Go Big

• Adding richness and moisture to each mouthful of cake is one of the main duties of the frosting, and if your cake is only slightly dry that might be all that's needed. Apply slightly more icing than usual, especially between the layers if it's a layer cake. The extra icing helps mask a modest degree of dryness.

It's Very Filling

• If your cake is too dry for frosting alone to make it acceptable, consider using a moist filling between the layers. Pastry cream and other custard-based fillings are a traditional choice, but you can cheat and use a prepared pudding if time is short. Berries or sliced fresh fruit also lend moisture to the cake, especially if they'll have an hour or two to sit and release their juices. Don't be too free with a fruit filling if your cake will sit for more than a few hours, otherwise it might go to the other extreme and become soggy.

Have a Drink

• In Europe, where bakers and pastry chefs favor relatively dry cakes such as genoises, cakes are routinely moistened after baking. They're sprinkled with a liquid called simple syrup, made by simmering one or two cups of sugar with the same amount of water until it's fully dissolved. The syrup is usually flavored with a strong-flavored alcohol such as rum or brandy, to add flavor to the cake. Drizzle or spray the cake layers liberally with the flavored syrup, then frost your cake normally. If possible, do this at least a day ahead, so the moisture can distribute itself through your cake.

Fluff It Up

• If the cake is already made up and ready to serve by the time you recognize that it's dry, you can turn to whipped cream to save the day. Serve each slice of cake on its side with a healthy dollop of whipped cream -- or low-calorie whipped topping, if you must -- and if possible, a berry garnish. The whipped cream's cool, rich moisture can make even the driest of cakes passable, in a pinch.