Super Moist Spice Cake Recipe l ® {From Scratch} (2024)

FAQs

Does sour cream make a cake more moist? ›

Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.

Boxed cake mixes tend to be lighter in consistency, but if you're craving that thicker, moister, denser cake, then all you have to do is add an extra egg to your mix. The additional fat in the egg yolk helps create a more tender and moist cake that is full of flavor.

What is the Difference Between Carrot Cake and Spice Cake? Carrot cake and spice cake are very similar. Carrot cake is essentially a spice cake with the additions of shredded carrots giving it a slightly sweeter taste and a more delicate and tender interior.

Contains 2% or less of: Modified Corn Starch, Cinnamon, Corn Starch, Spice, Propylene Glycol Mono and Diesters, Salt, Monoglycerides, Palm Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Color Added.

One common ingredient swap that is known to help make cakes remarkably moist is using milk instead of water. Try switching out any water in your recipe for full-fat milk or buttermilk for a moist, decadent texture. Another ingredient that can enhance the moisture of your cake is mayonnaise.

Whole milk yogurt works best and brings a big reduction in fat, plus more protein and calcium. Baked goods made with yogurt as a straight substitute for sour cream will turn out less tender, lighter in texture and have a tangier, less buttery flavor.

Add More Eggs

To get an extra rich and moist cake, stir in two extra egg yolks along with the eggs the recipe calls for (save the egg whites to make these delicious meringues). For a lighter and more airy cake, use only egg whites (and save the egg yolks for crème brûlée).

Martina says, “Late in the mixing stage, eggs will incorporate better if you lightly beat them before adding to the batter. The finished cake may be slightly shorter than expected, but its flavor and tenderness shouldn't be affected.” For egg-leavened cakes, the eggs are crucial.

It's more convenient and less time consuming than making cakes from scratch. The mayonnaise in this cake makes it really moist. You cannot tell the mayonnaise is in it. Since mayonnaise is made with eggs and oil, there is no need to add oil to this recipe and it uses less eggs.

Duncan Hines spice cake mix: The resulting cake wasn't as spiced as the Betty Crocker mix, but the overall taste and texture was superior. It somehow had a buttery flavor to it, making it taste much closer to a homemade cake.

Why not use butter in carrot cake? ›

I love using oil in cakes because not only does it make your cake moist, but it also STAYS moist for much longer than if you used butter. That's because oil is 100% fat where butter is around 80%.

In theory, carrot cake is essentially spice cake with the addition of bright orange root vegetables. While carrot cake tends to typically include warming spices, such as nutmeg and cinnamon, spice cakes take on extra additions, such as ginger and clove.

If you have too much flour in a recipe and not enough fat, like butter or oil, your cake is going to be dry and hard. For best results, I would encourage you to use a scale when baking, but if you don't have a scale, then just make sure you're using measuring cups correctly.

1916 Scottish Wartime Trench Cake

Rub the flour and butter together in a large bowl. Pour the milk, vinegar and baking powder into a small jug and blend through. Add the currants, cocoa and light brown sugar to the flour mixture and mix through. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and beat through well.

Substitutes for Allspice include using a combination of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon as well as similar spice blends such as pumpkin pie spice (with some added pepper to achieve the savory notes of allspice) or apple pie spice.

Sour cream helps to tenderize cakes.

The lactic acid in sour cream breaks down the proteins in the flour, making for a softer, more tender cake. This is especially important for chocolate cakes, which are often dry and tough. So, if you find your chocolate cake too dry, try adding some sour cream to the recipe!

The most common cake soak is simple syrup, equal parts sugar and water cooked until the sugar is dissolved. This added bit of liquid and sweetness help make the cake more moist, and stay moist longer. Professional bakers also use a milk soak, which is milk or cream dabbed onto the cake.

Leavening Agents

Breads, cakes, cookies, and nearly all baked goods require a leavening agent. These are the key ingredients that make a cake rise. There are two types of leavening agents, chemical (baking soda and baking powder) and biological (yeast).