These are the recipes I use for all of my baking. Cake is moist and dense and has a firm crumb that works very well for wedding cakes and sculpted cakes. Note: Recipe has already been doubled to yield the most batter per recipe still able to fit in a 4.5 quart mixing bowl. Recipe may be halved. Before beginning, preheat oven to 335 degrees and prepare pans. Grease pans with shortening, add a waxed paper liner, and dust with flour. Moist Deluxe mixes are preferred, but any brand on sale will do.

For White Cakes:

2 White cake mixes

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups water

2/3 cup milk

2/3 cup oil

8 egg whites

12 oz. by weight (1 1/3 cups) sour cream

1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

1/2 tsp butter flavoring

1/2 tsp coconut flavoring (optional)

2 tsp clear vanilla flavor

Yield: approx. 11 cups batter

For Chocolate (and All Other Flavors):

2 Yellow or Chocolate Mixes (Devil's food mixes yield richer chocolate cakes)

Add ½ cup cocoa powder plus ¼ cup water and 3 T oil and 1/8tsp baking powder (optional - if using chocolate cake mix; yields a richer chocolate cake)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups water

2/3 cup milk

2/3 cup oil

7 whole eggs (for half-recipes use 3 whole eggs and one egg white)

12 oz. by weight (1 1/3 cups) sour cream

1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

1/2 tsp butter flavoring

1/2 tsp coconut flavoring (optional)

2 tsp real vanilla flavor

For "German Chocolate Cake" use one white mix and one chocolate mix.

For Spice Cake, Red Velvet, Carrot or other cakes simply replace the mixes and change the flavors as needed.

Yield: approx. 12 to 12.5 cups batter

Directions:

Mix together dry ingredients. Measure wet ingredients (except for sour cream) and add all to dry (just like a regular mix). Mix until combined, then add sour cream. Mixture will just about overflow a 4.5 quart bowl -- be gentle with the speed! Mix on medium speed for two minutes. Fill greased and floured pans 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake as usual for your pans and your oven. Generally speaking, an 8” round x 2” pan will bake at 335 degrees for approx. 35 to 40 minutes. Cakes are done when wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into center has a few crumbs when pulled out (no wet batter). If cake forms a hard surface on top or "cracks", lower the oven temperature 10 degrees for remainder of cooking time. Cool in pan 20 minutes then invert onto plate and then to wire rack lined with paper towel OR cool until room temp and then remove. Store cakes tightly wrapped in plastic overnight on counter or in refrigerator (chilling in refrigerator makes layers easier to torte/slice/carve).