First things first—preheat that oven to 350°F (175°C). Trust me, nothing worse than being halfway through your batter and realizing the oven’s still cold. Then grab three 8-inch cake pans, give them a quick grease and line them with parchment paper. I’m telling you, this step makes all the difference when it comes time to pop those cakes out. You’ll thank me later!

Now for the dry stuff—grab a medium-sized bowl and whisk together your flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Give it a good mix to combine everything, so when you add the wet ingredients, the dry stuff is evenly spread out. It's like setting the stage for a cake performance—you want everything to be in the right place.

Okay, now we’re getting to the fun part. Grab a big mixing bowl—personally, I swear by my stand mixer for this step—and beat the butter on medium-high for about 3-5 minutes. You’re looking for that light, fluffy texture, almost like whipped cream. When that’s looking good, start adding the egg whites one at a time, making sure each one is fully mixed in before adding the next. It might look a little off at first, but don’t panic! Just trust the process. Then, toss in your vanilla and almond extracts, and give it all a good mix. Honestly, I can already smell the magic coming together. This is the foundation, the start of something delicious—trust me, it’s going to be so worth it!

Alright, here comes the fun part. Add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in parts—start with a little bit of the dry mix, then add some buttermilk, and keep alternating until everything is mixed together. Don’t overdo it with the mixing though. Think of it like folding in a secret ingredient—you want to be gentle, so your cake stays light and fluffy.

Side Note: The buttermilk? It’s the secret sauce for keeping the cake soft and moist. I swear by it.

Oh, this part is my favorite. Gently fold in the sprinkles by hand. This is where all that fun Bluey color comes in! The sprinkles not only make the cake look adorable, but they add little bursts of color and joy in every bite. It’s like a party inside a cake.

Now, divide the batter evenly between your three pans. Use a spatula to smooth the tops—this ensures even baking (and who doesn’t love a perfectly level cake?). Pop them in the oven and let them bake for about 25-30 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Here’s a pro tip I learned the hard way: Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. I know it’s tempting to frost them while they’re still warm, but trust me, you’ll regret it. Warm cakes and frosting don’t mix well. It’s like trying to put clothes on after a long day at the beach—things just don’t stick.

While the cakes cool, let’s whip up that frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until it's nice and creamy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing it until it’s smooth and light. Don’t skip the heavy cream—it adds that perfect silky texture, and let’s not forget the vanilla extract for that lovely flavor.

If you find the frosting’s too thick, just add a splash more cream. I tend to go a little heavy on the frosting because, well, it’s my favorite part. But that’s up to you!

Here comes the fun bit—frosting the cake! Place the first layer on your cake stand or platter. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top, and be sure to spread it out evenly. Repeat with the next two layers, and then go ahead and cover the entire cake with a smooth layer of frosting. You don’t have to worry about perfection here, though! The more imperfectly perfect it is, the more homemade and heartfelt it looks.

Okay, so now we get to the cool part. Divide your frosting into different bowls, and color each batch with gel food coloring—blue for Bluey’s fur, black for outlines, and any other colors you need for details like the eyes and snout. I like to use a piping bag with a round tip for precision when outlining Bluey’s face.