Try adding a can of soda, and especially coke or coca cola, to a cake recipe. The carbon dioxide bubbles in soda pop act as a leavening agent — the element that makes baked goods rise and makes them light and fluffy.

Prue Leith frequently has to warn bakers that while fruit extracts are valuable and appealing, it is essential to add the liquid one drop at a time to prevent an overpowering result.