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1
Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325u00b0. Line bottoms of two greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper.
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2
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract.
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3
In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Transfer to prepared pans.
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4
For meringue, with clean beaters, beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Spread over batter in pans; sprinkle with almonds.
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5
Bake 28-32 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Cool completely in pans on wire racks (meringue will crack).
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6
Meanwhile, for filling, in a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
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7
In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool completely.
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8
Loosen edges of cakes from pans with a knife. Using two large spatulas, carefully remove one cake to a serving plate, meringue side up. Gently spread with filling. Arrange strawberries over filling. Top with remaining cake layer, meringue side up. If desired, serve with whipped cream. Refrigerate leftovers.
