Food - Drink
The Reason Your Experimental Ingredient Swap Probably Dried Out Your Cake
By MOLLY HARRIS
Baking a cake with a fluffy texture requires a balance of ingredients, and many popular ingredient substitutes can end up drying out your cake for different reasons.
For instance, when using sugar in place of a liquid sweetener like honey or corn syrup, you may need to add additional liquid to compensate for the lost moisture.
Substituting cake flour or all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour can be a bad idea, resulting in dry, heavy cake layers since the denser whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid.
Swapping out oil for butter might seem like a smart choice for a more flavorful cake, but since butter isn't pure fat and contains water, it contributes less fat to the batter.
Using a sugar substitute such as stevia can also result in dry cakes that lack a tender crumb. To avoid these pitfalls, familiarize yourself with a recipe before changing it.
Make a cake by following a popular recipe closely, then experiment with substitutions. Always research any adjustments you might need to make when using alternative ingredients.