Confetti cake: three-layer nine-inch sprinkle cake with cream cheese frosting

Reverse creaming: put the cake flour, salt, sugar, baking soda and baking powder in the stand mixer and pulse with the paddle to combine.

Preheat the oven to 350, with racks in the upper and lower thirds so no pan sits directly above another.

Grease three nine-inch cake pans with oil using a pastry brush, lay in parchment and brush it down to remove air pockets.

Beat the egg whites and whole eggs just until streak-free, then add the vanilla and almond extracts.

Add the very soft butter, the oil and a little of the buttermilk to the dry ingredients; pulse until the flour hydrates, then beat about a minute for some gluten development.

Add the rest of the liquid ingredients, the eggs and extracts, increasing speed as they incorporate; then beat on high a minute or two to whip in air.

Scrape down and fold in the sprinkles.

Weigh the batter into the pans, about 1 pound 12 ounces each, and smooth with an offset spatula.

Bake 30 minutes, rotate the pans between racks, then bake another 10 to 15 minutes, 40 to 45 total, until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely in the pans.

For the frosting, beat the room-temperature cream cheese, then the butter, then a generous pinch of salt; add the confectioner's sugar, cover the mixer and pulse, then beat smooth and add a little vanilla. Chill if loose.

Level the domed layers horizontally with a serrated knife.

Lay strips of parchment on a cake stand, put a dollop of frosting in the centre and set the first layer on it; dab the cut side with milk as a soak.

Spread about one cup of frosting, stopping short of the edge, and repeat with the next layer; soak the last layer and set it upside down.

Apply a thin crumb coat and chill.

Frost the top and sides, smoothing with a bench scraper held at an angle while spinning the cake; scrape any ridge from the edge toward the centre.

Decorate with sprinkles and pull out the parchment strips.