Best Buttermilk Birthday Cake

INGREDIENTS

3 cups

cake flour

2 cups

superfine sugar

1 tbsp

+ 1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp

salt

1 cup

(227g/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups

buttermilk, room temperature

2 tsp

vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract (you can also use seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean)

1/4 tsp

pure almond extract

whole eggs, room temperature

1 cup

(230g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup

vegetable shortening

3 tbsp

clear corn syrup (see notes)

1 tbsp

pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp

lemon extract

2 1/2 cups

confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp

fine salt

1/2 cup

cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup

sprinkles, preferably jimmies + coated chips (I used Sweetapolita Sugar Cookie medley)

Few drops turquoise gel color (see notes)

Piping tip Ateco #887

" piping bag