These 9 crucial baking tips help prevent a dry or dense cake. Applying these lessons in your kitchen helps promise a soft and moist cake!
Dry or overly dense cakes have absolutely no room in this world. However far too often, a seemingly innocent looking cake can fall victim to one or both of these texture tragedies. It’s happened to me approximately 3,520,958x and I’m always working to save my cake (and myself!) from the dense or dry cake catastrophe again.
There are ways to prevent and avoid these unfavorable textures. I’ve been practicing with cake recipes for several years and have learned a lot in the process. I wrote 9 crucial lessons that will help us the next time we’re baking a from-scratch cake.
I promise you SOFT & MOIST cakes!
1. Use Cake Flour
Reach for cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Cake flour is a low protein flour that’s milled into a superfine consistency. This soft, tender texture directly translates into your cake. However, this isn’t an ALL or NOTHING rule. Some recipes simply cannot withstand cake flour’s fine consistency. Chocolate cake, for example, already has cocoa powder, which is a soft dry ingredient and takes the place of some flour in the recipe. More often than not, the combination of cake flour and cocoa powder results in a flimsy cake. Likewise, carrot cake and banana cake contain additional wet ingredients (the fruits or veggies), so cake flour isn’t ideal because it’s not strong enough.
However, when making vanilla cake, white cake, red velvet cake, vanilla cupcakes, and other cakes/cupcakes where a fluffy texture is favorable, try using cake flour. I’ve also been successful substituting cake flour for all-purpose flour to create softer pineapple upside-down cake and 1-layer sprinkle cake. (Make a 1:1 substitution with no other changes to the recipe. My pineapple upside down cake recipe has been updated to include it!)
Swans Down and Softasilk are my preferred cake flour brands (not sponsored!). I use unbleached when I can find it, otherwise I just stick with bleached. Both brands provide quality results for a decent price. Find cake flour in the baking aisle next to the all-purpose flour. If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, use this cake flour substitute.
2. Add Sour Cream
To help prevent a dry, dense cake, let’s add a creamy and light wet ingredient. Milk is usually required in a cake recipe to thin out the batter and lighten up the crumb, but sour cream is often overlooked. In addition to milk, add a Tablespoon or 2 of sour cream. Of course this depends on the recipe, but you’ll find that a lot of my cake recipes call for sour cream. Don’t underestimate the power of this ingredient! I even add it to my classic cheesecake, cheesecake pie, and no-bake cheesecake recipes. Plain yogurt is a fine substitution.
3. Room Temperature Butter / Don’t Over-Cream
I sound like a broken record on this one, especially if you’re a regular reader. But when a recipe calls for room temperature butter, use room temperature butter. Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake. No properly creamed butter = no air = no fluffiness. Aka a dense cake.
But let’s say your butter was at the proper room temperature. You began creaming it with sugar, but then left the mixer running. There’s a big chance your butter and sugar will over-cream, meaning the butter will trap more air than it should. As the batter bakes, that extra air will deflate and leave you with an overly dense cake.
For best results, cream butter and sugar together for about 3-5 minutes. Here is my full tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar, including a helpful video and photos.
Additionally, the cake recipe may call for room temperature sour cream, milk, and/or eggs. Make sure they’re each at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients bond together easier and quicker since they’re warmer, thus reducing over-mixing. Over-mixing = dense cake. (See tip #6.)
4. Add a Touch of Baking Powder or Baking Soda
When a cake is too dense, one might think that adding extra flour will soak up more moisture and lighten up the crumb. However, that’s not usually the case. The cake likely needs more leavening support from baking powder or baking soda. This tip isn’t exactly a cakewalk (ha!) because these two ingredients are scientifically particular. If a recipe includes a lot of acid such as lemon juice and buttermilk and isn’t lifted with enough baking powder, the cake will taste dense. In that case, you may need the addition of baking soda which will react with the acid and create a fluffier crumb. Depending on the recipe, adding more baking powder or soda could leave a bitter aftertaste… so don’t go overboard.
This depends on the recipe, but I generally use around 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda per 1 cup of flour or 1 teaspoon of baking powder per 1 cup of flour. Remember the differences in baking powder vs baking soda and why we use both in some recipes?
5. Add Oil
The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake’s moisture level. If there’s simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there’s too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key. If you notice that a cake tastes too dry, add a little oil the next time you make it. My strawberry shortcake cake kept tasting a little too dry no matter what I did, so I added 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil to the batter. It’s so moist!
Some cakes use oil instead of butter. This is because there’s another flavorful ingredient in the recipe and butter’s flavor isn’t necessary. See my carrot cake and pumpkin cake.
6. Don’t Over-Mix
As mentioned in tip #3, over-mixing cake batter produces too much air. That trapped air expands then deflates in the oven. A deflated cake is a dense cake! Only mix the wet and dry ingredients together JUST until combined. I usually run a whisk or spatula through the batter a couple times at the very end to ensure there are no large lumps at the bottom of the bowl. Whether you’re using a mixer or mixing by hand, don’t over-mix.
7. Don’t Over-Bake
If you’re looking for a dry cake, simply over-bake it!
In all seriousness though, over-baking cakes dry them out. It could only be a 30 second window between perfectly baked and over-baked, so make sure you’re keeping an eye on the cake. Begin checking it 1-2 minutes before the recipe instructs.
Use these as indicators that your cake is done:
- Cake should be very slightly pulling away from the side of the pan.
- A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake will come out clean or with a couple lightly moist crumbs.
- Gently press down on the cake. If the cake bounces back completely, it’s done. If your finger left a dent in the cake, it needs more time.
8. Brush With Simple Syrup/Other Liquid
When things go totally awry and you have a dry cake on your hands, all is not lost. A quick brush of simple syrup adds moisture. When the cake has completely cooled, brush a thin layer of simple syrup on top. Instead of simple syrup, you can even use Sprite (yes, I’m serious).
To make simple syrup, boil equal parts granulated sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves, then let it cool before brushing it onto your cake. Use a pastry brush. You can flavor the syrup, too. When the simple syrup comes off the stove, stir in a touch of vanilla extract, prepared coffee, lemon juice, Amaretto, or other liqueur. Let it cool before using. You could even place some vanilla bean, lemon peel, or culinary lavender in the cooling syrup. Once cool, strain out the chunks/add-ins using a fine mesh sieve.
It’s a very thin layer of syrup, so it won’t make your cake too sweet.
9. Don’t Double the Recipe
For absolute BEST taste and texture, never double a cake recipe. Make the batter twice instead. Doubling the recipe risks over-creaming (tip #3), over-mixing (tip #6), or under-mixing. And the baking powder and/or soda may not completely distribute which could leave bitter aftertastes in sections of the cake.
Only work with the amount of batter the recipe instructs. When I need extra cake batter, I make the batter twice—separately.
More Baking Tips
I have more lessons for you!
- 6 Inch Cake Recipes (chocolate cake pictured above)
- My 10 Best Baking Tips
- 10 Cake Baking Tips for Perfect Cakes
- 14 Best Baking Tools That Every Baker Needs
- Baking Powder Vs Baking Soda
- Room Temperature Ingredients
- Buttermilk in Baking 101
Reader Comments and Reviews
Sally your baking tips are always so helpful! Could you please give some recommendations on Freezer-safe containers for freezing whole pound cakes. I’m shipping my cakes through the mail
Hi Mika, we like to use glass freezer-safe containers when possible. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally do you have a printable fact sheet on How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake.
Hi Janet, we don’t at this time, but that’s an excellent idea that we will keep in mind for the future!
My sponge cake which include oil and yogurt, sinks in the middle only during summer times, in winter it is ok, what causes this? Thanks for your help
I made your Lemon Poppy Seed cake and everyone loved it. It came out super moist. I’m wondering if I can use the same recipe and make cupcakes instead.
Hi Brenda, yes, you can use our Lemon Poppy Seed Cake to make cupcakes instead. Fill the baking cups halfway and bake at 350. We’re unsure of the exact baking time. This recipe will make a ton of cupcakes, and they will be more dense in texture than a typical cupcake. Here’s our lemon cupcakes recipe as well!
Thank you for the response. I think I will make 48 cupcakes and whatever is leftover I will make a small cake. I just like the recipe for the cake better than the recipe for the cupcakes. I’ll let you know how I make out.
I have tried to make your carrot cake 2 days in a row and failed both (I am not a baker but I’m trying) I followed the recipe to a T first time but I think my oven wasn’t warm enough. Today the cake looks amazing but feels about 5stone. I’ve yet to cut into it as it’s cooling but I think it’ll be very dense sadly. Yesterday I mixed the wet and dry together but today I done separate then combined.
Hi Jodie, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. It sounds like the batter may have been overmixed. Be sure to mix the batter until just combined. Did a toothpick come out clean from the center of the cake? If not, the cake may benefit from a few additional minutes in the oven, too. Let us know if we can help further!
Do you think using dark/black pans can affect whether it’s dry or not? Should you adjust the time or temp at all?
Hi Lindsey, darker pans tend to conduct more heat and bake cakes more quickly. Keeping that in mind, you can always reduce the bake time, keeping a close eye on the cake and using a toothpick to test for doneness. You can also try reducing the temperature, knowing that the bake time will vary. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the suggestions. I made a Hot Milk cake. Ive learned over the years that the eggs need whipping, as long as 10 minutes. Otherwise it never rises and its a gluey mess. So over beating is your suggestion but conflicts with what I’ve learned?
This time the cake is wet and dense, a heavy unappealing texture. So from I’ve learned from your suggestion, that I incorporated too much fat & liquid .
Its all worth it when a cake results in exactly what you’ve aimed for.
Again thanks.
Hi Vicky, it may be different with your recipe. Does it require melted butter? I find over-whipping/over-mixing the creamed butter and sugar, if your recipe calls for room temperature butter, can cause a cake to slightly deflate. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, be certain to not over-mix in that step either. I hope this is somewhat helpful!
So, if I want to double a recipe, how long can I set the first batch aside while waiting for the second batch to finish? Or do I have to have 2 mixers?
my chocolate comes up dry so next time I will definitely follow your tips.
thanks for the tips
Thank you for the tips. My chocolate zucchini is a fam fave but lately they’ve been dry and one is needed for a birthday tomorrow. I bet I have been hurrying everything – it’s such an easy recipe
– until it isn’t.
This really helps,its just that I don’t have a lot of ingredients as I’m a child
Can you create a new cake without all these
Is ok to add 2 egg yolks instead of one whole egg
He Deb! It will depend on the recipe, but usually it is best to stick with the recipe as egg yolks and whites have different baking properties.
Hi! I recently made your lemon blueberry layer cake and it took almost double the amount of time recommended to bake. Is there something I could’ve done wrong? Thanks!
I just made a dry chocolate cake from scratch and was curious about egg to batter ratio?..I came across your blog while searching & I couldn’t be happier with all the tips & now I’m subscribed to get recipes from you. My husband & twin kiddos thank-you in advance!
Hi Kristine, we’re so glad you came across our site! We can’t speak to recipes we haven’t tried on our own, but here is our favorite chocolate cake recipe. It’s supremely moist and soft. Let us know if you do decide to give it a try!
Thanks for the tips to avoid crumbly cake. You recommend adding oil. Would you have to use less butter when adding a tablespoon or two of oil?
Hi Kathy, yes, that’s what I usually do. I replace the same amount of butter with oil. (Not much, though, perhaps 1-2 Tbsp.)
Can you offer an opinion about using dampened cake pan strips around the outside of a cake pan to prevent a cake from crowning? Do you recommend them? If not, please explain. Thanks so much!
Hi Denise! A lot of bakers love using cake pan strips to produce cakes with nice flat surfaces. We don’t use them, but we’re sure they wouldn’t hurt!
I would actually not recommend using cake strips on the outside of the cake pan. To prevent that dome on top, the strips prevent your cake from rising as much, which equates to a denser texture. If you prefer denser cakes, then using the cake strips would be fine. I personally prefer to bake without the strips and then level the cake with a serrated bread knife after it has completely cooled.
Would applesauce help make a pound cake more moist? I use it in my carrot cake and it is heavenly but my pound cake needs a little help and I was thinking of adding applesauce. What do you think about that?
Hi Tiffany! Applesauce can help add moisture to cakes, but it can also produce a gummy texture. Let us know if you try it! Here’s our favorite cream cheese pound cake recipe if you’re interested.
Thanks for the tips! Any non dairy recommendations for substituting sour cream? I would love to try your yellow cupcakes but can’t eat the sour cream.
Hi Amy, we haven’t tested it this way, but you would try a dairy-free yogurt or sour cream alternative. We’re unsure of the results, but let us know if you give it a try!
This is wonderful! Thanks so much!
Should all the ingredients you add to your batter be room temperature? Ie: milk, eggs etc ?
For best results, yes. (Unless a recipe specifically calls for a cold ingredient to stay cold.)
When you talk about adding a bit of oil or a bit of sour cream are you still adding the same amount of butter and milk or are you reducing those ingredients to add the others?
Hi Stephanie, This is in addition to the milk and/or butter that is already there. A lot of our recipes already have this adjustment, but if you try a different recipe as written and feel it needs it, then the next time you try it you can try adding one of these extra ingredients. Hope this helps!
Ok, I’m going to try your hints! I’ve tried 2- 2 layer cakes and about 4 dozen cupcakes since school has been out when we go to the lake swimming with friends. They have only been choke/ cough worthy. Looking forward to a moister cake this time.
I’m super excited that I read every detail on this post. I’m looking forward to learning more as I go through your blog and improve on my baking skills. I’ve watched a number of videos were by cakes are put in a refrigerator or freezer during frosting more than once. I would love to know if the cakes remain as fluffy as the ones which have not gone through several times of refrigeration. I only put mine once after the crumb coat. Thank you.
Hi Sarah! Storing cakes in the fridge can definitely dry them out. If you’re just popping them in the fridge for, say, half an hour at a time to help frosting set, that’s less of a worry. If you have to make cakes ahead of time, we always recommend freezing the layers. Hope this helps!
I’m using your layer funfetti cake recipe but I keep getting a dense cake. I do sub almond milk buttermilk (made with vinegar) because I need to keep it dairy free. Could that be the problem? What do I need to do to make this fluffy???
Hi Kristi, Soured almond milk shouldn’t be a problem in the funfetti cake! Over-mixing is often the cause for dense cakes. Also, make sure everything is at room temperature!
I am at 9000 altitude. My cakes are always dry . What should I do to get a really moist dense cake?
Why does my lemon pound cake come out too dry I’ve used oil butter room temperature what am I doing wrong ?
Hi April, A lemon pound cake this should be pretty dense, but not dry! It could simply be a little over-baked. An easy fix for next time is to check it a few minutes earlier. Also be sure to measure your ingredients properly (spoon and level the flour – not scoop!).
Hello, have been into baking for several months now but i have an issue with moist cakes at times they are very dry outside while cooling down before decoration. what might i be going wrong kindly?
Hi Priska, Your cakes may simply be over-baked. Removing them even a minute or two earlier next time can make a difference.
Hello Sally! Love your recipes. Whats your opinion on buttermilk powder?
Buttermilk powder works in place of buttermilk in a pinch!
I made the lemon cake with lemon curd between the layers frosted with vanilla ermine frosting. The cake was very dry. I did double the recipe because I wanted a 9 inch cake. If I ever make it again I will not double the recipe. Can I use oil in the batter? If so how much?
Hi Betty, it really depends on the recipe. For best results, we recommend following the recipes as written, otherwise the change from butter to oil will result in a different taste and texture.
Guess I’m different, I love my cakes dense.
Hi. I tried making vanilla sponge cake for 5 times now. Tried different recipes but it always leave me a dense cake. It looks so lovely inside the oven puffing. But as soon as i open the oven door, it shrinks and the sponge becomes dense.☹️