It's no secret I like to bake. And for the last few years, it's been about cupcakes.

Cake can be tricky, but there's a few things that make a really big difference. 

Like making sure butter, eggs, and milk are room temp. 

Sifting the dry ingredients, and using high quality vanilla extract. 

Oh vanilla extract, how I love thee.  

And the best deal in the world is found at Hobby Lobby. 

I usually get a 4 oz bottle for around $5, after coupon. That is a really great deal, but this year, we found a 9 oz bottle that ended up being $6, after coupon. That's enough to make my day. I even texted a few friends to boast about my find. Nerd, much? Yes I am.

I always make my buttercream frosting with 2 sticks of unsalted butter and a pound of sifted powdered sugar. 

At the end of mixing time, I put a splash of milk, a few tsp of vanilla, a few drops of both almond and butter extract.  The smell is heavenly. In fact, I'm pretty sure actual heaven will smell like almond extract and new baby. The sweetest smells I know.  Getting your icing to the correct consistency takes practice. Always beat it for a little longer than you think it needs; this will make it smooth and creamy. If it's too thin, add more sifted sugar, if it's too thick, add another splash of milk. If you still have questions, call me.  

As far as cake goes, I've narrowed it down to two perfect recipes. I admire bakers who go for creative themes, but chocolate and vanilla is all I need. Oh, and the occasional batch of champagne ones for special occasions.
For the chocolate, the best cocoa to use is hershey's special dark.
The texture of this cake is amazing, y'all. You will not be disappointed. Thank you, Real Simple for being awesome.

I always make minis and I always half the recipes, so I don't end up with 1000 cupcakes, and I always give most of them away. 

Here's to a new year with plenty of occasions to bake.