And when I want a classic celebration cake, I make a 1-2-3-4 cake. The name refers to the elemental formula at the recipe’s core: 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs ...

The classic ‘1-2-3-4 cake’ formula can transform to suit nearly every taste. Here, options for a classic layer cake or a cozy cinnamon-spiced Bundt.

My grandma, a classic 1950s cook, showed off by doctoring a boxed cake mix with a tub of sour cream. Which meant that when I started baking, I had to build my own canon.