How to Add Vinegar to Make a Cake More Moist (3 Steps)

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.

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.