Vanilla Almond Cake with Strawberry Filling

I had been planning on making a chocolate layer cake for our dinner party, but it was such a gorgeous and hot day outside, that I thought that might be too heavy. I immediately thought of doing a yellow cake with some sort of strawberry filling. However, I couldn't really find a recipe that I wanted to use. I went ahead and went to the store and got some more cake flour and right there on the back of the box was a great yellow cake recipe. When I got home, I pulled out my other cake flour box that was almost empty, and it had a recipe as well. I decided to go with that one because it seemed that it would turn out with a more moist result. It was fantastic!

This vanilla almond cake will without a doubt be my go-to yellow cake recipe. It was so incredibly moist and flavorful, and so much better than a boxed cake. I used a mixture of fresh strawberries and preserves for the strawberry filling and it gave the cake a nice difference of flavor and textures. I definitely recommend this cake for any dinner or party, and it will be sure to be a huge hit. Oh, and to ensure the cake stayed moist while I iced it, I brushed each of the layers with a simple syrup before icing.

Vanilla Almond Cake

Source: Swans Down Cake Flour Box

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 cups sifted cake flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almonda extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter & flour three 9 inch cake pans. In a mixing bowl cream butter and gradually add sugar, creaming until light & fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder & salt. In a small bowl combine milk, vanilla & almond flavoring. Add flour mixture alternately with milk & flavorings to butter mixture, beating after each addition until smooth. Pour batter into cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.

*Note: I used just two round pans and baked them for 30 minutes. To assemble the cake I cut each cake in half, making four layers. Then before you add each layer, brush the top with the simple syrup below. Top the first layer with butter cream (recipe below), the second with the strawberry filling (listed below), and the third layer with buttercream. Use the remaining buttercream to coat the top & sides of the cake.

Strawberry Filling

Ingredients:

12 oz. jar strawberry preserves

5 or 6 strawberries, diced

Directions:

In a medium saucepan combine preserves and strawberries simmer on low to medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes until reduced and thickened. Allow to cool. (Can put in refrigerator if necessary for about 10 minutes).

Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 1/8 cup sugar

1 cup water

Directions:

In a small saucepan, dissolve sugar into water. Once cakes have cooled, brush syrup onto the top of each layer evenly.

Vanilla Buttercream
Source: More From Magnolia by Allysa Torey

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
5-7 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Place butter in large mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of the sugar, and then the milk and vanilla. On medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. Can store at room temp. in an airtight container for up to three days.