This was the best cake I ever made from scratch. I got it perfect the first time. I used a hand mixer with no problem, and it wasn't as time-consuming as I expected. There was only one problem: my husband and daughter forgot to take the cake out of the fridge - it was only supposed to be there for 1/2 hour or so. It was cold when served, and did not taste good. But the following day, after being at room temp, I could not stop eating it. It was so moist, and the frosting was perfect. It seems like just a ton of butter, and if you eat it cold, it tastes like you are eating pure butter. But at room temp, after a day or two, it is just wonderful. It's the best cake I've ever tasted. I will definitely make this again and again.

Reviewed On: Mar. 12, 2009

I make these at least once a week. We still can't get enough of them. Sometimes, I use all whole wheat flour instead of WW pastry flour, sometimes I don't sift it. They always turn out great. I make the mistake of putting in too many chips sometimes (I throw in an extra 1/2 bag of mini chips once in awhile), but that's it. I use a mini ice cream scoop and they turn out just perfect every time.

Reviewed On: Feb. 18, 2009

I noticed that a lot of people blamed themselves for messing up the recipe, even though they weren't sure what they did wrong. I do make a lot of cakes, and was excited to try this recipe. I took some advice and separated the whites, whipping and folding them in at the end. I used almond extract instead of vanilla. I sifted, then measured the flour. I followed the rest of the recipe exactly as written. What I ended up with was a mess. I set the timer, then left. 25 minutes later, I had a disaster. The batter in both pans had fallen, and around the edges it had bubbled and even overflowed over the edge of one of the pans. I went over and over this recipe. My husband went over it too, asking me questions, etc. (he is a great cook, leaves the baking to me because I am usually good at it). We couldn't figure out where it went wrong. I found a similar recipe, and these were the differences: 1. It called for strawberry preserves, not puree. Preserves are much thicker. 2. Too much baking powder (2.5t)? The other recipe was 1.25t powder and 1/2t soda. 3. 3/4c. instead of 1c. butter and 1/2 c. buttermilk instead of 1 c. milk. I don't know if this is it, but I'm reluctant to try again. It's a big waste of time and ingredients if it doesn't work out.

Reviewed On: Feb. 18, 2009