DRAGON FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Place dragon fruit flesh in a blender or food processor and puree. Transfer puree to a bowl and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
• Sift cake flour, all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Cream 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time; beat until yolks disappear.
• Combine milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract together in a cup and set aside.
• Add 1/2 the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture, beating until just combined. Add 1/2 the 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 puree and very lightly swirl into the cake batter.
• Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
• 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.
• 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 puree, beating until combined and puree is completely incorporated.
• Place one cake layer top-side up on a serving plate; place strips of waxed paper under the edges of the cake to keep the plate clean. Spread approximately 1/2 the vanilla buttercream frosting on top. Top with the second layer, bottom-side up, and lightly frost the top and sides with remaining vanilla buttercream frosting.
• Apply dragon fruit cream cheese icing to the top and sides of the cake, leaving some of the vanilla buttercream frosting showing through.