Since Paul bought me a Kitchenaid Artisan stand mixer for my birthday (the pink Susan G. Komen version no less), baking has become a little easier. I still find it tricky especially with an oven that runs 150 degrees hotter than what it states but I get by with an oven thermometer. The trick for me is very precise measurements in the recipe. Unfortunately, US recipes are all about "1 cup of this, 1 cup of that". What is that about?! I bought cup measurements but 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of sugar seems very different to me. Luckily, I found Alton Brown's recipe on Food Network does utilize precise measurements. I really don't mind getting the scales out to ensure a successful cake. For Paul's birthday this year, I made a red velvet cake. A couple of weeks ago, I made a practice cake which failed as the baking powder was too old and didn't react. I switched it out with baking soda and voila! Not bad for second attempt.
