• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan.
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), beat the butter on high for two minutes until it's light and creamy. Add in the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vanilla and sour cream, turn the mixer to high, and beat for one full minute. It will look curdled at this point, but don’t worry – it will become smooth cake batter at the end.
• Add in the dry ingredients all at once and turn the mixer to low speed. Mix until just combined, then slowly pour in the milk. Continue to mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting. 

Make the Hot Cocoa Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle.
• Whisk the hot cocoa powder into the whole milk and set aside. Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and hot cocoa mixture and stir on low until just combined.
• Ensure that the hot water has been heated to a simmer, then with the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream. Turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Make the Peppermint Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the sifted powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add vanilla extract, peppermint extract, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated.
• Reserve half of the peppermint buttercream in a separate bowl. Add red food color gel to the half that’s still in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on low until you achieve a red color. Keep in mind that it may take 30 minutes or more for the color to deepen and develop fully.

Make the Chocolate Ganache (Optional)

• Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal). In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft simmer starting in the middle. When it's reached this point, pour the cream into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds.
• Whisk the mixture together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Allow to cool at room temperature for 10-20 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature or slightly above, before using it as a drip. See the notes below for making this part ahead or troubleshooting if you don’t get the timing just right for your drip.

Assembly

• Once the Hot Cocoa Cake layers have cooled completely, level and torte each one to your desired height. Place the first layer onto a cake turntable.
• Prepare two piping bags by snipping off a ½ inch opening. Fill the first piping bag with red tinted Peppermint Buttercream and the second with marshmallow fluff. Pipe a circle of red Peppermint Buttercream along the outer edge of the cake layer on your turntable. Then, alternate piping subsequent smaller circles of marshmallow fluff and red Peppermint Buttercream until you reach the center of the cake layer. The filling should look like a bullseye.
• Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the filling process before adding the final layer on top, upside down so that the bottom of the layer is the top of the cake. Crumb coat the cake with red Peppermint Buttercream. Place the crumb coated cake into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the frosting firm up.
• Frost the crumb coated cake with the un-tinted Peppermint Buttercream and use this tutorial to create red and white stripes with a cake comb. Once the cake has its final layer of frosting, place it back into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before dripping with chocolate ganache.
• Finish the look with Peppermint Buttercream swirls along the top edge of the cake (I used Wilton Tip 4B for the ones pictured), then sprinkle crushed candy canes and mini marshmallows all over the top.

Make the German Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Add about an inch of water into a medium saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Place the chocolate and hot coffee, or water, into a heat safe bowl and place it on top of the simmering saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water in the saucepan. Whisk the chopped chocolate mixture constantly until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is homogenous. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), beat the butter for on high for two minutes until it's light and creamy. Add 1 1/4 Cups of the sugar (set aside the remaining 1/4 Cup) and continue to mix on high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. 
• Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs yolks one at a time. Add the vanilla and the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Turn the mixer back to low and add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until the ingredients start to come together.
• In a separate bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at high speed. Drizzle in the 1/4 cup of the reserved sugar and continue to beat on high for 2 minutes, until soft peaks form. Fold about one Cup of the whipped egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then carefully fold the remaining the egg whites into the batter.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans (be sure to fill the pans no more than 2/3 full) and smooth the tops. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack or baking sheet to cool for a few more hours. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make the Coconut Pecan Caramel Frosting

• Place the chopped pecans into a pan and toast them over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugars, evaporated milk, egg yolks, cubed butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to boil and thicken, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the toasted pecans, coconut, and vanilla extract. The frosting will look very soupy at first, but will thicken as it cools. Let cool for about an hour, until room temperature and spreadable.

Make the Chocolate Buttercream

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and turn the mixer to low, then add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Increase the speed to medium and beat for two full minutes.

Assembly

• Once the cakes are fully cooled, torte each layer to level the tops. Fill a piping bag with Chocolate Buttercream and snip off about 1/2 inch opening. Starting with the bottom layer, pipe a circle of Chocolate Buttercream around the edge of the top and fill the inside with Coconut Pecan Caramel Frosting. Add the next cake layer on top and repeat the process of piping the Chocolate Buttercream circle and filling it in with Coconut Pecan Caramel Frosting. Add the final cake layer, upside down, on top. If you need it, here's a tutorial on this method of filling and stacking cake layers.
• Frost a thin layer of Chocolate buttercream all over the cake, smoothing the sides and top to create a semi-naked finish. Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to let the frosting firm up a bit.
• Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M and fill it with the remaining Chocolate Buttercream. Pipe swirls all around the top of the cake, then fill in the center with Coconut Pecan Caramel Frosting. Generously sprinkle the top with toasted pecans and coconut flakes. Frost a very thin line of Chocolate Buttercream around the bottom edge of the cake and press more toasted pecans and coconut flakes onto it.

Make The Peanut Butter Layer Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and a wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add in white sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter and continue to mix on medium-high for another three minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on medium-high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the whole milk and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. Batter will be thick.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full), smooth the tops, and bake for 35-40 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make The Chocolate Peanut Butter Buttercream

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until very creamy and well combined, about three minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and turn the mixer to low, then add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Increase the speed to medium and beat for two full minutes.

Assembly

• Fill and frost the Peanut Butter Cake layers with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Buttercream. If you want to recreate the look that’s pictured, frost a smooth finish with the buttercream, then refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes. Prepare a piping bag with Wilton Tip 4B, fill it with more Chocolate Peanut Butter Buttercream, then pipe open stars in an ombre pattern on the sides of the cake. Use the same piping tip to create a buttercream border on top, then top the cake with mini peanut butter cups and gold sprinkles. 

Make The Coconut Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker’s Joy is my favorite) and a wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter on high for two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Slowly add the egg whites while mixing on low until well combined. Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the canned coconut milk slowly and mix until just incorporated. Gently fold in the shredded coconut by hand, making sure you scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl without overmixing.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 full) and bake for 40-45 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make The Coconut-Almond Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
• Add the powdered sugar, a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, coconut extract, milk, and salt. Mix on medium-low for another minute or two until fully incorporated.

Make The Milk Chocolate Ganache

• Place milk chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal) and set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to boil. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft boil starting in the middle. When you see that it’s just starting to boil, pour it into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for twenty seconds.
• Whisk the mixture together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature.

Assembly

• Torte the Coconut Cake layers to level off the tops. Place the first cake layer onto a cake circle and fill it with Coconut-Almond Buttercream, then drizzle with a little bit of Milk Chocolate Ganache (make sure it’s room temp or cooler). Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the filling process before adding the last layer of Coconut Cake on top. Crumb coat with Coconut-Almond Buttercream and place the cake in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to firm up before your final frosting.
• To achieve the design pictured, frost the cake with a final layer of Coconut-Almond Buttercream and add almond slices around the bottom of the cake. Drip the cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache (for tips on dripping a cake read this post!). Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M and fill it with more Coconut-Almond buttercream, then pipe a rope border around the top edge. Fill in the center with shredded coconut and sprinkle some on top of the rope border, then add more almond slices to the rope border.

Make The Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and a wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Combine the whole milk and coffee in a small container and set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add in white and brown sugars and continue to mix on high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more. 
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the coffee and whole milk mixture and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. Batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (about 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 35-40 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make The Vanilla Espresso Buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down bowl and paddle a few times in between.
• Add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down bowl and paddle between intervals. Mix on medium until fully incorporated. 
• Turn mixer to low and add vanilla and milk. Mix on medium for one minute. Scrape down bowl and paddle and add the instant espresso powder and salt. Mix for another minute on medium until incorporated.

Assembly

• Torte each layer to desired height. Fill the first layer with vanilla espresso buttercream and place the second layer on top. Fill the second layer with vanilla espresso buttercream before placing the final layer on top. Crumb coat with vanilla espresso buttercream and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill before frosting with a final layer of vanilla espresso buttercream.
• Decorate however you wish. I’ve chosen to decorate with a chocolate ganache drip, a few swirls on top with Wilton tip 1M, and garnish with crushed Speculoos cookies and chocolate covered espresso beans. 

Make the Pretzel Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F and prepare three 6-inch cake pans or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting a parchment or wax paper circle to the bottom of each pan. 
• In a food processor, grind the salted pretzels into fine crumbs. Keep in mind that 1 1/2 Cups of whole pretzels equals about 2/3 cups of finely ground crumbs. Place the ground pretzels into a medium sized bowl and add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside. 
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in sugar and continue to mix on high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more. 
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the milk slowly and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps (without over-mixing). The batter will be slightly thick, but pourable. 
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 30-35 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting. 

Make the Nutella Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes.
• Add the sifted powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add the Nutella and beat on med-high for a full minute. Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another minute until fully incorporated. 

Make the Nutella Ganache

• Measure Nutella into a heatproof bowl and set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high, heat the heavy whipping cream until small bubbles form (just before the start of a rolling boil), stirring constantly with a whisk. Once the cream begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the Nutella. Let sit for about 30 seconds before whisking together until the consistency is uniform and well blended. Let it cool to room temperature before using on the cake. 

Assembly

• Once the Pretzel Cakes have cooled completely, use a cake leveler to torte them before filling and frosting with the Nutella Buttercream. To create the design pictured, create a smooth Nutella Buttercream finish and add salted pretzel bits around the bottom third of the cake.
• Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before dripping with Nutella ganache (here are some drip cake tips for success if you need them!), then place the cake back into the refrigerator for another 5-10 minutes to let the Nutella ganache set up. Finish by piping swirls of Nutella Buttercream around the top edge of the cake with Wilton Tip 1M and add more salted pretzels wherever you'd like!

Make the Mint Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.

Make the Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes. 
• Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, mixing on low and scraping down after each addition to make sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated.
• Add a few drops of green food color gel until the desired shade of mint green is reached. Then, gently fold in the chopped chocolate.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

• Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal).
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to boil. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft boil starting in the middle. When you see that it’s just starting to boil, pour it into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for one minute. 
• Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature. 

Assembly

• Torte the cooled Mint Chocolate Cake layers and place the first one on top of a cardboard cake circle, ensuring it stays put with a swipe of buttercream between the cake and cardboard. Add a layer of Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream as filling, followed by a layer of crushed Thin Mint cookies. Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the fillings before placing the final cake layer, upside down, on top.
• To create the design pictured, frost the cake with Mint Chocolate Chip buttercream and place it into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to firm up before adding the chocolate ganache. Once the chocolate ganache has reached room temperature and the cake finish is chilled, drip the cake with it (here is a great tutorial on how to drip cakes). Place back into the refrigerator for at least five minutes before finishing the cake with buttercream piping and more Thin Mint cookies.

Make The Lemon Layer Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker’s Joy is my favorite) and a wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans. 
• Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add in sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more. 
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the milk slowly and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. 
• Pour batter into prepared cake pans (no more than 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 30-35 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make The Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on high until light, fluffy, and uniform (no lumps), about five minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the lemon juice and salt, mixing on low for another 30 seconds. 

Assembly

• After the lemon cake is cooled, torte each layer to remove the excess cake dome. Fill and frost with lemon cream cheese buttercream. To replicate the design pictured, after crumb coating the cake, divide the lemon cream cheese buttercream amongst three separate bowls. Color one bowl with yellow food coloring (I used Americolor Lemon Yellow). Mix a little of the yellow buttercream into another bowl of plain white to create a middle yellow shade. You should now have one bowl of deep yellow buttercream, one bowl of mid-yellow buttercream, and one bowl of white buttercream.
• Frost the bottom third of the cake with the deepest shade of yellow buttercream, the middle third with the mid-tone buttercream, and the top third with white buttercream. Smooth it with an icing smoother to create an ombre finish. Top with pretty piping, oven dried lemon slices, and a few yellow and white sprinkles for good measure.

Make The Lemon Layer Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/177ºC. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of each pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans. 
• In a medium bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), beat the butter on high for two minutes until creamy. Add in the sugar and continue to cream on medium-high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the sour cream, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 1 minute, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more. 
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the milk slowly and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.

Make The Blueberry Buttercream

• With a food processor, grind the freeze dried blueberries into a fine powder and set aside. Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla, milk, and blueberry powder and continue to mix on medium for 3 minutes.
• Add the powdered sugar in two additions, mixing on low until fully incorporated. Add the salt and continue to mix on low for another 30 seconds. 

Assembly

• After torting the cake layers, fill and frost them with the blueberry buttercream. To replicate the look of the cake design pictured, frost the cake with a smooth layer of blueberry buttercream, then refrigerate it for about 20 minutes to let it firm up. 
• Prepare two piping bags by fitting the first with Wilton Tip 1M and the second with Wilton Tip 4B, then fill both with blueberry buttercream. Pipe rosettes and stars in a diagonal design on the front of the cake, then continue the pattern partially around the top edge. Add some fresh blueberries and yellow sprinkles onto the piping wherever you desire.