BEST CAKE RECIPE FOR STACKING AND CARVING RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with shortening and a dusting of flour. Line pans with parchment or wax paper. Mix cake mixes together according to box instructions.  Then add remaining ingredients.  Bake at 325 degrees until cakes spring back when touched in the center. This makes a lot of cake batter.  You can bake up and freeze any extra layers, tightly wrapped, or you can half the recipe.  If you half the recipe, I would use the spice cake mix rather than the white.

Steps:

• {*This recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method.}
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 x 2 inch pans.
• In a separate bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, red food coloring, sour cream, veg. oil, and milk. Whisk to blend and set bowl aside.
• Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and blend with the mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds until the dry ingredients are well blended.
• Slowly add the slices of butter a few at a time while the mixer is on medium speed. Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened by the butter. It will look like coarse sand, and all the dry ingredients will be moistened by the butter. If you pinch some of the mixture between your fingers, it will stick together. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Method is important when using the Reverse Creaming Method. With the mixer on low speed SLOWLY add approximately 1/2 of the egg mixture increasing the speed to medium and mixing for 1 1/2 minutes - the batter will be thick and fluffy. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, scraping the bowl and beating for 20 seconds after each addition .
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans 10 minutes then turn out.