Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans. You really want the pans prepped and ready to go as well as the heated oven.

Add the dry cake mix to a mixing bowl and whisk it well to ensure you have no lumps or use a sifter if you have one. Lump free dry mix is important for a nice cake.

In another large mixing bowl, add the milk, eggs, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla extract. Whisk together well and even slightly frothy is ok.

Add the dry mix to the wet mix and whisk to just combined, do not over mix as that may result in less light and fluffy cake, and no one likes that.

Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans, place in the oven immediately.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, the cake should be puffed up a bit and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the place the pans on a rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, turn out the cakes, right side up on a rack to cool completely.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, decorate as you desire.