Hello everyone! I just found this site, and am so excited! I'm Ellie, I'm OLD (seriously, been married 32 years), and have 6 wonderful kiddos, 5 of whom still live home. (2 teenagers, 2 college students, and one soon to be married daughter).

I've always used cake mixes, just like Mom, and my 16 yo daughter (the cooking show addict) is encouraging me to branch out, which I like, as I tend to be a scratch cook. I can make a decent pound cake, and brownies and other scratch desserts, but my first chocolate scratch cake produced layers about 1/2 inch high. *sigh*
I used very fresh ingredients, cake flour, I do cookies ALL the time, so I get the importance of creaming butter/sugar. Maybe it was that particular recipe? But now I'm gun-shy and nervous.

So- taking all comers! Any advice or good recipes (choc cake, yellow, white, anything at all) is so welcome.

Thanks in advance, and it's nice to "meet" you!

Hi, and welcome!

I suggest you spend some time browsing the forums for threads related to scratch baking. There is so many wonderful recipes and so much fantastic advice all ready and waiting for you right here!

Welcome to Cake Central and the world of scratch baking!

It's hard to say whether something went wrong or the recipe would yield such a low rising cake without seeing the recipe and instructions. However, there are many recipes here that members have rated so start with those.

Happy baking!

Hi and welcome. Everyone here is fab and searching the forums will bring you back and abundance of information. We dont have really good box mixes here in the UK, so I only bake from scratch. I tried dozens of different recipes before i found one that I really liked, and its all a matter of personal preference, isnt it. Good luck!

Welcome to CC. I recently purchased Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen (best price was on Amazon). It is a pastry school text book and explains the science of baking as well as provides recipes and teaches different mixing methods. It covers all baking, and I love the cake chapter. I've gotten so many compliments on the cakes I've made using this book.

I was going to sugest the same as bonniebakes.

If you join those scratch discussions, we will help you through the process on the recipe we are discussing. It may not be a flavor you need asap, but you can't beat 50 teachers in one spot... for free! You are sure to learn method.

I recommend WACKY CAKE!! Seriously this cake is now my go-to chocolate cake!

http://cakecentral.com/recipes/wacky-cake-2/ nomnomnom!

I recommend WACKY CAKE!! Seriously this cake is now my go-to chocolate cake!

http://cakecentral.com/recipes/wacky-cake-2/ nomnomnom!

You will love it here - such a wealth of information and advice! I like to do searches - it seems to work well to go to google, type in your search, and add "cake central" to it to find great threads!