The Secret To Moist Chocolate Cake Is Truly Unconventional (And Sour)

From using mild ingredients like ricotta to adding a splash of vinegar to the batter, there are more than a few tricks out there for baking up the most moist cake. However, in an exclusive interview with Food Republic, Odette D'Aniello, baking expert and CEO at Dragonfly Cakes shared one completely unconventional tip for making moist cake: incorporate sauerkraut.

"It's one of those old-school tricks that surprises people, but works beautifully," D'Aniello said. "The chopped sauerkraut disappears into the batter, adding moisture and a gentle tang that actually enhances the flavor of the chocolate — similar to using buttermilk or sour cream. It doesn't taste like sauerkraut at all."

Using vegetables in sweets isn't new, of course — zucchini bread and carrot cake are two popular baked goods that benefit from the moisture of veggies. Zucchini clocks in at about 95% water while carrots are made up of about 87% water. Cabbage, the base of sauerkraut, leans close to zucchini in terms of water content, at 93%, making it an ideal addition to boost moisture in cake.

When you're looking to up the moisture in your chocolate cake with sauerkraut, don't just dump it from the can or bag. You'll want to take a few quick steps to prep it before folding it in with the other ingredients. "Rinse it well to remove the brine, drain it, and chop it finely," Odette D'Aniello said. "About one cup is great for a standard chocolate cake. It should mix right into the batter without standing out. If you didn't know it was there, you'd never guess — it just gives you that rich, moist texture we all love in chocolate cake."

Since you only need one cup for the cake, you're likely to have leftovers. The easiest fix is to eat it on its own or make more cake, of course. But you can also use it in other sweet recipes. Add it to your favorite brownie or cookie recipe for the same moisture-boosting benefits. And if you're looking for other unconventional yet easy ingredients to upgrade your chocolate cake and make it incredibly moist, try mixing mayo into your batter or fold in some diced canned beets.