• In a large bowl with a mixer add all the ingredients in the order they are listed. Cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, water, egg whites, butter, sour cream, oil, almond, and vanilla flavors. For a more intense flavor cake you can use more vanilla or lemon, but with almond more is often too much.
• Mix on low speed until the mix starts blending, then turn onto medium speed and mix for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and under the beater after the first minute to be sure they combine fully, then continue mixing until well blended.
• Pour the cake batter evenly amongst the two pans and tap the pans gently on the counter so the batter is level in the pans.
• Bake at 335° (not 325° and not 350° for a well-risen cake that isn't dark in color). I have the oven rack set just above the center and it bakes evenly.
• I start timing the cake at 40 minutes, then I test them about every 5 minutes if it's still loose in the middle, if it's just wet on a toothpick, test every 2 minutes. until they are just set and a toothpick comes out clean when tested in the center of the bake.
• Remove the cakes from the oven, and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
• I prefer to refrigerate the cake overnight so it stays moist, is firmer, and not quite so fluffy. Alternatively, you can wrap and freeze the cake.

Frosting

• In the bowl of a mixer beat butter smooth so it's light and fluffy.
• Then add the powdered sugar and heavy cream or milk, and mix on high until whipped and smooth.
• separate the frosting into 4 bowls and color the frosting leaving some white, one red, and one or two blue (one light and one dark).
• Decide how many piping tips you'll use and fill the piping bags fitted with piping tips.
• Start with the largest piping tip (mine was the 2D tip and white frosting) and make the rose shares then add dollops of the remaining colors randomly around the cake until it's covered completely.