Michelle Heston is a colleague of mine I have known for many years. She is a seasoned public relations director for the Fairmont Hotels in San Francisco. For the last few years I have been watching her posts on Facebook, noting that they were nothing about hotels but instead beautiful cakes.

I recently caught up with her to find out how this transition had taken place. In fact, it isn't a transition but an addition to her busy work life. She needed to relieve some stress, so she started baking and decorating elegant cakes. When she started baking she found it to be creative and meditative. And then she discovered how happy it made her recipients to have been given a personal and delicious gift.

I asked her to share some of her secrets for a Seriously Simple take on cake baking and frosting. While she often makes cakes from scratch, she suggests starting with a cake mix. She is also a big fan of naked cakes, which have light frosting on the sides. Frosting a naked cake is an elegant, simple and easy technique for most to master. I, too, love the look of these "naked cakes" that offer the baker a chance to be creative with the garnish on top.

Here are Michelle's tips for success:

How to take a box cake mix from ho hum to home run!

1. Start with a national brand cake mix (please don't skimp on a grocery store brand here) and tweak box directions.

2. Substitute vegetable oil for butter.

3. Substitute water for either milk or a combination of milk and liquor (rum, Kahlua, brandy). If you're making a chocolate cake, replace a couple tablespoons of the aforementioned liquid with strong coffee. Coffee really takes chocolate to the next level.

4. Add an additional teaspoon of vanilla extract.

5. Add an extra egg.

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