White Cake with Strawberry Filling and Buttercream Frosting

It's hard to beat the price or convenience of a cake mix... or the consistency, coming out with a perfect texture each and every time. However, there are two main reasons to make homemade cakes: 1) tastiness and 2) healthfulness (no additives or preservatives). This is a epicurious.com recipe that I've found to be simply delicious each and every time!  I paired it with a strawberry filling and buttercream frosting.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 6 large egg whites (about 3/4 cup), room temperature
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, but not melted
• 1 pound fresh strawberries for filling (see recipe below)
• Butter cream frosting (see recipe below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set oven rack to middle position. Spray the bottom of 2 9" round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, lightly spray again, and then lightly dust with flour.
2. Whisk together milk, egg whites and extracts in a small bowl until blended.
3. Mix together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until there are no visible powdery streaks, but mixture is still coarse.
4. Slowly add milk mixture to dry ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until fully blended, scrapping sides of bowl as needed. 
5. Pour batter into prepared pans, using spatula to evenly distribute batter around edges. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, ensuring pans are at least 3 inches apart and 3 inches from oven walls. (If oven is too small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion.)
6. Allow cakes to cool 5 minutes before inverting them to wire racks to cool completely.
7. While cake is cooling, make strawberry filling and icing (see recipes below). 
8. Frost cooled cake: 

• Place bottom cake layer on serving plate; place wax paper around cake edges to collect frosting drippings. Place thin layer of frosting on top of bottom layer; place strawberries on top of the frosted bottom layer. 
• Place remaining top layer on a separate plate; place thin layer of frosting on top layer; place layer, frosting down, on top of bottom layer. Use the balance of frosting to frost top of cake. 

For the filling:

Rinse, hull and slice strawberries; place on paper towel to drain off excess water. 

For the frosting:

• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened

Using an electric mixer, cream together all the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy.