’s in the oven. Additionally, it’s a good idea to set a timer so you know exactly when to check your cake. Test the cake and add more time if necessary, or remove the cake from the oven if you’re able to insert a toothpick in the cake and it comes out clean.
• Setting the oven to the wrong temperature: Different ovens hold heat and temperature differently. Additionally, you may set the dial on your oven o a certain temperature, but the actual temperature inside the oven could still differ. Invest in an oven thermometer so you can accurately read the temperature inside your oven to ensure cakes bake at the correct temperature.

There are a few ways to fix a dry cake. You can:

1. 1. Add frosting: To add a creamy texture to the overall mouthfeel of a cake, apply frosting. You can use whipped cream, cream cheese frosting, or traditional buttercream frosting between the cake layers as well as on top of the cake and all around the sides. This seals in whatever moisture remains in the cake and prevents that moisture from escaping.
2. 2. Formulate a cake soak: You can make a cake soak using simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water), evaporated milk, buttermilk, or a liqueur. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, pole holes in the cake. Then use a pastry brush to blot the liquid over the surface of the cake layers to moisten the cake. These liquids provide moisture; however, adding too much can cause the cake to fall apart.
3. 3. Utilize white bread: This common trick for keeping brown sugar moist also works for cakes. Place a fresh slice of white bread inside a resealable plastic bag along with the cake. Seal the bag and keep it at room temperature for several hours. The bread will go hard and stale as the cake absorbs the moisture from the bread.

If your cake is dry beyond hope, you can still salvage it by turning it into a different recipe. Here are a few ideas for using dry cake:

1. 1. Cake pops: A mixture of cake crumbles and buttercream, cream cheese, sour cream, or milk, cake pops can be a delicious way to use dry cake. Roll the mixture into balls and let them chill until they’re firm to make cake balls; or insert a lollipop stick into each one first. Additionally, you can coat the balls in chocolate or roll them in cookie crumbs, nuts, or sprinkles.
2. 2. Cake French toast: For a dessert take on the classic breakfast dish, consider using slices of cake instead of slices of bread to make a dessert French toast. Soak the cake slices in a mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, and spices, but avoid soaking the cake too long or else it will fall apart. Cook your cake French toast in a pan on the stovetop or bake it in the oven.
3. 3. Cake bread pudding: Cube leftover cake or dry cake and place the cake cubes in a baking dish. Mix together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and sugar, and pour the egg mixture over the cake cubes. Bake the cake bread pudding in the oven until the dish is golden brown and fully set.

Become a better baker with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Joanne Chang, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Chef Thomas Keller, Mashama Bailey, and more.