Few things annoy me as much as a dry cake.  You know what I’m talking about–cakes that fail the “fork test.” Can you pick up those leftover crumbs on your plate with just the s-l-i-g-h-t-e-s-t pressure from the backside of your fork? Does the cake gently spring back if you give it a little nudge with your finger? No? Then you might as well be eating a cracker…

Unfortunately, I find that most cakes in Korea fail the fork test on a regular basis— It’s not too surprising, since baked goods are still relatively new to a country that excels in rice cakes, shaved ice desserts and red bean buns… Basically, I almost never buy cakes in Korea–and instead choose to make it from scratch at home. However, there are a few challenges to overcome, such as the lack of certain ingredients which are ideal for moist-cake baking.

I…