This sounds obvious, but cakes in particular have certain requirements, such as the temperature of ingredients, that cannot be altered. You don't want to realize too late that the butter you just mixed with sugar was supposed to be softened. Get all of your ingredients and equipment out on the counter before you begin and make sure they're at the proper temperature. This is especially important for butter and eggs: Soft butter makes for a smooth batter and a lofty cake, and room-temperature eggs keep the batter's temperature consistent. http://www.epicurious.com/archive/howtocook/primers/cakessteps

There's nothing like the taste of a cake you made in your own kitchen. Baking a cake is as simple as measuring ingredients, mixing them in the right order, and remembering to take the cake out of the oven before it burns. Read on to learn how to bake three basic cakes: chocolate cake, apple cake, and vanilla pound cake. Scroll to the bottom for tips on how to follow a cake recipe.