Surely at one point or another in your life you have had a piece of cake (or heck even a whole one!). If you haven’t, quick, run don’t walk to your nearest store and get yourself one. Or better yet, bake your own.

Varieties of cakes are endless and a cake made from scratch is a lot easier than what most people think. With just a little more time than it takes to open that box of cake mix, you could have yourself a tastier, made by you cake.

Here are a few hints to help you bake a better cake:

• Follow directions. I know that one seems obvious but one that is often over looked. For example, if the recipe calls for the cake to be baked on the lower third of the oven, then this is where it needs to be baked. If it calls for having the eggs at room temperature, have them at room temperature. Following directions helps to ensure that you will have the best possible results. Which is what everyone wants.

• Make sure you have all of your ingredients before you start. I have made the mistake far too many times of not having eggs or sour cream or whatever was needed, don’t let that happen to you.

• To help prevent your cake from getting a dome on top you will want to hold your cake pan like a Frisbee. Odd, I know. Holding firmly onto the cake pan, make the motion with your wrist as if you were throwing a Frisbee. Rotate a quarter of the way and repeat. Rotate two more times until you have gone completely around the cake. This will help distribute the batter evenly.

• If you do get a dome, don’t panic. Do what the professionals do, simply take a cake knife (or bread knife) and slice the dome off (save for your own snacking pleasure).

• Be sure to allow your cake to cool completely. This is especially key if you plan on frosting your cake.

Basic White Cake

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups sifted cake flour

1 ½ cups sugar

3 ½ tsp baking powder

½ cup butter, softened

½ tsp salt

¾ cup milk

1 ½ tsp vanilla

4 egg whites, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9″ round layer cake pans and line the bottoms with waxed paper; set aside. Sift flour, sugar, and baking powder into a large mixer bowl. Add butter, milk and vanilla.

2. Beat on slow speed until blended. Then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add unbeaten egg whites (yes, UNbeaten – that’s the trick), and beat two minutes longer at medium speed.

3. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until cake is light golden brown and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool 15 minutes in pans, then carefully remove layers from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

Source: Adapted from busycooks.about.com

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 ¼ cups lightly packed brown sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 eggs

3 ounces unsweetend chocolate, melted

2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour

2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until well blended, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed., add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing well after each addition. Continue to beat for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer add the chocolate, and mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the batter, beat on low speed until well blended, and then add about half of the sour cream and beat well. Add the remaining dry ingredients followed by the remaining sour cream, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Add the boiling water and beat until smooth.

3. Divide the batter between two greased 9-inch round cake pans and bake until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center, 30-35 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then remove cakes from pan and let cool completely.

Source: Caprial’s Desserts by Capril Pence and Melissa Carey