Measure your flour correctly
The easiest ingredient to mis-measure is flour. That’s because it can be so easily compacted into a container or measuring cup without you even realizing. Too much flour in cake results in a dry, dense, and even crumbly cake instead of a tender and moist cake. Check out my article for How to Measure Flour here.
Use the correct kind of baking pan
Never use dark colored nonstick cake pans. They conduct heat too aggressively and often lead to hard dry edges and undercooked or sunken centers.
My favorite cake pans are the Fat Daddio’s pans.
How to bake MOIST cake
It bears repeating: make sure to measure your flour correctly.
Avoid substituting any ingredients such as eggs, milk or sour cream. Eggs + egg yolks add richness and moisture. Sour cream tenderizes as well as adds more flavor to cake. Using whole milk will help to create a tender and moist cake as well – never use skim milk.
Also be sure not to overmix your cake. This can lead it to become rubbery and dense. At the final steps, mix JUST until combined.