Strawberry-Glazed Pink Velvet Cake with Almond Buttercream

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches tall with baking spray. Line the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
2. Whisk the butter until light and creamy. Add the sugar, vanilla and almond extract, then whisk until well combined. (It will not be smooth and creamy at this point but rather a bit sandy.)
3. Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir to combine.
4. Add approximately ⅓ (doesn’t have to be exact) of the buttermilk and stir to combine. Then add approximately ⅓ of the flour and stir again. Repeat x 2 until all of the buttermilk and flour have been added.
5. Add egg whites, one at a time and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds after each addition. Add pink food coloring, stirring after each drop until the desired shade of pink is reached. (I used 5-6 drops.)
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top to an even layer with an offset knife or spatula. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean OR (best way to determine doneness) until an instant thermometer inserted into the center of the cake registers 200-210˚F.
7. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack. (The flat bottom of the cake now becomes the top.)
8. Slowly brush the cake on the top and sides with the strawberry glaze (recipe below - make it while the cake is baking). Some will drip off but most of it will be absorbed. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the optional buttercream.
9. If you decide to go with the buttercream, scrape it out onto the center of the cake then spread with an offset spatula or knife. Swirl the buttercream decoratively with the back of a spoon, if desired. Sprinkle with nonpareils, if desired.

For the strawberry glaze:

1. While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. Combine diced strawberries with the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl or cup (not too small as the mixture will bubble up in the microwave). Stir to combine. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir then microwave for 1 more minute.
2. Pour the strawberry mixture into a fine-mesh strainer that’s been set over a bowl and allow the strawberry juice to drain into the bowl. Stir the mixture every now and then and press on the solids with the back of a spoon to push out all of the juice.
3. You should end up with about ¼ cup of strawberry juice. If you have a bit more, discard †he excess. If it’s not quite a ¼ cup, add a bit of water to equal ¼ cup.
4. Add the powdered sugar to the strawberry juice and stir well until lump free. If it is difficult to dissolve the lumps you can microwave the mixture for 20-30 seconds then stir well again.

For the buttercream: (optional)

1. Place the butter in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl and cook on high power for 1 minute or until melted. Remove from the microwave and add the half and half or cream, the vanilla and almond extracts and the powdered sugar.
2. Whisk until smooth and creamy. It should be a nice spreadable consistency. If it’s a little thin you can add a bit more powdered sugar. If it seems a little thick, add a bit more half-and-half or cream.