Step 1: Choose a Recipe
The first step to baking a gorgeous, mouthwatering cake is choosing a recipe to get you started. You can keep it simple with a classic vanilla cake recipe or a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, or you can choose a slightly showier recipe, like a chocolaty devil's food cake or a luscious red velvet cake recipe. If you're not a fan of frosting, try a German chocolate cake. We also a have a few birthday cake recipes you can make for a party. The possibilities are almost endless, but avoid angel food, pound cakes, and sponge cakes because they require a different method.
Step 2: Choose the Right Baking Pans
Sturdy, single-wall aluminum pans, with or without nonstick coating, are great cake pans. Here are other points to keep in mind:
• Dark or Shiny? We prefer shiny pans for achieving a golden appearance. If you use a dark or dull-finish pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F and check doneness 3 to 5 minutes early to prevent overbrowning.
• Sizes and Shapes. Many recipes call for either 8x1½-inch or 9x1½-inch round pans. they are interchangeable, but cakes baked in 8-inch pans generally require 5 to 10 minutes longer in the oven. Square and round pans could also be used as long as they're the size called for in the recipe.
