Buttermilk Cinnamon Almond Strawberry Shortcake

I made a cake yesterday.  

I wanted to make a white cake because I had a bunch of egg whites leftover from making ice cream.  But when I was ready to make the batter I didn’t have my computer with me.  

I decided to forge on anyway.  I used the mini whisk I have here and beat the eggs until they were foamy.  Then I added some sugar, cinnamon and almond extract.  Almond extract smells divine.  It only takes a drop to make the whole trailer stop smelling like dirty boys.

Next I melted some butter and added it slowly to the egg mixture.  Then a bit of buttermilk.  When it was nice and foamy I added some flour and baking powder.  After a touch more buttermilk and it had a consistency that I liked.  

So I spread it into 3 pans and let it cook for a while.  

The cakes are more dense than I’d hoped, but it worked well when I put the strawberry filling between the layers.

Lastly I spread a really thin layer of buttercream frosting over the whole thing, because I only had a little bit of powdered sugar.  

And voila!  My “Strawberry Thing”, as George calls it.

Buttermilk Cinnamon Almond Strawberry Shortcake

Recipe:

6 Egg Whites

1 c Sugar

1 t Cinnamon

1/2 t Almond Extract

1/2 c Butter, melted

1/4-1/2 c Buttermilk

2 3/4 c Flour

1 T Baking Powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray three 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray and flour the bottoms of the pans. 

In a large bowl beat the egg whites until foamy.  Add the sugar, cinnamon and almond extract and continue to beat until all ingredients are incorporated.  

Add the butter slowly whisking constantly.  Add 1/4 c buttermilk.  Mix in the flour and baking powder.

Add enough milk to get a thick, sticky batter.  It should still pour easily.

Divide batter evenly among the pans, spread the batter to reach the edges, and place on the middle rack.  (Batter will spread to fairly thin layers)  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cakes are slightly golden.   

Remove from the oven, and immediately run a knife around the edges of the pans. 

Let cool for 3-5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Layer the cakes with strawberry pie filling and spread a thin layer of buttercream over the whole concoction and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.