How to Bake a Moist Cake - Learn to Decorate Cakes, Part 2

When you bake a cake, there are several goals you are trying to meet. You want a cake that is fluffy, has a nice sized crumb, is moist, tastes decadent, and has visual appeal. I have baked, decorated, and served many, many cakes. Not once have I had a complaint on flavor, texture or appearance. While I do bake “from scratch” cakes on request, this is the recipe I use most often when I bake a cake for someone. For the purpose of this article, we will assume that I am baking two 9” round vanilla cakes.

2 Betty Crocker vanilla cake mixes

4 large eggs

3 egg whites

2 C. milk

½ C. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

½ C. vegetable oil

2 t. pure vanilla extract

Combine everything in mixing bowl and beat on low until combined. Turn mixer up to medium high for two minutes. In the meantime, grease and flour two 9” round cake pans. Pour batter into cake pans until 2/3 full.

Bake at 325° until top of cake springs back up when lightly touched, approximately 35-40 minutes. Time varies with different ovens. Place cake pans on cooling rack and cover with lint-free towel. Push down on entire top of cake so that cake is level and does not have a rounded “bump” on the top. Remove towel. Cool 10 minutes and carefully flip cake out of pan onto cooling rack to finish the cooling process.

Pushing down on the top of the cake helps trap in moisture and adds density. This also avoids loss of cake due to leveling with a knife. The result is a cake that is so moist friends will rave.

Recipe variation for Chocolate Cake:

2 Betty Crocker Devil’s Food cake mixes

7 eggs

2 C. buttermilk

½ C. Kraft Mayo

¼ C. brewed coffee

½ C. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

½ C. vegetable oil

1 T. pure vanilla extract

This is the second in a series of articles on custom cake art. Look for the upcoming articles on filing, stacking, carving and decorating cakes.