Amaretto Almond Pound Cake | A Moist & Easy Pound Cake Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why is my pound cake not moist? ›

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.

The Eggs: Pound cakes require a lot of eggs to create that dense texture. Some folks say that you shouldn't use fresh eggs in pound cakes because they don't mix into the batter as easily and can result in overmixing. I've always used my chicken's fresh eggs for pound cakes and it comes out fantastic, so who knows!

When a cake is wet in the middle it is because the edges have cooked faster than the centre. This happens because of the way the cake cooks naturally in the tin – the sides of the cake tin heat up first.

Make sure the flour is fully incorporated too – because dry flour streaks can result in a gummy pound cake. Use cake flour instead of AP flour. Pound cake is SUPPOSED to be a little dense. But it's not supposed to feel heavy or dry.

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Not 350°F. Generously grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Be careful not to overbeat the butter-sugar mixture, especially on a hot day — you could rupture the air cells and cause the batter to be heavy.

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.

Not to mention oil is cheaper and easier to work with. Butter will always provide superior flavor and that melt-in-your-mouth texture. In many recipes, combining the two gives the best of both worlds. That's what I landed on for my Red Velvet Cake recipe!

There are several possible causes for what is called a sad streak in a pound cake. One is that there wasn't enough stirring in the early stages of preparing the batter. The other is that the cake needs to 'set' the crumb when you first remove it from the oven.

How do you keep a pound cake from sinking in the middle? ›

Cake sinking after baking can be prevented by ensuring the oven is preheated correctly, using the right size of baking tin, avoiding opening the oven door too early, checking for doneness with a toothpick, and allowing the cake to cool gradually in the oven before removing it.

You used too much leavening.

It seems counterintuitive, but too much leavening can actually cause your cake to fall. This is because the leavening activates too quickly during baking, which causes a turbocharged, too-fast carbon dioxide reaction.

Overbeating the eggs may cause the batter to overflow the sides of the pan during baking or create a fragile crust that crumbles and separates from the cake as it cools.

Cakes rise higher and exhibit finer texture.

In addition, the edges of the cake don't set as quickly when starting in a cold oven, which enables the cake to rise higher.

Simple Syrup: Brush the cake with a simple syrup made from equal parts water and sugar. This can add moisture and sweetness to the cake. You can infuse the syrup with flavors like citrus zest or vanilla for an extra touch.

The toothpick test

It involves dipping a toothpick or a paring knife into the cake's center to check for doneness. If the toothpick or knife comes out clean, then the cake is well done. If it's still raw in the middle, you'll observe bits and crumbs of the batter sticking to the toothpick.