Pink Almond Party Cake

Ingredients

• 1 box cake mix white
• 2 teaspoons almond extract 
• 6 drops food coloring red
• 4 oz candy coating disks chopped (almond bark)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 
• 1 serving food coloring red
• 0.5 cup butter softened
• 0.3 cup shortening 
• 1 teaspoon almond extract 
• 4 cups powdered sugar 
• 4 tablespoons milk 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• knife
• hand mixer
• aluminum foil
• microwave
• peeler

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom and sides of two 9- or 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
2. Pour into pans.
3. Bake and cool as directed on box for 9- or 8-inch rounds.
4. Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave candy coating uncovered on High 1 minute, stirring twice, until melted and smooth. Stir in 2 teaspoons oil. Spoon about half the melted coating into another bowl; stir in 2 or 3 drops food color to tint light pink.
5. Line 6-oz custard cup or other small bowl with foil.
6. Pour half of the untinted coating into foil-lined bowl. Drop half of the pink coating on top; pull a knife through coatings to make marbled design. Repeat with remaining untinted and tinted coatings, adding on top of marbled coatings. Refrigerate about 20 minutes or until set; remove from refrigerator. (If refrigerated longer, let stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften.)
7. In large bowl, beat butter, shortening, 1 teaspoon almond extract, the powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons of the milk with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Beat on medium speed, adding enough of the remaining 1 tablespoon milk until fluffy and spreadable.
8. Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on serving plate; frost top. Top with second layer, rounded side up. Frost side and top of cake.
9. Remove coating from bowl; peel off foil. With vegetable peeler, make curls by pulling peeler around outside edge of block of coating.
10. Place curls on top of cake. Store loosely covered.