Yummy Yellow Cake with Strawberry Filling and Buttercream Frosting

This recipe produces a a fluffy yet dense textured cake perfect for any celebration; it is an adaptation of "White Almond Wedding Cake" found on Allrecipes.com.
Very versatile...change flavorings, filling, frosting, and garnishes to suit your taste.

Yummy Yellow Cake
www.whispersofthyme.blogspot.com
(Yield: 8 or 9-inch layer cake)

Cake Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) white cake mix (I used Pillsbury Brand, but 15.25 to 18.25 ounce works)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups whole milk
1 cup sour cream (I used lite)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon buttery sweet dough emulsion (optional - purchased from King Arthur Flour)
3 large eggs

Filling:
Smucker's Strawberry Sundae Topping
Frosting (recipe follows)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease bottoms of two 8-inch round pans; line with parchment paper, and then grease and flour parchment and pans. Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl and mix on lowest speed until thoroughly combined. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 4 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared pans (NOTE: I filled my pans approximately 1/2 full and had a small amount of batter leftover), and bake for approximately 47 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert cake layers onto cooling rack (peel off parchment paper). Once cooled, place one layer on serving platter or cake stand and top with small amount of strawberry topping spreading thin layer to within one inch of cake (don't let it drip over the edge); spread frosting over strawberry topping. Place second cake layer on bottom layer and frost whole cake with frosting.

Garnish suggestion: Using a star tip (Wilton 4B), add swirls of frosting to top edge of frosted cake...center fresh strawberry in each swirl.

Buttercream Frosting
www.whispersofthyme.blogspot.com
(Yield: enough to frost layer cake)

Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Crisco Shortening
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons meringue powder (optional)
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 2 Tablespoons milk or cream, for desired consistency

Directions:
Mix the butter, shortening, and salt on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Add vanilla extract, butter flavoring, and almond extract, and then continue to mix until thoroughly blended.
Stop mixer and add meringue powder, if using, along with 1 cup powdered sugar. Start mixer on the lowest speed and add the remaining powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the sugar is thoroughly blended.
Add milk or cream, 1 Tablespoon at a time, if needed for desired consistency.
Turn mixer to medium speed and continue to beat frosting for an additional 5 minutes.