Last week I offered some ideas and recipes for back-so-school lunches. Among the recipes, was one for a lovely “Super White Cake,” by Rosie Alyea, author of the recently released “The Sweetapolita Bakebook: 75 Fanciful Cakes, Cookies & More to Make & Decorate.” However, while praise for the new white cake recipe came quickly, so did queries regarding whether or not I possessed an equally impressive yellow cake recipe. And, as it happens, I do.

America Test Kitchen’s recipe for ‘Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting” bakes up moist and high and in terms of appearance, rivals the mouthwatering good looks of cakes that appear on the covers of best-selling cake mixes. But, as far as boxed mixes go, looks alone can be deceiving , as boxed mixes, though popular, are filled with distasteful flavors and ingredients.

With few exceptions, true depth of flavor and richness can only be achieved via a scratch-made cake, and the folks at America’s Test Kitchen get that. They leave no stone unturned when developing a recipe, so it’s important to read all the notes provided within the recipe, including the very informative “why this recipe works” section. Reading a recipe in its entirety before cooking may not seem critical and sometimes it’s not, but many times it’s just that. To see more recipes, cooking tips and more from America’s Test Kitchen, visit www.americastestkithchen.com.

Sue Ade is a syndicated food writer with broad experience and interest in the culinary arts. She has worked and resided in the Lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com.