A common question is how do you make a moist Pound Cake.
This article includes 8 tips to help prevent a dry or dense pound cake.
Isn't it frustrating to make a beautiful pound cake and then to cut the cake and it's dry and dense? A pound cake or the crumb of a pound cake should be even, soft and moist.
Your fork should glide through the cake when you're eating the cake.
These 8 tips will help you make a deliciously moist pound cake:
Add oil
Even if the cake does not call for oil, adding a tablespoon or two of oil to the batter can make a big difference. If you are making a cake that has a thick batter or if the batter seems to be a
little dry after adding your flour, oil (1-2 tbsps) can infuse the cake with the additional moisture that it needs.
Add pudding mix
When adding pudding to the batter, you want to add a dry mix, not a wet mix. The dry pudding mix can add additional moisture and flavor to your cake.
Vanilla-flavored mix is a standard flavor to add to your batter, but there are a variety of different pudding flavors.
Choose the flavor according to your taste and the type of cake you are making.
Add a wet ingredient
Ingredients such as room-temperature buttermilk, sour cream, milk, and cream cheese can add a great deal of moisture to a pound cake.
One of my favorite ingredients to add to a cake is cream cheese. When adding cream cheese to the cake it seems to get better and better every day.
Do not over mix
It's extremely important to not overmix your cake. Once you begin adding the eggs to your batter, only mix until combined. If you think additional mixing is needed, it is better to hand mix
the batter to ensure that the cake is well mixed. This prevents too much air from being added to the cake which can cause sinking and a dense cake.
Use room temperature ingredients
Wet ingredients such as buttermilk, sour cream, and cream cheese should only be added to the cake at room temperature.
Cold ingredients cause clumping, especially with cream cheese. Using room temperature ingredients also ensures the batter is smooth and "creamed" together.
Do not overbake
Always bake your cake according to the directions for the recipe. However, every oven bakes differently so you may need to remove your cake from your oven earlier than the cooking time recommended.
So a good rule of thumb is to check on the cake 15 minutes prior to the finishing time to check on the progress.
A good way to check the cake is the lightly press the top of the cake. If it easily moves or sinks, it needs a longer baking time. If it still looks wet it needs to be baked longer.
You can always use the toothpick method and insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to check if it is done. If it comes out clean then the cake is done.
Also, once you remove the cake from the oven, make sure to remove it from the baking pan within 20 minutes. The cake pan is still hot and if left in the pan too long can cause drying.
Bake at the correct temperature
Pound Cake baking temperatures are typically 325 degrees or 350 degrees. There are some cakes that may call for a different baking temperature, but those are the standard. Baking the cake too fast or at a higher temperature can definitely cause a dry cake.
Brush the cake with simple syrup
Brushing the cake with simple syrup once it has cooled can add extra moisture and flavor. To make the syrup boil equal parts of water and sugar together until it dissolves.
Once cooled, brush the cake with the syrup using a pastry brush. Using a pastry brush ensures that the cake is evenly coated with the syrup.
Use Crisco
For example, when using three sticks of butter for your pound cake, replace one stick with ½ c of Crisco. This will infuse your batter with moisture and flavor.
Place a small pan of water in the oven
Place a small pan of water, no more than a cup, to the side of your pound cake (on the rack below it). Do not place it directly under your cake to avoid blocking the heat flow. The water adds steam to the oven infusing the cake with moisture. Be sure not to add too much water as this can cause your cake to stick due to too much moisture.
Naomi says
Hey kiddo! This is Naomi. When will you have a cookbook out baby? I would love to buy an autographed copy. Hugs to ya and keep up the great work!
Ashley Frederick says
Hey there! Thank you so much love. I hope I can make that happen one of these days.
Cherlyn says
Hi, why did my cake top crack and the cake separated from top? Thank you.
Ashley Frederick says
I can't answer your question without seeing a photo, but it sounds like your cake is fine. That is something that happens with pound cakes.
CLeo says
Thanks for the tip about placing a small pan of water in the oven with the cake to increase the cake’s moisture.
Ashley Frederick says
You're most welcome!
Kris Hilliard says
Is there a way to print this out like your recipes? I am printing out a few of your recipes and placing them in a three ring notebook so I can keep them all together. But I want to add your tips as well. Do I need to go directly to your website instead of Pinterest? Thanks, Kris
Ashley Frederick says
Yes, there is a print button on the recipe card. Once you click the button, a printable version will pop up. Its only available on my website. Thank you so much for considering my recipes for your recipe book.
Barbara A. Domino says
These tips on how to bake a pound cake correctly is very informing, and I tried the simple syrup on a cake and I poured it on instead of brushing and it got hard and sticky it now I know I probably overcooked it and applied it on the cake wrong, thanks for the info
Ashley Frederick says
Thank you love! I'm glad I could be helpful. Well it still contains sugar so of course has the potential to be sticky. I'm still working on perfecting mine.
D says
The pound cake came out perfect and looked just like yours using your exact recipe Done in exactly 1 hour 15 minutes. Although I probably could have taken it out slightly sooner. Glazed it with a vanilla powdered sugar icing. Used a vintage Westbend Bundt cake pan sprayed with olive oil cooking spray but dabbed it slightly with paper towel in the crevices of the design of the pan. No flour on the pan. Cut around edges and middle part while cooling but did not attempt to take out until completely cooled. Inverted onto plate and it directly came out. I was going to add fresh blueberries but forgot. Will use this recipe again. I may have beat it a bit too long. Pound cakes are dense I know but this was slightly dry but not extremely. Still very good tasting.
Ashley Frederick says
Awesome! Thank you! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. I've never prepped my pan that way, but I'm glad it came out great for you.
Pat Cronic says
What is the best pan to use to prevent sticking?
Ashley Frederick says
I am a fan of Nordic Ware pans, but there are many other pans that are great. They used have to be cared for properly and properly prepped.
Debi Pearson says
I have a question is it ok to add the oil cream cheese and pudding to the cake or do you just choose one depending on the consistency .
I'm new to baking pound cakes and I think my cake is a little dry.
Ashley Frederick says
I don't believe that all three are needed. I would start by using one, then add another if needed. My first choice would be oil. I hope that helps.
Wabda says
This is the best beginners website that I've ever seen for bakers. I wish i could order a book!
Ashley Frederick says
Thank you so much! I plan to create one someday!