This recipe generates a lot of dishes to wash, but it is absolutely foolproof, and the smell when you take it out of the oven is heavenly. Don't be discouraged by the number of steps, because all of them are super easy and go fast. The layers were so close to level that I did not have to bother with any additional leveling, even though I stacked 3 layers. It looked beautiful, but the real test was the taste, and it was amazing. When I'm baking for myself, I gravitate toward chocolate or spice-based flavors, but how often does one bake for oneself? Going forward, this will be my crowd-pleaser. Keep in mind that individual ovens cook vary in temperature, so start checking a few minutes ahead and be prepared to give it more time, if necessary. In my oven, 3 8-inch layers on the same rack took 32 minutes to bake. The advice to cool upside down was genius!
