8 bizarre cake-baking tricks that actually work

Turns out not all wives' tales are lies.

For a denser, richer chocolate cake, use Greek yogurt in place of butter or oil in the recipe. Sour cream works too, but it only has about 1/5th the protein. You can't taste the difference, but you'll definitely feel fuller for longer.

Recipe: Chocolate mousse cake

That old Weight Watchers trick of using boxed cake mix and diet fizzy drinks - and only those two ingredients - makes for one undeniably light, fluffy cake. Chocolate cakes and Diet Coke go surprisingly well together.

Fermented cabbage is the last thing you'd think of putting in a cake, but it works surprisingly well for adding moisture to a chocolate cake. It's a tried-and-true trick among Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, according to American Cake. If you try it, make sure your cabbage is drained, rinsed and finely chopped, so the cake doesn't get a tangy taste or stringy texture.

We've all been guilty of running out of time to bake. To make a boxed cake mix taste denser, like a homemade one, substitute the water in the recipe for milk, suggests Kasey Schwartz of All Things Mamma.

Take a classic Devil's Food Cake to the next level with melted butter in place of vegetable oil in the recipe. It creates a lighter, fluffier cake without diminishing that decadent, cocoa flavour. The ratios aren't quite 1:1 - you'll need a little more melted butter than oil - so review this guide before you start baking.

'Magic cakes' have taken off on Pinterest for their ability to combine the flavours of pie and cake, without any stirring or secret ingredients. You simply pour pie filling atop cake batter in a baking dish and cook until the pie has set and the cake portion is lightly golden and springs back when you touch it. There's no stirring or mixing, yet the cake gets this marbleised swirl just the same. Here's exactly how to make pumpkin pie cake.

To really bring out the cocoa flavour - and naturally redden a red velvet cake - add puréed beetroot to the batter. You won't taste the root, but it will enrich the cake and add moisture.

We all know we have to let cakes cool before removing them, but waiting until they're completely room temperature can make them crumble apart. It may sound counterintuitive, but the ideal time is when the bottom of the pan is still warm to the touch. If it's cooled too much, gently warm the bottom of the pan over a low flame (just make sure you don't get it too hot to touch).

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