Is there somewhere I can buy the batter to make a cake that tastes as good as the ones that you get from a good bakery? Is it in the way you mix it or bake it? I’m tired of spending so much time and money on cakes that taste like cornbread or is just really dry or hard. I just end up buying cake mix in a box. I would like to actually make a good cake one day, though. Any advice would help. Thanks!
Making a good cake takes practice, and a nice batter will be as dry and hard as the boxed stuff if it’s overcooked (which sounds like your primary problem is).
Firstly, there’s no way you’re going to get the same flavor of a nice bakery cake with a box mix. You can’t buy pre-made batter because batter needs to be put into the cake pan very quickly after it’s mixed to preserve as much air as possible.
As far as I’m concerned, the best basic cake type out there is genoise.
Here’s a good recipe
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jacques-torres/classic-genoise-recipe/index.html
The key to making a nice genoise though is the soaking liquid after it’s made. While it’s still warm, before you let it cool to frost it, add a liquid. It could be as simple as simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar brought to a boil and cooled), or your favorite booze (grand marnier is great).
The other key to making a great bakery level cake is what you frost it with. A good bakery wouldn’t touch that canned crappy "sugar and shortening" frosting with a 10′ pole. Classic butter creams don’t use trans-fat filled shortenings, aren’t all that difficult to make, are WAY easier to frost with, and are so much more delicious than canned frosting that you’ll never ever ever go back.
http://foodgeeks.com/recipes/recipe/20448,classic_egg_yolk_butter_cream_and_meringue_butter_cream.phtml