Hmmm. See, everything I bake turns out quite dense, even cakes that are supposed to be light and fluffy. It's like my superpower (fortunately, I like dense cakes). So I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to advise. If it was me, I'd use yoghurt or buttermilk in place of the water (both would up the density factor). Baking powder breads are another possibility - try and see. Experiments are good - in fact, that recipe, with 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and buttermilk instead of water, would probably be pretty yummy. I might even try it this afternoon.