Sticky toffee pudding, mug cake and Nutella pudding cake at the push of a button. When I first started working in food, I thought I had to go full “chef mode” and forswear anything in my kitchen that didn’t feel refined or advanced. Goodbye, boxed mac and cheese. See you never, frozen veggies!

Making a cake at home — from scratch! — can certainly be an anxiety-inducing thought. While your cake might turn out superb, there’s always the chance it could go the other way entirely. Baking a show-stopping, multi-layer cake can feel like biting ...