German-Chocolate

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemonade Layer Cake

Italian Cream Cake

Old-Fashioned Caramel Layer Cake

Coconut Triple-Layer Cake

Blood Orange Layer Cake

Special-Occasion Orange Layer Cake

Cooking Light's Ultimate Chocolate Layer Cake

White Triple-Layer Cake with Lemon Filling

Malted-Milk Chocolate Cake

Oatmeal Layer Cake with Caramel-Pecan Frosting

Layer cakes from scratch are not only tastier than anything from a box, they're also surprisingly easy. Try our step-by-step instructions.

Icing on the Cake

Sometimes the trickiest part of making a cake from scratch can be the frosting. Here are some tips that will help give your cake just the right finishing touch.

Attach candy thermometer to side of pan, making sure the end is in the unbeaten egg white mixture but not touching the bottom of the pan.

This frosting is made by beating egg whites with sugar, water, and other ingredients in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Making sure the candy thermometer reaches 160 degrees ensures that the egg whites have cooked to a safe temperature. (Candy thermometers usually have adjustable hooks or clips so they can be attached to the pan.)

Beat at high speed of a hand-held mixer until stiff peaks form and candy thermometer registers 160 degrees.

Flour Power

Cake flour is a fine-textured soft wheat flour that makes cakes more tender. Sifted cake flour is called for in four of our classic cakes. This means you should sift the flour first, then measure it. Sifting incorporates air to make the flour even lighter. Cake flours (such as Softasilk, Swan's Down, or White Lily) typically come in a box rather than a bag. Look for them with the cake mixes in the supermarket. (Make sure you purchase plain cake flour, not self-rising.) Don't have any cake flour? You can substitute the all-purpose variety, but your cake won't be quite as tender. Substitute 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour for 1 cup sifted cake flour.