When I first started making cakes (DD's first cake was a ladybird cake, 10 years ago!) I used cake mix. I also used my bamix with whisk attachment as a mixer in a tiny kitchen smaller than my bathroom. You don't need to go nuts. I learnt to decorate with buttercream well before I baked my own cakes and I have used greens butter cake mix (the best packet mix IMO) to make the rainbow cakes before. Easy as. You can do this Promise.