i am just SO lost. i can't find a good scratch cake recipe.. i want something light and fluffy, nothing poundy.
thanks for the help.

Here's one that I found on the CC site a while ago; I just love it!!
Yellow Cake Layers
This is probably America's favorite layer for any kind of cake;
it is what the cake-mix people try to imitate and never get right.

Makes two 8-inch layers

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Into a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter, add sugar gradually, beating, and beat the mixture until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour mixture and the milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, add the vanilla, and beat the batter until it is smooth. Divide the batter between 2 lightly greased and floured 8-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pans, smoothing the top, rap each pan on a hard surface twice to expel any air bubbles, and bake the layers in the middle of a preheated 350-degree F. oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean and the layers pull away slightly from the sides of the pans. Let the layers cool in the pans on a rack for 8 minutes, run a thin knife around the edge of each pan, and invert the layers onto the racks. Let the layers cool completely.

I do use parchment rounds and grease and flour those too so that the cake doesn't stick.

Of course, I'm supposed to be doing cakes and cookies right now so I don't really have a lot of time to find original theard for you or give credit to the proper CCer, but HTH!

Hi, I'm glad you like the recipe. I posted a while back and found it at labellecuisine.com. It is really a light and fluffy cake. In my search for a chocolate version, I was told I could add 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted before I add the eggs. Have not tried it yet, but just wanted to share in case anyone wants to make the chocolate version.

Good luck and if anyone gets to try it (the chocolate one), let me know how it turns out.

Regards,
Naty

This is my favorite white cake from Cook's Illustrated, light, moist and the perfect texture. The key is paying attention to the instructions, they use the pastry method, combining flour and butter first, then the wet ingredients to prevent gluten from forming, resulting in a perfect texture.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1967-14-Classic-White-Cake-II.html