Having cake baking issues, need help!?

ok first i should mention i'm very new at baking so if this seems like a silly question please just bare with me. ok i want to be able to bake cakes from scratch cause i dont feel like i learn anything when i just use the mix. i made one that was ok (used a cookbook) but it wasnt as fluffy as i'd like. is there a way to make cakes lighter and fluffier kinda like how store bought ones are?