Incorrect oven temperature: If the oven temperature is too high, it can cause the outside of the cake to cook too quickly, while the inside remains undercooked. This can result in a hard cake. Overmixing: If the batter is overmixed, it can cause the gluten in the flour to develop too much, resulting in a tough cake.
Don't Overmix Your Batter
The culprit behind what makes a cake tough could be overmixing your flour.
Avoid over-mixing of flour as it activates the gluten amount, which makes the cake hard, and as a result, you will get a rubbery cake. Always check the freshness of your baking soda and powder, as it plays a very crucial role while baking a cake. Proper measurement is the key to getting a perfectly baked cake.
Place a steamer into a large pot on the stove and fill with water until it ALMOST reaches the base of the steamer. Bring the water to a steady simmer and carefully place in the cake. Turn off the heat and leave the cake in the pot with the lid on for 10 minutes or so until the cake has softened and is as good as new.
There's a big chance your butter and sugar will over-cream, meaning the butter will trap more air than it should. As the batter bakes, that extra air will deflate and leave you with an overly dense cake. It's all science! For best results, cream butter and sugar together for about 1-2 minutes.
Use a cake tester
Try pricking the cake in the centre and on all sides and if it comes out clean, with a few moist crumbs, it's likely done. If the toothpick comes out totally clean, your cake might be overcooked.
To start with, you need to measure, mix, and bake it just right. Fortunately, that's easier than it sounds. A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature.
A properly baked cake is sublime. It's tender, moist, and has a perfect crumb. An overbaked cake, on the other hand, can be dry and tough. And maybe worse, an underbaked cake is gummy and dense.
Make sure you follow the recipe's instructions carefully. Cakes typically bake between 325 to 450 degrees F (see chart with Tip #9). Most convection ovens require lowering the temperature by 25 to 50 degrees F, as well as turning off the fan.
Make a simple syrup (boil equal parts sugar and water) to brush the outside and let soak into the overcooked cake.
Why Does It Matter? When you overmix cake batter, the gluten in the flour can form elastic gluten strands – resulting in a more dense, chewy texture. The white batter looks airier, while the red looks thick and dense.
Whisking butter and sugar together is one essential tip to make the cake spongy, fluffy and moist. Whisk butter and sugar for a long until the mixture becomes pale yellow and fluffy because of the incorporation of air. The process is known as creaming.
Baking powder is mixed with the flour. When water is added to this flour to make dough, baking powder undergoes a chemical reaction during which carbon dioxide gas is produced. This carbon dioxide gas gets trapped into the dough and bubbles out which causes the cake to rise making it soft and spongy.
Add sour cream or yogurt
Adding a dollop of sour cream to cake recipes can make it extra soft and moist. Sour cream works wonders for the texture of cakes because of its lightness and creaminess. Aside from adding moisture to your cake, sour cream also helps make your cake thicker and and richer.
The perfect cake is moist and fluffy, which makes for a very delicious crumb. When overcooked, a cake will come out hard and dry, and when undercooked, it has a gummy and dense texture. If you don't know how to tell when your cake is just cooked right, then baking will become a very tedious and unrewarding task.
Your Cake Has Crusty Edges
You may have even found that the outside looks golden brown, but your toothpick is still not coming out clean. If you find your cakes are always ending up with hard, dark edges, this usually means you've overbaked. There are a few ways to ensure an even bake and avoid hard outer edges.
Let your cake sit for 5-10 minutes. Here are some guidelines to consider: If you are working with a cheesecake, or other creamy cake, it is recommended that you turn off the heat and let your cake cool in the oven for about an hour before transferring your cake to the refrigerator.
Most cakes will call for a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. These create the bubbles you need for the cake to rise. If the flour you use is self-raising, it already has a leavening agent in it. Make sure your butter is room temperature, and beat the butter and sugar together until properly creamed.
Soak your cake in milk or cream.
The idea of soaking your cake in milk seems daunting, but trust me — I've tried this a few times when my sponge cake came out dry. Soaking your cake in milk or cream is one of the best ways to moisten a dry cake.
Thick Batter. It is generally believed that thick batter results in a dense and stiff cake that will dry out easily. While this is true in some cases, some cake batter is naturally thicker and the adequate thickness of the batter results in a light and fluffy cake with tight crumbs.