Never allow a cake to cool completely in its pan�it will stick. If you forget, heat the pan in the oven for 5 minutes and remove the cake.

Grease a cake pan with a mixture of one part flour to two parts shortening.

A cake is done when its sides pull away from the pan.

When making a chocolate cake, dust the pan with cocoa instead of flour�flour puts a whitish dust on the cake.

To make chocolate cake from a yellow cake mix, add ½ cup cocoa.

For a richer cake from a mix, substitute milk for the water.

Unless otherwise directed, grease only the bottom of a cake pan.