Hi Excelsior, a few of us bakers put our heads together to come up with a list of the most likely causes of this. It sounds like you might be using a high-fat (European-style) butter, which can produce a denser, slightly greasy bottom. If you're not already doing so, you'll want to use a Grade AA, American-style butter. Also, be sure your butter is not too warm/soft to start with. It should be room temperature and maintain some of its shape when pressed with your finger. Lastly, check out our video about creaming butter and sugar together to give you an idea of how long it should be mixed. Creaming shouldn't take longer than 2-3 minutes maximum, otherwise you run the risk of over-creaming and having your cake turn dense and heavy (either in streaks or the whole bottom, as you describe if it's over-mixed for long enough). We hope these tips help point you in the right direction, and you can always give our friendly bakers on the Hotline a call at 855-371-BAKE(2253) if you continue to have trouble. Kye@KAF

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