Homemade Cake

• If you're making a yellow cake from scratch, you probably won't add water. Homemade yellow cakes usually rely on oil or butter, sour cream and milk or buttermilk for moisture and tenderness. Never substitute water unless a recipe specifically calls for it. You'll probably end up with a cake that is tough, flat and lacking in flavor. When making cakes from scratch, beat the butter and sugar until it is creamy before adding the dry ingredients. Use a light hand when mixing in the dry ingredients so you don't toughen the cake. It's also a good idea to bring ingredients such as eggs and milk to room temperature before mixing them together.

Cake Mixes

• Yellow cake mixes almost always call for water -- typically at a ratio of three parts water to one part oil. Cake mixes sometimes contain dry milk solids or other ingredients to add flavor and tenderness, but they need water for moisture. Just follow the package directions and mix all ingredients well. Because cake mixes contain tenderizing chemicals, you're less likely to toughen a boxed yellow cake by mixing it too much.

Substitutions

• There are many ways to doctor a cake mix to give it a more homemade flavor. One way is by substituting fruit juice or fruit puree for some of the water in the recipe. In some cases, you can even reduce the amount of oil needed. You'll probably still need at least a little water, but follow the recipe directions carefully. Try adding crushed pineapple with juice, applesauce or banana puree. Add vanilla, almond or lemon extract for better flavor.

Serving

• Whether you use water, fruit juice or a combination of the two, yellow cakes make a versatile dessert option. Kids appreciate the classic yellow cake and chocolate icing combination, but you can use yellow cakes as the basis for many other desserts, as well. Add pineapple juice to the cake mix and lay pineapple slices, brown sugar and maraschino cherries in the baking pan for pineapple upside-down cake. Banana puree can transform a yellow cake into a banana cake. Top with cream cheese frosting.