SO, I've trolled this site for years, searched endlessly, and still have questions.  I've read hundreds of recipes and tried many over the years.  I thought I'd finally just post. :)

Does anyone bake at 6,300+ feet here?  If you do, what cake recipes do you use that are sturdy enough to stack/carve, moist and actually work at higher altitudes without sinking or crumbling a part.  I've had some success with the WASC, but not really when subbing out ingredients (like for different flavors).  Any completely scratch recipes I've tried (which are numerous!!) have crumbled, been disgustingly dense, sunken in the middle, or some other various combination of tear-inducing failure.

Ideas?  Recipes?  I'd love a basic scratch recipe I can modify easily to create a variety of flavors.

Additionally, I seem to always have problems with my icings.  Too liquidy, too sensitive to heat changes, not holding up to piping decorations, too sweet, etc.  I'd love a recipe for a medium-sweet decorator icing that will hold up to easy flowers/decorations and can be flavored occasionally.  How about cream cheese icing?? Is there ANY recipe that can hold up when piped?  I do not want to just smear icing and go.  It needs to look good AND taste great! 

Help please!

......... I've had some success with the WASC, but not really when subbing out ingredients (like for different flavors).  .......

I;m wondering why you have to sub out any ingredients?  The *original* WASC recipe can use ANY cake mix flavor available without adding or subtracting. I've used Some minor additions w/out a problem.  I've baked at anywhere from 50 to 8,500 feet elevations.