my cakes always come out with a thicker, denser, heavier texture. Can anyone share a recipe for a light fluffier cake, like what i would buy at a bakery?

have you tried using cake flour? That should give it a significantly lighter texture.

Also careful not to over-beat the mixture, as this will produce gluten in your flour. Gluten = heavier.

Sky High Cakes by Alisa Huntsman is a good book for light and fluffy cakes.

Or/also try whipping the whites separately with some of the sugar (1oz sugar to 1 white) and the folding in to the rest of the mix at the end (chiffon method)