Problembeginnerdraft

Cake is dry

Also searched as: crumbly cake, dry cake, cake too dry

In short: Usually baked too long. Sometimes it lacks sugar or fat, which hold on to moisture.

Picture it

Like a loaf left out uncovered overnight: the moisture is gone, leaving a crumbly shell.

What happened in your kitchen?

Question 1

Did you stick exactly to the baking time?

Baked too long or too hot
Every extra minute evaporates water from the crumb.
Next time: Check earlier · The skewer may have moist crumbs, but no wet batter
Too much flour
Measured cups often hold much more flour than you think.
Next time: Weigh the flour
Sugar or fat reduced
Both hold water in the cake.
Next time: At most a quarter less sugar · A little yoghurt or oil in the batter

Related entries

Sources · 1