Let Them Eat Cake

Cake makes any day feel like a celebration. Whether you have a theme in mind or you just feel like turning a random Tuesday into something special, a made-from-scratch cake is always, always appreciated. Don't get me wrong — I'm not against a boxed cake mix. When time is of the essence, they're a lifesaver. But let's be honest: nothing tastes quite as good as homemade!

Getting Ready

I like to bake my cakes at least a day or two in advance, then wrap them up and tuck them away in the refrigerator or freezer. The day before serving, I pull them out to assemble, ice, and add the finishing touches.

Make sure you have the right size pans for your recipe — you really can't go wrong with Wilton. I keep three 8" and three 9" pans on hand, plus a good Bundt pan and a tube pan. I've never had much luck with silicone pans (though I know plenty of people who swear by them). One memorable incident had me dumping an entire cake on the floor trying to wrangle it out of the oven — lesson learned!

Tips & Tricks

• If your recipe calls for eggs or butter, pull them out of the refrigerator ahead of time so they can come to room temperature — they'll be so much easier to work with.

• Line the bottom of your pans with wax paper or parchment paper.

• Trace around the pan on the paper, cut it out, then lightly oil or spray both sides.

• Sprinkle flour (or cocoa powder for chocolate cakes) over the top and shake to spread it evenly.

• Turn the pan upside down over the sink and give it a light tap on the bottom to knock off the excess.
  

• Don't want to deal with the hassle of a layer cake?? You can make pretty much any recipe as a Bundt cake, usually by adjusting your cooking time (same temp) to 60 minutes or more. Check every 5 minutes after that until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  

• I'm gluten free (not celiac) and I will often substitute gluten free flour in these recipes. I typically use King Arthur's Measure for Measure or Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour.

Sure, baking a cake from scratch takes time and effort — and yes, it makes a mess. But that effort? It's never wasted. Even when your cake doesn't quite live up to the vision in your head (trust me, I've had my share of kitchen casualties), no one will dwell on the imperfections. What they'll notice is that you cared enough to make it yourself. And that's the real secret ingredient — every single time.

Here are links to a couple of my favorite recipes that have yet to disappoint!

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Bailey's Buttercream Icing (from Handle the Heat)

German chocolate cake (from The Stay at Home Chef)

Champagne cake (from Curly Girl Kitchen)

Peanut Butter Cake (from misshomemade.com)

French Vanilla Cake (from Bonni Bakery)