How to improve dry sponge cake

Have you ever followed a recipe perfectly but your cake still ended up dry? It can happen very quickly that the sponge of your cake is dry and the cake is not as good as it could have been. We''ve put together some simple tips to help you fix the problem. It''s true that some of them may seem obvious, but if you follow them completely, we guarantee that your cake will always be juicy in the end.

Baker

The baking tray can be very important when it comes to baking. A well-made baking tray will help the sponge to rise evenly, without any sharp peaks. The edges and the centre of the sponge will be baked evenly, so the edge will never be over-baked. So always invest in good quality baking trays.

The right ingredients

Make sure that the ingredients you use are really the ones listed in the recipe.

Also be careful when weighing the ingredients.

The dough will be drier if you use, for example, 3 tablespoons more flour than indicated.

Making procedure

Different cakes have different making procedures, so pay attention to the steps in the recipe. For example, if the butter and sugar have to be whisked together first, do not skip this step, as the whisking will cause air bubbles, which will later affect the softness of your sponge cake. The composition of the mixture itself can have a big impact on the juiciness, so again, careful attention to the recipe is required.

Baking time

The baking time is probably the one that has the biggest impact on the dryness of the cake. Many recipes give the advice to bake the sponge until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

However, this can over-bake the sponge, so it is better if there are still some sponge fragments on the toothpick, as the heat of the baking tray will cause the sponge to continue to partially bake after it is removed from the oven.

Cooling

Cooling the cake in the baking tray on a cooling rack allows the air to circulate properly. Unwrapping the cake at the right time speeds up the escape of heat, which prevents negative effects on the dough. If you thought that the sponge cake was baked when you took it out of the oven, you are mistaken. Correct cooling and storage of the sponge cake are also crucial.

Storage

In the previous tip, we already mentioned the storage of the cake, which is of great importance. If the cake is left in the air for too long, it will naturally start to dry out. Some recipes advise wrapping the wafers in cling film and storing them at room temperature until needed. Make sure that they are well wrapped to prevent air getting in. Refrigeration is not recommended as this also dries out the sponge cake. If you need to freeze the cake, it is a good idea to fill it with phyllo and line the outside of the cake to protect it at least a little.

Serving the cake

Each cake should be served at a certain temperature to ensure that it tastes as good as possible. Cheesecake, for example, should always be served cold, while butter cakes should be served at room temperature, i.e. each at a specific temperature, as this also affects the final result and the juiciness of the cake. So, before serving the cake, think about the temperature of the cake being served.

We have given you a few tips and things to watch out for to make sure your cake is as good as possible. Admittedly, these are very typical tips, but each one of them is very important. If you follow them, your cake is sure to be perfect.