Gender Reveal Cake

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130

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 cup any type vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/3 cups buttermilk

Frosting

3 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, very soft
4 1/2 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
3 tablespoons milk or water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Finishing

1 cup Jordan Almonds, either pink or blue
Blue and pink pearls or sprinkles

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Preheat oven to 345°F. Butter and flour (or use baking spray) three 8 or 9-inch pans. Fitting a round piece of parchment paper on bottom of baking pan ensures perfect removal from pan.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
In a bowl large enough to hold all ingredients whisk oil and eggs until completely smooth.
Add extracts and buttermilk and whisk until blended.
In one step add all sifted ingredients and gently whisk just until combined. Do not mix more than necessary.
Divide batter equally into pans and place in oven. Bake for 30-33 minutes until center of cake bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger or until an inserted toothpick comes clean.
After 10 minutes turn upside down on plastic food lined surface and allow to cool completely before frosting, about 1 hour. Do not peel parchment paper off cake layers.
For frosting, mix butter until light and creamy. Add powdered sugar and keep mixing until light and fluffy. If mixture is cold and dense, use a hairdryer to heat sides of bowl while mixing.
Add milk and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.
Remove parchment paper from one cake layer and place it on a serving platter.
Using a 2 1/4-inch round cutter, cut a hole right in center. Remove cutout.
Spread buttercream on cake part and not in center cutout area.
Remove parchment paper and cut center of a second cake layer. Remove cutout. Place onto previous frosted cake layer.
Spread cake part with frosting.
Fill center with Jordan almonds and place remaining cake layer on top.
Frost cake on sides and surface keeping some frosting for rosettes.
Place remaining frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a circle of rosettes on cake.
Press pearls onto rosettes.
Serve at room temperature as tenderness of cake is at its best and frosting is most creamy.