Type what you have

Ingredients

• ✓ vanilla buttercream frosting
• vanilla extract
• confectioners' sugar
• butter
• cream cheese
• simple syrup
• almond extract
• vanilla extract
• milk
• egg
• butter
• white sugar
• salt
• baking powder
• white sugar
• all-purpose flour
• cake flour
• dragon fruit

Instructions

1. 1 Place dragon fruit flesh in a blender or food processor and purée. Transfer purée to a bowl and set aside.
2. 2 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
3. 3 Sift cake flour, all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
4. 4 Cream 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time; beat until yolks disappear.
5. 5 Combine milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract together in a cup and set aside.
6. 6 Add 1/2 flour mixture to creamed butter mixture, beating until just combined. Add 1/2 milk mixture. Add remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add remaining milk mixture and stir until mixed thoroughly. Add 1/2 cup dragon fruit purée and very lightly swirl into cake batter.
7. 7 Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
8. 8 Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
9. 9 Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes; turn out onto wax-paper lined racks and cool 5 minutes more. Brush tops and sides of cakes with simple syrup.
10. 10 While cakes are cooling completely, beat cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar slowly and beat 3 minutes more. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons dragon fruit purée, beating until combined and purée is completely incorporated.
11. 11 Place one cake layer top-side up on a serving plate; place strips of waxed paper under edges of cake to keep the plate clean. Spread approximately 1/2 vanilla buttercream frosting on top. Top with second layer, bottom-side up and lightly frost top and sides with remaining vanilla buttercream frosting.
12. 12 Apply dragon fruit cream cheese icing to top and sides of cake, leaving some of vanilla buttercream frosting showing through.

By Sandra Garth

Ingredients

• ✓ vanilla buttercream frosting
• instant cheesecake mix
• milk
• cooking spray
• white cake mix
• water
• egg
• canola oil
• vanilla extract
• strawberry

Instructions

1. 1 Beat cheesecake filling mix and milk together in a bowl with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat until thick, about 3 minutes.
2. 2 Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
3. 3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
4. 4 Beat white cake mix, water, eggs, canola oil, and vanilla extract together in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
5. 5 Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake layer comes out clean, 29 to 33 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the cakes onto waxed paper-covered racks and let them cool completely.
6. 6 Place 1 cooled cake layer on a serving plate and spread with a generous layer of cheesecake filling. Slice 1/2 of the strawberries and place on top. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the entire cake with vanilla buttercream. Garnish the top with whole or sliced strawberries.

By Sandra L Garth

Ingredients

• ✓ vanilla buttercream frosting
• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• milk
• white vinegar
• vanilla extract
• white sugar
• lard
• egg
• strawberry

Instructions

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
2. 2 Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. 3 Combine milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract in another bowl.
4. 4 Beat sugar and lard together in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and beat to combine. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture and strawberry puree, making 3 dry and 2 wet additions. Beat for 1 minute. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
5. 5 Drop cake pans 2 to 3 times on the countertop to break any air bubbles.
6. 6 Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto the rack to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes more.
7. 7 Ice cooled cake using vanilla frosting between the layers and on the top and sides.

By Diane