
If you beat the mixture too long, you might find irregular bubbles or holes in your finished cake. This is especially important to remember when adding dry ingredients to the liquid mixture.

Beat another 30 seconds or until fluffy before moving on to the next step. Beat the butter until creamy, then add the sugar in small batches and beat until combined before adding more. Incorporate these two ingredients evenly, and you'll be well on your way to a tender and airy cake. For chocolate-based cakes, try butter and cocoa powder. For vanilla-based batters, use butter and flour. Whether you line your pan with parchment paper or grease and flour, this is essential for most homemade cakes. Pull them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to start.

Eggs and butter blend best and provide the most volume to the finished product when added to the batter at room temperature.

If yours is dark or dull, adjust the cooking temperature to be 25☏ lower than the original recipe suggests, and check for doneness about 3 minutes early. Seek out shiny, light-colored aluminum pans.
