The key to making a cake with the moist texture of a boxed mix (2024)
Cake may seem eternal, but cake as we know it today is a relatively recent creation. Like any food, it, too, is subject to changes in technology and trends. Over the decades, styles have risen and fallen: Today, the ultimate (and nostalgic) ideal for many of us is the rich flavor and never-dry texture of cakes made from a boxed mix.
A bite of history
Before commercially made, consistent chemical leaveners (that’s baking powder and baking soda to you and me) came on the scene, two styles of cakes dominated: Rich old-fashioned pound cakes (a delicious but dense affair) anchored one end of the texture spectrum, with light, airy foam cakes like angel food or genoise, which get their loft from beaten egg whites, on the other.
And in the middle were cakes made by whipping the egg whites separately, then folding them into a butter-based batter for a more open crumb. You can still make a cake this way, but it’s more work (and more dishes). Plus,butter cakes that aren’t soaked with a flavoring syrup can get dry pretty quickly.
Cake preferences changed yet again when cake mixes first appeared in the 1930s and subsequently skyrocketed in popularity after the Second World War. Thanks to specialized ingredients like hydrogenated vegetable shortening, box cakes remained moist, with a soft, buttery crumb, yet were sturdy enough to stack in layers.
For many bakers, the tender-crumbed texture of a box cake is now the cake ideal. Consistent success keeps fledgling bakers coming back to the kitchen. But what if I told you that you can achieve that same texture in a scratch-baked cake, along with better flavor?
DIY that box mix texture
Over the 20 years I’ve been writing recipes for King Arthur, I’ve seen the cakes in our online archives reflect this evolution of a cake’s ideal texture.The recipes for several of our butter cakes have been reformulated to include an ingredient that prevents cakes from getting too dry too fast: We’ve replaced 25% to 50% of the butter in them with vegetable oil.
The first time I made this move was in this Chocolate Cake. It’s made plenty of appearances at weddings and occasions of all sorts since, and I make this recipe more than any other chocolate cake in my arsenal.
What’s going on here? Why does oil give cake superior texture? Butter is 18% water, so when the batter is baked, some of its liquid evaporates. Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there’s more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness. It also coats the flour uniformly, which keeps the layers from being tough even if the batter is overbeaten.
If you have a traditional all-butter cake that you’d like to see last a little longer on the counter without drying out, try substituting vegetable oil for 25% of the butter amount by volume. (Be aware oil weighs less than butter, so weight will be different.)Add it with the butter and sugar, then cream the mixture as you normally would.
I also recommend checking out the headnotes on this Back-to-Basics Yellow Cake, which addresses the transition from “traditional” butter cake to formulas adjusted with some oil.
See how you feel about the results. You’re likely to discover the Holy Grail of cake: A scratch-made creation that tastes great, with a tender crumb that rivals anything from a box.
Boxed cakes often call for water, but swapping it out for equal amounts of milk, coffee, or even soda will give you a moister, more tender, and flavorful cake.
Boxed cakes often call for water, but swapping it out for equal amounts of milk, coffee, or even soda will give you a moister, more tender, and flavorful cake.
On their own, boxed cake mixes have a structure that's loose and airy. But if you add ¼ cup flour or half a box of instant pudding mix, the texture of the cake becomes denser and tighter, ideal for a pound-cake-like consistency that will hold the shape of a Bundt pan.
The more cake baking experience I have, the more often I reach for cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. You see, cake flour is a low protein flour that's finely milled into a delicate consistency. This soft, tender texture directly translates into your baked cake.
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.
Why does oil give cake superior texture? Butter is 18% water, so when the batter is baked, some of its liquid evaporates. Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness.
"Swapping out the water for buttermilk creates a fluffier cake and a moister one, too," says Waterson. Soy or coconut milk: To add moisture while skipping the dairy, use plain unsweetened soy or full fat coconut milk. Swap out each cup of water called for with soy or coconut milk for a richer cake.
Baking a cake in a too-hot oven for the recommended time will dry it out. And baking a cake in a not-hot-enough oven will dry the crust before the center is fully baked.
One of the key factors that can lead to dense cakes is the incorrect ratio of ingredients. Baking is a science, and even a small deviation from the recipe can have a big impact on the final texture of your cake. Too much flour or not enough leavening agents like baking powder can result in a dense cake.
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).
Cake mixes almost always call for vegetable oil as their fat; needless to say, butter has a lot more flavor than vegetable oil, and it makes for a much better texture. Just replace the oil with an equal amount of melted butter, and you'll get a drastically better cake with a more complex flavor.
By easy, I mean easy: Poke your loaf cake or layer cake (with a skewer, cake tester, or toothpick), then use a pastry brush to coat it generously with simple syrup, which will soak into the crumb through the channels you just created. That's it: You've successfully completed a “cake soak.”
Pop your cake in the fridge or freezer! This is the easiest and most effective way of cooling your cake. However, it works best when used with the above steps – for instance, place your cake on the cooling tray, and then into the freezer.
For lighter cakes like angel food cake or sponge cake, the thermometer should measure 205-210°F. Just be sure to avoid 212°F and beyond, since that's the temperature that water turns to steam, which means you'll start losing precious moisture fast. Now say it with me. “Moist.”
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Introduction: My name is Virgilio Hermann JD, I am a fine, gifted, beautiful, encouraging, kind, talented, zealous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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