There's nothing like enjoying a big slice of homemade chocolate cake on your birthday (or any day, for that matter). But have you wondered how to make a moist cake that's supremely delicious every time? First, 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 measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.

How to Make a Moist Cake

There are many steps in the cake-baking process where things can go awry. Follow these three simple guidelines for how to make a moist cake.

Use Ingredients Called For, Do Not Substitute

What are the critical steps for how to make a moist cake? Precision, for one. Baking requires using exactly the ingredients called for. For example, some cakes use milk, buttermilk (or an acceptable substitute), or sour cream for liquid. These ingredients are not interchangeable. The same goes for oil, butter, or shortening; use exactly what's called for. When butter is listed, be sure to use real butter and not a substitute; substitutes contain water, which will not give the same tender crumb as the fat from the butter.

Same goes for sugar substitutes. In general, when you bake with sugar substitutes, cake volumes tend to be lower, cookies more compact, and all baked products lighter in color because sugar is not present to caramelize and brown.

What about baking soda and baking powder? Nope, they aren't interchangeable either. The chemical properties of the two are different, so one cannot be substituted for the other. Following the ingredient list to the letter is the key to making a moist cake.

Measure Carefully

Measuring your ingredients correctly is a key step in how to make a moist cake. For example, too much flour can cause a dry cake. When measuring ingredients, use the proper tools. Use dry measuring cups only for dry goods such as flour, sugar, and oatmeal.

Follow Exact Mixing Steps

Another secret to how to make a moist cake is to follow the exact steps in the recipe (we know, it sounds like a no-brainer). That means following all beating times given and using the utensil called for. Some cakes are beaten with a hand or stand mixer, while some are stirred with a wooden spoon. For a moist cake, follow the recipe to the letter!

Avoid Overbaking

Baking a cake for too long or at too high a temperature can also cause a dry cake. Follow these baking steps for how to make a moist cake.

• Preheat your oven for at least 10 minutes, and use an oven thermometer to make sure that the oven reaches the proper temperature.
• If you're using dark cake pans, reduce the oven temperature called for in your recipe by 25°F.
• Start checking cake doneness after the recipe's stated minimum baking time.

How to Make a Moist Cake from a Boxed Mix

All the secrets to how to make a moist cake mentioned above also apply to boxed cake mixes. Following those tips should result in a tender, moist cake from a box. Our Test Kitchen put some other tricks to the test and found one more tip to make your boxed two-layer cake mix turn out incredibly moist. Add ½ cup of mayo (yes, mayo!) to the batter when mixing. The mayo doesn't replace anything; it's only an addition. And don't worry: The flavor wasn't impacted by this small amount being added; it just gave the cake noticeable moistness. The only difference we found is the volume of batter in the pans was a little less high and fluffy.

Alternatively, some recipes (like this butterscotch marble cake recipe) call for adding pudding to a boxed cake mix to make it even richer and moister.

What to Do If Your Cake Turns Out Dry

If your cake does turn out a little dry, don't worry! Brush on a little flavored syrup (like the kind you put in your latte) or flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or amaretto.