Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). While that's heating up, grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. This step is crucial to ensure that your cakes come out smoothly after baking.

In a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. This step can take a minute or two. Once you're happy with that fluffy texture, gently transfer them to another bowl and pop them in the refrigerator to keep them cool.

In the same mixer bowl (yes, less cleanup!), combine the softened butter. Beat it for about two minutes until it turns a light, pale color. This is where the magic happens. Next, add in the granulated sugar, and mix until the combination has a fluffy appearance, which should take another one or two minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder. Taking that extra minute to measure carefully will pay off in texture later.

In another small bowl or container, combine the 2% milk and almond extract. Set this aside for later.

Now, it’s time to add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Alternate between adding the dry mixture and the milk. Start with a third of the flour mixture, mix, add half of the milk, and repeat until everything is well combined.

With a spatula in hand, gently fold the egg whites into your batter. Be careful not to overmix; you want to maintain that airiness. If you mix too aggressively, the cake could turn out dense.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for about 25-27 minutes. Keep an eye on them; they’re done when the tops bounce back upon touching.

Once done, let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, loosen the edges and carefully remove them, placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes chill, prepare the frosting. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk the flour into the milk until it thickens. Make sure to stir continuously; if it gets too hot, lower your heat. This should take around 12-15 minutes.

Once thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5-10 minutes using an ice bath. Stir in the almond extract for a flavor boost.

If you have a food processor, now's the time to process the sugar until it’s fine. Then, cream the butter and processed sugar in your stand mixer with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy for about five minutes.

Now add that cooled flour mixture to your butter and sugar concoction. Beat it for another 3-5 minutes until fluffy and smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.

When you’re ready, take one of the cooled cakes and place it on your serving platter. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top before carefully placing the other layer on top.

Use the remaining frosting to cover the entire cake. Don’t forget to decorate it with sliced and whole almonds on top and around the sides for that gorgeous finish.