Melissa Clark tweaked the formula of this classic, 19th century vanilla layer cake to make it even lighter, more tender and a little less sweet. Bakers have been tinkering with the formula for 1-2-3-4 ...

When James Beard published his family’s recipe for 1-2-3-4 cake in Woman’s Day magazine in the mid-1960s, he never expected the deluge of complaint letters that followed. The recipe for the ...