This past weekend I decided to bake my friend the decadent Dark Choc Devil’s Foodcake with Midnight Ganache for her birthday. I love this cake because it isn’t the normal too-sweet I’ve come to expect from chocolate cake.

However, I would like it to be a bit more moist. The trick is not making it so moist that it collapses! My ideas have ranged from soaking in some dessert wine to adding more oil to the recipe. What would you suggest?

A sugar soaking syrup after baking is the easiest thing to do, maybe 1/4 cup per nine inch layer. I don’t recall anyone reporting a version incorporating oil.

I agree with Charles on this one. I’d also like to add that the nice thing about using a simple syrup to add moisture to a cake is that you can flavor the syrup with an extract or with a liqueur if you want to. With the right combinations of cake flavor and extract or liqueur flavor your final product can be fantastic.

Thanks . Do you have any standard syrup recipes you would suggest? I am a sucker for adding some Masala to cakes and puddings . With this one I actually also considered some Kirsch and then topping the cake with black cherries. A not-quite black forest cake.

Hi Lilian,

    Most syrup recipes call for equal parts water and sugar, some by volume and others by mass. A basic simple syrup can be made with one cup of water and one cup of sugar. You boil the sugar in the water until all the sugar has dissolved and then remove from the heat and let cool. Once cool you can put it in a squirt bottle and store it at room temperature. Some people put the bottle in the refrigerator. If you want a rich simple syrup you just use two cups of sugar to one cup of water and the follow the same directions I just mentioned. The rich simple syrup will be a little thicker and obviously a bit sweeter. You can play around with extracts or liqueurs to find the flavor and intensity of flavor you like. I would start with small amounts and add more if you like. Especially with extracts as they tend to be really strong in flavor. Remember, you can always add more if you want to, but once it’s in there you can’t remove it, so that’s why I suggest adding small amounts of liqueur or extract until you have the flavor intensity you like. Good luck and have fun!

- MP

I agree about the syrup!  Also, you could consider checking that you are not overbaking even a little bit, and also check the naturally-occurring cocoa butter content of your cocoa.  Since your ganache turned out fine (not too soft), I suspect your cocoa is also fine, but it is one thing to check.  It should be a variety that has around 20% cocoa butter by weight, rather than the type that has about 9-10% cocoa butter.

Hi!

Rose also suggests an alternate mixing method for this cake to make it a bit less tender, which makes it seem a bit more moist.  Folks have described this as fudgier.  http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2009/11/devils_food_cake_on_page_99_of.html

With all of Rose’s chocolate cakes, I add an extra 1T of butter per 9” layer.

Also, be sure to cover your cocoa powder water mixture so no water evaporates.

Your cake is beautiful!!!!  And that Midnight Ganache is just the best, isn’t it???

—ak

I have not tried this recipe. IMO, I would rather add something in the batter for it to come out moist rather than doing it after. If it can be done b4 baking why not just do it there instead of after ? I like a moist cake, not wet. It’s not the same IMHO.-

prettycake - 18 March 2013 11:51 AM

I like a moist cake, not wet. It’s not the same IMHO.-

A small amount of syrup doesn’t make it wet.

Torani would be a great option. No need to do more work. I use it using a spray bottle for a more quick and even application if I need to add it.

Thanks Monsieur Pâtisserie! I will try the syrup trick first I think!

Julie: I am very careful about over-baking. I also do splurge on the best quality chocolate I can find when making this beauty

Anne in NC: Thanks for the butter and mixing suggestions! I’ll keep those in mind. And thanks for the compliment . I was going to decorate it at first, but then the beautiful buttery ganache just seemed too good to cover up! I love how spreadable and workable it is.

Oh anytime   glad to help.

That chocolate cake looks delicious.  I put simple syrup on a loaf cake and it made the cake very wet in certain areas.  I won’t do it again.

Kathy1 - 20 March 2013 09:05 AM

That chocolate cake looks delicious.  I put simple syrup on a loaf cake and it made the cake very wet in certain areas.  I won’t do it again.

I would think a loaf cake would be too thick for that to work well. Maybe if you wrapped it and left it in the fridge for a few days, the moisture would distribute better.

Kathy1 - 20 March 2013 09:05 AM

That chocolate cake looks delicious.  I put simple syrup on a loaf cake and it made the cake very wet in certain areas.  I won’t do it again.

Thank U   I agree with you.

Good to know.  I might add simple syrup to cake if I have to (but very rarely, almost zero),  but it won’t be something I would do to every cake I bake.  It is not the same as if I add oil or pureed pumpkin or anything to the batter to make the cake moist directly out of the pan.