1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.
2. Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Cream Eggs and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with a stand or electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. Incorporate Butter and Extract: Add the softened butter and almond extract to the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until fully combined.
5. Combine Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
6. Add Sour Cream: Blend in the sour cream until the batter is smooth. Note: The batter will be thick.
7. Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the pans, filling each halfway. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool: Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack.

Make the Frosting:

1. Beat Butter: Beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy (about 30 seconds).
2. Add Ingredients: Add powdered sugar, cherry juice, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Mix on high speed for 3 minutes until fluffy.
3. Stir in Cherries: Carefully fold in the chopped maraschino cherries. Adjust cream for desired consistency.

Assemble the Cake:

1. Build and Layer: Position one cake round on a serving plate. Generously spread frosting over the top, then layer the second cake.
2. Crumb Coat: Apply a thin layer of frosting around the cake. Freeze for 10 minutes.
3. Final Frosting: Finish with a thick, even coat of frosting. Add your favorite decorations.