Though by now you know I love my cakes in as goofy a shape as you can make (Flamingo cake Mom & Dad?), sometimes the classic round bakery-style cake is best!  They are elegant, to the point, charming & sweet.  Best of all they take almost no time to make, and yet people LOVE getting a classic homemade cake for all sorts of occasions! I’ve made them for birthdays, holidays, baby showers, book groups, Bunco nights, baptisms, & teacher functions!  My super Realtor sister (I called her the Donald Trump of Madison, WI) has the great idea of even using these cakes as closing presents-such a great idea, yes?  Again, they are so simple, so here goes:

Basic Supplies:  1 cake mix, either two 9inch round pans or three 8inch rounds, 2 tubs frosting, icing coloring and any extra decorations (fruit, flowers, chocolate, etc.), a Ziploc bag (& decorating tips if wanted).
 
Minimum Time:  1 hour (not including baking or cooling time).

1) Make 1 cake mix according to recipe directions & fill either three 8inch round pans, or two 9inch round pans.  The below pictures show what the inside of your cake will look like...I love the 3-layer look even if the layers are not perfectly even! Also, as you will not be carving or shaping these cakes, this a great opportunity to use that favorite recipe you’ve been dying to try, or a new flavor of filling you’ve always been interested in! 

2) Once the cake is baked and cooled, go ahead and start filling and stacking.  To fill in between the layers, just spread the frosting on, smooth and put the next layer on top.  Remember, if one of your layers is thicker than others, use that one on the bottom.  Also, you can decide if you want to level your layers for these cakes. Sometimes I want my cake as level as hat box (see the white cake with purple & yellow flowers), but sometimes I want a good-old-fashioned cake with a rounded top (see the chocolate & yellow cakes)...it is all up to you!  If I do want a rounded top, I stack the bottom layer upside down, and the top layer right side up. 

3) Once stacked, go ahead and frost your cake as desired! 

• Smooth frosting: If you want a smooth look, just keep spreading and smoothing the frosting to desired smoothness.  Using a bit a warm water on your knife (shake it mostly dry before spreading) will help you smooth your frosting.  And if you are still having trouble getting it perfectly smooth just remember, buttercream will never be exact & who wants their homemade classic creation to look like it came from a grocery store anyway! 
• Swirly frosting: If you want a swirly look, simply put a thick layer of frosting on and gently swirl it around with the back of a spoon for the desired affect. 

4) Once you have frosted the cake, you can pipe a border along the cake where it meets the cake board or stand, and you can decorate however you’d like! I’ve used: 

• Fruit piled on top, which is especially good if you’ve used a fruit cake or fruit filling, as it lets people know what might be inside.
• Crushed nuts along the side (I simply crushed almonds in a freezer bag with my meat tenderizer and then pressed them up and along the side, which was messy to clean-up but so delicious to eat!).
• Fresh flowers in a simple arrangement.
• Sugared flowers, which you can buy on-line or in a specialty store, or make yourself by using non-pesticide treated edible flowers from Whole Foods which you gently brush with egg whites and coat in superfine sugar. (Please note I have never made these myself as I’m always too nervous I'd get the wrong flowers...but you try it and then let me know how it went!) :)
• Sugared Fruit, which you can make by washing & drying your fruit, coating it in sugar water or egg white and sprinkling with super fine or regular sugar. Simply let them dry and viola...gorgeous sugared fruit!  See Decorating FAQ's for more details.
• Piped on wording celebrating the occasion.
• Even a baseball hat (I made the hat from a cake made in a small glass mixing bowl and then piped the brim in with frosting!)