In a large bowl whisk all cake ingredients together with a hand mixer on medium speed for 4 minutes.
After mixing pour you batter into 6 sprayed 6″ pans and bake for 30 minutes at 350º Fahrenheit.
Check with a toothpick before the 30 minutes to make sure cake is cooking correctly.
Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer whisk until combined.
Place bowl over a pot with 1-2″ of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160º Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer (approx. 3mins)
Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled.
Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.
Add flavorings as desired whip until smooth.
Bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil.
Add 1 tablespoon of basil paste to the pot and stir well. Remove from heat after mixing and allow to cool to room temperature.