What are some simple cake recipes for a complete beginner?

My first cake, and the first cake my daughters made as beginners, was a chocolate cake from my mother's recipe box. (I believe the recipe originally appeared in a cookbook by Peg Bracken.) Easy and fun to make, it is also rich and dense, and certainly good enough to serve to guests. Even though we all are now experienced, competent bakers, my family still makes this cake when we are pressed for time. It is plenty rich, so we simply dust with powdered sugar. However, you could certainly frost it, or serve with freshly made whipped cream.





WACKY CAKE





鈥? 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour


鈥? cup sugar


鈥? tablespoons cocoa


鈥? teaspoon baking soda


鈥?/2 teaspoon salt


鈥? teaspoon vanilla


鈥? teaspoon vinegar (important for the cake to rise!)


鈥? tablespoons vegetable oil


鈥? cup water, cold


1.Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt.


2.Make three wells in the flour mixture.


3.In one put vanilla; in another the vinegar, and in the third the oil.


4.Pour 1 c cold water over all and stir.


5.No need to beat.


6.Pour into 8 x 8-inch pan.


7.Bake at 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, but not batter.





Serve right from the pan.What are some simple cake recipes for a complete beginner?
Mayonnaise Cake





So delicious, everybody asks for the recipe!





Original recipe yield 2 -8 or 9 inch layers





INGREDIENTS


1 cup mayonnaise


1 cup white sugar


3/4 cup water


2 cups all-purpose flour


1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda


4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder


1/2 teaspoon salt


2 teaspoons vanilla extract





DIRECTIONS


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.


Sift all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa together.


Whip mayonnaise, white sugar, cold water, and vanilla together until mixed thoroughly. Add flour mixture slowly and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans.


Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Frost with your favorite frosting.What are some simple cake recipes for a complete beginner?
Sponge Cake!





2陆 teaspoons baking powder


陆 cup hot water


1陆 cups sugar


陆 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract


2 cups flour


4 eggs





1.Separate the eggs.


2.Add hot water to yolks of egg and beat until thick.


3.Add gradually sugar and flavoring while beating.


4.Add whites beaten stiff.


5.Fold in sifted flour and baking powder.


6.Turn into buttered and floured cake tin, and bake in moderate oven for 30 to 35 minutes.





Hope this helped!
Classic Yellow Cake





12 tb Unsalted butter; softened


1 1/2 c Sugar


2 c All purpose flour


2 ts Baking powder


1/4 ts Salt


3 Eggs


1 Egg yolk


3/4 c Milk


2 ts Vanilla extract





Two 9-inch diameter by 1 1/2-inch deep layer pans or one 13 by 9 by 2-inch


pan, buttered and bottoms lined with parchment or waxed paper.





Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.





In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until


light and fluffy. Set aside.


Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.


Combine eggs, yolk, milk and vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture


to butter mixture then add half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate


beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape bowl and beater often. Pour


batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a metal spatula. Bake cake


about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges


clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack,


remove paper and let cool completely.


you dont have to put wax paper if you dont have it





Easy Cocoa Frosting from cooks.com:


http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,173,14718鈥?/a>


For vanilla just leave out the cocoa.





I love to bake from scratch, but the canned frosting at the store is really very good so if you're in a hurry, I'd go with that





hope thos helps!!
A Toll House cooke cake. Just get a bag of chocolate chips, and follow the directions for the chocolate chip cookies. Instead of dividing the batter into individual cookies, just slap it all in a pan and bake! Soooo good!
Dump cake is easy. You mix crushed pineapple and cherry pie filling, pour yellow cake mix over, pour pecans over that, and dot it with margarine and bake. Yum. go to allrecipes.com, they have it.