What are some tricks to baking a really good cake?


There are several things to consider when baking a cake.  Paying particular attention to each will produce a consistent and delicious result.  First, confirm that your oven temperature is correct.  This is easily done with a meat thermometer.  Place the thermometer in the middle of the center rack of the oven, where most food cooks. Then preheat the oven to a baking temperature (e.g. 350 degrees).  After the oven has preheated, check the temperature on the thermometer and confirm that it also reads 350 degrees.   Second, bring your refrigerated ingredients to room temperature before using.  If your recipe calls for butter, do not microwave it as a shortcut.  Doing so will change the consistency of your batter.  Plan ahead and leave butter and eggs out on the counter for at least an hour before you begin baking.  Third, pay close attention to recipe instructions related to sifting and measuring flour.  "Two cups sifted flour" does not mean the same thing as "two cups flour, sifted."  The first instruction means to sift the flour, then measure; whereas the second means measure first, then sift what was measured.  In either scenario, do not scoop the measuring cup into the flour bin directly.  This causes the flour to be tightly packed into the cup and will result in a cake that has the texture of a brick.  Instead, use a spoon to lightly scoop flour from the bin into the measuring cup, leveling off the top with a butter knife.  This method is messier, but will yield better results.  Fourth, take the time to cream the butter and sugar well.  The result should be smooth and lump free.  This is the most important step to making an appealing cake, and again can't be expedited by using melted butter!  Fifth, if your recipe calls for both wet ingredients (buttermilk, juice etc) and dry (flour mixture), alternate between the two in small increments rather than dumping them in sequentially.  This small step will protect the texture of your cake.  Sixth, once the cake batter has been poured into the pan, lift the pan and drop it onto the counter from a height of two to three inches.  This will remove any air pockets that may have developed in the batter.  Be careful not to bang the pan too hard, or you'll spill the batter and/or scare your pets out of the kitchen.   And lastly, don't bake the cake for as long as the recipe suggests. Set the timer a few minutes early so that you don't over-bake due to any idiosyncrasy associated with your oven (referenced in step one). Please note this does not mean you should be opening and closing the oven door multiple times during the baking process.  Good bakers know "if you're looking, it's not cooking," so try not to open the oven until your timer goes off.  The only exception to this rule is if you smell something burning.  Odds are this means the batter has spilled out over the pan and onto the bottom of the oven.  if this happens, and the oven is now smoking, you have to open the door and try to remove the spill.  If nothing is smoking, leave the mess until the cake is out and the oven has cooled.  Back to the timer - When it goes off, quickly but carefully test the cake with several toothpicks in different areas while the cake remains in the oven. (Taking the cake in and out of the oven to test will change the temperature of both the oven and the cake).  If the toothpicks are wet and sticky, the cake needs more time. If the toothpicks are clean (or a tad moist), the cake is ready to come out of the oven.   Allow cake to cool on a rack, and then enjoy the fruits of your labor!