how can i bake a cake without using a boxed cake mix?

I was not sure if you were looking for a chocolate or yellow cake so I gave you the recipe for both. These are both the ones that I use all the time when I make cakes and they are fairly simple and easy. Hope this helps.

Yellow Layer Cake

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred before measuring

* 1 tablespoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 cup butter, softened

* 1 1/4 cups sugar

* 2 eggs

* 3/4 cup milk

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

PREPARATION:

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture then half of the milk.

Add vanilla. Mix until blended; add remaining flour and milk and beat until smooth. Fill 2 greased and floured layer cake pans or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with the batter. Bake at 375° for 25 to 35 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched near center.

Frost as desired.

Hershey's 'Perfectly Chocolate' Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups white sugar

* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

* 3/4 cup HERSHEY®'S Cocoa Powder

* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 2 eggs

* 1 cup milk

* 1/2 cup vegetable oil

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 1 cup boiling water

*

* 1/2 cup butter

* 2/3 cup HERSHEY®'S Cocoa Powder

* 3 cups confectioners' sugar

* 1/3 cup milk

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting.

4. To make "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting: Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

5. One Pan Cake: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

6. Three Layer Cake: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

7. Bundt Cake: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost

8. Cupcakes: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350 F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup cold water

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup real mayonnaise

Oven Temp - 350°

Baking Time -30 Min.

Pan Type -13" x 9" x 2" pan

Preheat oven - Grease and flour pan.

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Add the water and vanilla and mayonnaise mix until well blended.

Pour into prepared pan and bake.

Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center or butter knife comes out clean. Let cake sit 5-10 minutes and then turn onto cooling rack or just frost in the pan when cooled well.

I also have used a marshmallow fluff topping made in a double boiler on this cake that my kids love but is equally good without frosting

Genoise Cake

Simple, delicious cake

* 1/2 cup butter, softened

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1 cup flour

* 1./2 tsp. baking powder

* 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs at high speed until very light and fluffy. Sift together flour and baking powder, then fold into batter.

Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a buttered 8" square cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until light golden brown, and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan.

You can serve it with stewed fruit, or ice cream, or jam and powdered sugar, or frost with a simple frosting.

I just bought two small springform pans and wondered the same thing if I could use a regular cake mix. They are in the oven now and doing just fine

A great place to go for recipes on line is www.allrecipes.com .

Here is a link for some simple yellow cake recipes. Please enjoy: http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm...