Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line three 5” or 6” inch cake pans with parchment paper. (I used 5 inch for my dragon cakes)
Whisk the eggs, milk, and almond extract together in a large bowl; set aside.
In a mixer, gently combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together.
Add butter and mix on low until you get a crumbly texture.
Add the liquid mixture a small portion at a time and mix until light and fluffy.
Pour the batter evenly into each cake pan.
Bake 25-30 minutes. You don’t want to over bake! Check at 15-20 minutes to test if it’s done by placing a toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pans.
Frosting Directions
In a mixer, cream the butter until it is smooth for about 3 minutes.
Add the confectioner's sugar 1/2 a cup at a time then mix another minute.
Add vanilla, a pinch of salt and milk until frosting has reached the preferred consistency.
If making the Night Fury cake, mix in black food gel a few drops at a time until you get the desired color.
Assembling the Cake
Make the top of the cakes even by using a serrated knife and cutting the cake top to level the surface.
Place bottom cake layer on a cake turntable or cake board and spread frosting to the top. Repeat until entire cake is assembled.
Complete frosting the cake by adding one thin layer all over and placing cake into the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then add the final layer of frosting.
Add the How to Train Your Dragon printables into the cake as shown for the dragon.
Notes
*This recipe is for 1 cake. Double the cake recipe to make two cakes. If you prefer to use a cake mix: Use 2 cake mix boxes for one three layer cake. IMPORTANT: When paper touches the buttercream frosting, it can make the paper greasy. When inserting your printables into the cake, try leaving a gap between the paper and the cake if possible. I suggest not adding the printables until right before you are ready to display or serve the cake.
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