Best Ways to Fix Dry Cake
The cake is always right. It can be an everyday food or a symbol of a holiday. It’s loved for its characteristic bouncy texture that is moisturizing without being too sweet. Unfortunately, this subtle moisture can be difficult to achieve and even more difficult to retain. We’ve got tips for keeping your cake moist, but what if it’s already dry? Don’t lose hope.
Humidify the atmosphere
There are several reasons why your cake might be a little dry. You may have left it on the counter open during a party or in the refrigerator overnight. There is always a strange case when a cake is “born” this way (the recipe just turned out a little dry). This dryness is unpleasant, although minor, but can usually be corrected with a piece of bread.
Store the bread under a bowl, cake hood, or in a reusable container with a lid, and add a couple of slices of soft sliced bread to the container. Sandwich bread in a giant plastic sleeve works best, but any soft bread without a hard crust will work. The bread should not touch the cake. It is designed to humidify a small room. The moisture in the air will reach equilibrium in the same way that objects at different temperatures reach equilibrium if given enough time. The moisture in the bread will be drawn into the atmosphere of the container, and anything drier will draw in the existing moisture.
A cake-sized container will help keep cakes moist:
Leave the cake covered overnight and try a slice the next day. It should become noticeably wetter. You can replace the dry bread with two new slices or even a slice of peeled apple if you want the cake to continue to soften. This trick also works with legacy cookies .
Literally add moisture.
While it seems like a cop-out, simply adding moisture is a great way to…well…add moisture.
One way is to make a tres-les-style cake. Place dry crust in a pie plate or baking dish; something with the walls. Using a fork or toothpick, poke several holes in the cake. This gives entry points for fluid through the surface. Then pour the sweetened milk over the entire cake until it covers about a quarter inch around the edges. Cover the cake and leave it in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. The dry cake will absorb moisture and every bite will be soaked in that milky nectar.
Another trick loved by bakers and cake decorators: use simple syrup to moisten the cake. This is especially useful if you are making a multi-layer cake and the cake layers have dried out in the refrigerator or freezer. Cut the layer in half or flatten the domed top of the layer to expose the inner crumb. Use a pastry brush, sprayer, or spray bottle to coat the cake with simple syrup. The syrup will be partially absorbed into the cake. Repeat this with all layers of the cake.
Fool yourself
It’s more of a taste trick, or as I like to call it: hydration by association. Add moisture to a dry cake by spreading something delicious and gooey on it. You’ll notice the flavorful filling rather than notice the dryness of the cake.
Freezing may be an option, but I think this is the least effective method of hydration by association. Buttercream is primarily fatty and will only remain on the surface of the cake. Something water-based, such as vanilla whipped cream, raspberry jam, chocolate pudding or blueberry mousse, will immediately improve the moisture of the cake, but will also transfer existing moisture into the cake over time.
Ideally, you’ll bake moist cakes and keep them securely covered or wrapped so you never have to experience the sandy texture of a dry cake. But if things go wrong, at least you can count on these tips to potentially save your cake from the trash.