The Easiest Way to Keep Cake From Drying Out
“The cake is good” is a statement that needs no clarification, no wording, no parentheses. The cake doesn’t need me to spin it. Cake doesn’t need a PR firm. Undoubtedly good things, such as cake, should be protected and cherished, and in the case of cake, keep them moist as long as possible.
Frosting, icing and fondant form an essentially hydrophobic barrier around the cake, preventing moisture from leaving its plush and delicious layers. However, once you cut the cake and remove the slice, you remove that protective barrier and (literally) open the cake to air leaching moisture, which can result in a dry cake.
There are several ways to prevent this. America’s Test Kitchen recommends storing peeled apple cake covered in a cake stand. The apple adds moisture to the environment by acting as a humectant for the cake and preventing it from drying out.
But fruits can attract flies (even under a hood) and I’d rather eat my apples. Instead of using fruit, you can take a cue from pastry chef and TikTok user austrianwithwuff and use an elegant piece of parchment paper instead.
Like frosting, icing, and fondant, a sheet of parchment paper (or waxed paper, or plastic wrap) acts as a hydrophobic barrier, keeping moisture inside the beautiful layers of your cake. In fact, I think waxed paper would work better than parchment, as the former is even less permeable than the latter.
Simply cut parchment paper (or waxed paper or plastic wrap) to roughly fit the area of the open cake you want to cover, then fold and press it against the open cake. Keep it capped for extra protection, trimming, replacing and/or re-cutting as needed to ensure every slice of fresh cake is covered with every slice.