Many of us know how disappointing chocolate cake can be when it's dry, crumbly, and even flavorless. A cake that lacks moisture may be that way due to heavy use of cocoa powder, which delivers on flavor, but can make the layers dry — luckily, cocoa can also be used in an ingredient swap to add moisture back to the cake.

Pro bakers brush layers of cake with simple syrup to add moisture before assembling and frosting, but you can add moisture and extra chocolate flavor by swapping in hot chocolate for plain syrup. This combo of water, sugar, and cocoa powder will act similarly to simple syrup while pumping up the flavor of your chocolate cake.

Start by making hot chocolate as normal, being sure not to add too much sugar, then let it cool to room temperature before pouring it into a squeeze bottle. Apply a generous amount to the top of each cake layer so it will seep in, adding moisture and richness, and make sure to top the cake off with a rich and creamy icing to lock in moisture.