You know that moment when you bring out a cake and everyone just stops to look at it? That's what these cakes do. They're the kind you almost don't want to cut into because they look so good. But ...

Imagine a homemade cake mix that kickstarts a dizzying variety of cakes. Caroline Wright's latest cookbook, Cake Magic! ($17.95, Workman), delivers on that dream. With a make-ahead dry mix as a base, ...