Grease the pan with cold butter instead of cooking spray
When a recipe tells you to grease the pan, use cold butter to do so. This makes sure nothing sticks to the pan and works better than a cooking spray.
Don't overmix batter
For some pastries having a few lumps in the batter is good. Simply mix the dry and wet ingredients together until combined.
You should let your cakes cool before attempting to ice them.
If you take the cake out to early, it will break and the frosting will melt right off. You should let it coole for about thirty minutes before you start icing.