Dragon Fruit Cake

Instructions

• Place dragon fruit flesh in a blender or food processor and purée. Transfer purée 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 one at a time; beat until yolks disappear.
• Combine milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract together in a cup and set aside.
• Add 1/2 flour mixture to creamed butter mixture, beating until just combined. Add 1/2 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 purée and very lightly swirl into cake batter.
• Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in 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 purée, beating until combined and purée is completely incorporated.
• Place one cake layer top-side up on a serving plate; place strips of waxed paper under edges of cake to keep the plate clean. Spread approximately 1/2 vanilla buttercream frosting on top. Top with second layer, bottom-side up and lightly frost top and sides with remaining vanilla buttercream frosting.
• Apply dragon fruit cream cheese icing to top and sides of cake, leaving some of vanilla buttercream frosting showing through.