1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle piece of parchment paper. Finally, spray with pan spray one more time.

   Using parchment paper is a full-proof way of removing your cake from the pans.

MAKE THE BATTER:

1. First, sift cake flour into a bowl. If using measuring cups, spoon the sifted flour into a measuring cup and level off with a knife. This will give you the most accurate flour measurement.
   215 grams cake flour
2. In a medium bowl, mix cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Set the dry ingredients to the side.
   6 grams unsweetened natural cocoa powder, 6 grams salt
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk, sourdough discard, almond extract, and red food coloring until smooth. Set aside.

   Red food coloring: (Add 30 - 45g (2-3 T) of red food coloring or 6-9 drops of food gel, but you can add more or less depending on your preference. More will give you a more vibrant red color **see notes below for substitutions

   You can us active sourdough starter, just be sure to use the same amount in grams.
   240 grams milk, 280 grams sourdough discard, 4 grams almond or vanilla extract, red food coloring
4. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and sugar until creamy on medium speed, about 2-3 minutes. Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when necessary.

   This can also be done with a hand mixer.
   113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature, 350 grams sugar
5. To the butter/sugar mixture, add the beaten eggs. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy and a pale yellow color, about 2-3 minutes more.
   2 eggs
6. Now, alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the stand mixer. First add a third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the liquid ingredients. Be sure not to over-mix the cake batter! This can lead to a tough crumb. Stop mixing once the flour mixture is just combined.
7. In a separate bowl, mix the baking soda and vinegar. It will bubble and fizz. Fold this into the batter. You will notice the batter will look fluffy.
   6 grams baking soda, 4 grams white vinegar

Bake

1. Divide and pour batter into the two prepared pans. Gently tap the pans on the counter to release any air bubbles in the batter.
2. Place both cake pans into the oven on the middle oven rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cakes.
3. Cool the warm cake on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

1. With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the soft butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when necessary.
   226 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
2. Add the powdered sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and salt and mix until combined.

   You can omit the almond extract and replace with 4g (1 tsp) more of vanilla extract.
   585 grams powdered sugar, 4 grams almond extract, 4 grams vanilla extract, 30 grams heavy cream, pinch of salt
3. If the frosting is too thick, add up to 1 T of heavy cream. If the frosting is too thin, add up to 1/2 cup of extra powdered sugar until it has reached the desired consistency.