Every once in a while an occasion arises that requires a very special cake. Well, get ready to amaze your family, friends, and maybe even yourself. With a simple cake mix, a little imagination, and a few simple tricks, you will be able to create a cake that is so luscious that everyone will swear you must have placed a special order at the local gourmet bakery.

Begin with a package of cake mix in the flavor of your choice. While mixing the ingredients as per package instructions, you can add a little extra flavor and a personal touch by blending in a teaspoon of one of the many extracts available. Almond, vanilla, butter flavor, and rum baking flavor are all excellent choices to enhance any white, yellow, or chocolate cake mix.

After the cake is baked and cooled completely, you can now add another personal touch to it by placing a layer of your or a loved ones favorite fruit or pudding type filling inside of the yummy cake. To do this, begin halfway down one side and cut lengthwise around the entire cake. Once you have completed the cut, remove the top half of the cake by gently sliding an extra cake board or flat cookie sheet underneath it and set aside.

Now you are ready to add the layer of filling. There are so many wonderful fillings available that it will probably be hard for you to choose a favorite. A moist yellow cake with raspberry or strawberry filling and a white whipped icing is unbelievable. A dark chocolate fudge cake with chocolate bavarian cream filling or a cream cheese filling and a fudge icing is also a favorite of my family. To prevent the filling from seeping out the sides of the cake, create an "icing dam" to hold the filling. To create the "icing dam" simply pipe a circle of icing around the edge of the cake. Make the circle about 3/4" high and spread the desired filling into the enclosed area.

Regardless of which filling you choose, spread evenly on top of the bottom half of the cake. However, do not spread the filling entirely to the edge of the cake. Doing so will cause the filling to come out the sides of the cake once the top layer is placed back on.

To put the top layer back into place, simply slide it off of the cake board or cookie sheet.

Once the top layer of cake is replaced, brush away any crumbs from the top and sides of the cake and from the cake board that it is sitting on before icing. Frost with the icing of your choice and then sit back and watch the delight on your family and friends faces.

You can even elevate your layer cakes to new height. Bake an extra layer when creating - cut in in half and you have 2 more layers to put filling or fruit between. Layered cakes are becoming the hit of bakery crowd and you can amaze your guests with the heights your cake takes. For ideas you might want to check out Sky High or Great Cakes - 2 newer books dealing with layered cakes.