How to Add Vinegar to Make a Cake More Moist

Red velvet cakes traditionally contain vinegar.

Egg rationing during World War II may have initiated the development of cake recipes that used vinegar in place of eggs. Vinegar makes cake batter more acidic; the acidity, in turn, causes the proteins in the flour to set the cake as it bakes. This results in a cake that is fluffy yet still moist. You don't have to eliminate eggs to achieve the same effect; just use a little vinegar in a traditional cake recipe or with a boxed cake mix.

Instructions

Substitution Options

1. Mix 1 tsp. vinegar into the dry ingredients.

2. Replace 1 tsp. baking powder in the recipe with 1/4 tsp. baking soda plus 1/2 tbsp. vinegar.

3. Substitute 1 tbsp. vinegar, 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1 tbsp. water for one egg.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid using more than 1 tbsp. vinegar total in a cake; this may give it a vinegary aftertaste.

References

• "BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking"; Shirley Corriher; 2008
• "Vim & Vinegar"; Melodie Moore; 1997
• Colorado State University Extension: Ingredient Substitutions; P. Kendall; April 2008
• "The Oxford Companion to Food"; Alan Davidson, et al.; 2006