Where can I find a recipe for the best "scratch" cake that is sturdy enough to be used for tiered, carved or fondant-covered cakes and can be "doctored" to change the flavor?

I've also been wondering about this the past few days.

I was baking up 4 very different cupcake recipes this weekend and was wondering if most bakeries have one base recipe that they add different components to.

Thanks!

Sure, lots of bakeries do this. A simple white, yellow, or chocolate recipe can be modified using extracts, oils, zests, and fruit compounds. Ingredients like those will not change the chemistry of the recipe.

Kendra, I recommend that you do a search on CC for the yellow and white scratch-off threads. There's a lot of very detailed information in those threads which can help you find the right recipe for you.

Thanks!