I need some advice. I am making a cake for Mother's Day for my Girlfriend. It's going to be a Devils Food Cake with a bananas foster filling between the cake
layers. I am following this recipe on the internet and modifying the filling a little.

The recipe calls for "devilâs food cake mix (or made from scratch)" -- I'm just gonna use boxed stuff to save time. The second step in the instructions say
"After letting cake layers cool" -- do you think they want me to make two boxes of cake mix or one box and cut it in half?!

I don't know if one box makes enough cake or should two. I don't really bake at all.

If one box, do I'm guessing I cut the cake when it's cool?

What size are you making? I like the Duncan Hines cake mixes and they yield about 5 1/2 cups. If you are making an 8 in round then you will probably need two cake mixes (you'll have extra for cupcakes). Each 8 inch round needs about 3 1/2 cups of batter. You'll need two, so that's 7 cups of batter. You can find extender recipes here on CC That you might be able to use to stretch one devils food cake mix into 7 cups. But, I've heard that the extenders make chocolate cakes loose their chocolaty goodness.

HTH!
~Mindy

Hi and Welcome, yuppicide.

Decoding CC acronyms:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926-.html

Wow, your GF is going to love you...

A typical cake mix will yield 2 layers (either 8 or 9" diameter), if you have the typical grocery store cake pans which are only 1-1/2" tall. (I use Duncan Hines cake mix.)

I used these pans and either scratch or cake mix recipes for years... The resulting cake is smaller than the cakes using 2" pans (think bakery cake size).

If you do happen to have 2" deep cake pans, Mindy's advice is right on. (This is a much larger cake, because the layers are higher.) Hope this is making sense.

Wilton tiered cake help links:
(Everything you need to know to make a nice layer cake, from baking the cake layers to decorating with either b/c or fondant.)

http://www.wilton.com/wedding/makecake/index.cfm
(How to level is an important link, also filling & frosting.)

Wilton cake preparation links:
(Batter requirements by pan size for pans that are either 2 or 3" deep.)

http://www.wilton.com/cake/cakeprep/baking/times/index.cfm

Preheat oven. (I usually bake all my cakes at 325 F.)

When making your cake batter, be sure to sift the dry cake mix (to remove lumps before adding other ingredients as removing lumps is difficult in wet batter).

Mix at a low speed for no longer than the time given on the cake box. (More mixing, or high speed mixing will result in a cake that is tough and shrunken when baked.)

Good luck on your first cake.

Thanks for the info so far. I do not have a cake pan yet, so that's a good thing. I can get what is needed.

I was told the cake mixes in the store are only good for round pans and that I'd only be able to cut round cakes in half with store bought mixes. This lady told me that I can't cut a rectangle cake because I'm not making the cake from scratch. She was saying if I buy store ready made mixes they're made for a round pan (or possibly square) and not rectangle. Is any of this true?! I was planning on getting like a 9 x 13 rectangle cake pan and have an 8.5 x 11 (or some size close) picture printed at the supermarket. They print on frosting or whatever for $10.

I don't think on my first cake I'll attempt any design carving. I'll just get the cake mixes made, the bananas foster filling I'm going to make from scratch, then I'll cover the outside with buttercream and the printed image.

First let me say again, Jan you rock!!

Next, I'm not sure what the woman who told you that was talking about (or what she was smoking ) But that's nuts! You can absolutely use a box mix to make a rectangle cake. There are directions printed on the box for a 9 X 13. I'm not sure how many cups you'll need for what you are trying to achieve, but I'm sure Jan does.

Also, if you are doing a sheet cake (rectangle) you don't need more than one layer. Just make sure you use enough icing!

when i use chocolate cake mixes and use the extender recipe..... i add extra cocoa.... or extra melted unsweeten chocolate.... so delicious .....my daughter says they are her favorite

In the future I'd definitely like to try something with fondant and custom shaped. Something more artistic.

I have a Media Center PC in my bedroom and I've set it to record all of the "Ace of Cakes" show (as well as other FoodTV stuff) and I can stream it right into my living room through the XBOX 360. It's great! I can control the computer from the living room.

Maybe you should post the link to the recipe. Something sounds odd. A typical store bought recipe will make 2-8 or 9" rounds or a 9x13" rectangle. Just check the back of the box. The cake pan sizes list the appropriate baking time.

Rectangular cakes generally do not have filling. This might be why the internet lady suggests you don't use it (you want the banana foster filling). If you want a rectangular cake and the filling, you can either bake 2 layers of cake using 2 cake mixes OR do one and slice the piece in half horizontally creating 2 9x13" pieces of cake. If you do rounds or squares, you don't need to cut into 2 layers.

I found the recipe here:

http://eatables.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/chocolate-banana-cake/

It's nothing that special. I'm going on my own to change the filling and make it a little different.. and of course I'm doing some sort of buttercream on the outside with a custom printed image on it.

If the cake is only for you and your GF, one doctored cake mix will probably be more than enough.

A 13x9x2" pan requires 7 cups of batter. Halving the WASC cake recipe using DH white cake mix yields 7 cups of batter; I've never measured the chocolate batter but it should be close.

Here's the WASC expanded flavors recipe:

http://tinyurl.com/2cu8s4
(I usually use DH fudge cake mix for chocolate.)

Blakescakes also has a very good recipe:
(But you'd need 2 mixes and have some left-over batter.)

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-6948--Enhanced-Mix-Recipe.html

Freezing the cooled cake layer prior to slicing in half will make the process easier (and you'll have less crumbs).

HTH

P.S. Thanks so much, Mindy, you're too kind.

The cake will be for 4 people, but once more people see it they might want some also.