Whisk the butter until light and creamy. Add the sugar, vanilla and almond extract, then whisk until well combined. (It will not be smooth and creamy at this point but rather a bit sandy.)
Add egg whites, one at a time and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds after each addition. Add pink food coloring, stirring after each drop until the desired shade of pink is reached. (I used 5-6 drops.)
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top to an even layer with an offset knife or spatula. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean OR (best way to determine doneness) until an instant thermometer inserted into the center of the cake registers 200-210˚F.
While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. Combine diced strawberries with the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl or cup (not too small as the mixture will bubble up in the microwave). Stir to combine. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir then microwave for 1 more minute.
Pour the strawberry mixture into a fine-mesh strainer that’s been set over a bowl and allow the strawberry juice to drain into the bowl. Stir the mixture every now and then and press on the solids with the back of a spoon to push out all of the juice.
You should end up with about ¼ cup of strawberry juice. If you have a bit more, discard †he excess. If it’s not quite a ¼ cup, add a bit of water to equal ¼ cup.
Add the powdered sugar to the strawberry juice and stir well until lump free. If it is difficult to dissolve the lumps you can microwave the mixture for 20-30 seconds then stir well again.
Place the butter in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl and cook on high power for 1 minute or until melted. Remove from the microwave and add the half and half or cream, the vanilla and almond extracts and the powdered sugar.
Whisk until smooth and creamy. It should be a nice spreadable consistency. If it’s a little thin you can add a bit more powdered sugar. If it seems a little thick, add a bit more half-and-half or cream.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn't have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.
Nutritional information is with just the strawberry glaze.