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.
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).
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.
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.
For best texture, beat filling ingredients at medium-low speed. Beating at high speed adds air to the batter; longer, slower beating yields a pleasantly dense cake.
Because eggs help build the cake's structure (don't use them and you're looking at a gooey mess), adding an extra egg yolk makes the cake batter denser. Translation: you'll have a moister confection. Conversely, she suggests an extra egg white for a fluffier cake.
Brushing a cake with syrup adds moistness and flavor, especially if you've used something interesting in the syrup. Citrus zest, vanilla beans, liqueurs, and other flavors will make a plain cake more delicious.
Applesauce acts much like the fat. It keeps the flour protein from mixing completely with the wet ingredients and forming a rubbery, dense texture. This is what does applesauce do in baking.
Breads, cakes, cookies, and nearly all baked goods require a leavening agent. These are the key ingredients that make a cake rise. There are two types of leavening agents, chemical (baking soda and baking powder) and biological (yeast).
Can I Use Both Butter and Oil in Cake? Oh yes, you sure can. This recipe has a combination of butter and oil to give off that nice buttery taste while keeping it soft and moist at the same time. Cake using pure butter tends to be more dense and dry compared to adding oil into the batter.
Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.
Whether store-bought or homemade, unsweetened applesauce is just cooked and puréed apples. It contains lots of water, some natural sugar, fiber, and pectin. This high water content is both good (because it adds moisture to the final product) and bad (because high moisture = more gluten development = tough cakes).
Boxed cake mixes tend to be lighter in consistency, but if you're craving that thicker, moister, denser cake, then all you have to do is add an extra egg to your mix. The additional fat in the egg yolk helps create a more tender and moist cake that is full of flavor.
Adding a liquid with a higher fat content though will make your mix taste just like it was made from scratch. Use the same amount of milk in place for water, or try buttermilk to add a touch of tang and create a fluffy crumb.
Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.
Formulate a cake soak: You can make a cake soak using simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water), evaporated milk, buttermilk, or a liqueur. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, pole holes in the cake. Then use a pastry brush to blot the liquid over the surface of the cake layers to moisten the cake.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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