Preheat oven to 180°C and line three 18cm cake tins.
Cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs and almond extract.
Fold in flour and milk, then divide mixture into three bowls.
Tint one bowl blue, one bowl red, and leave the third plain.
Bake the mixtures in the tins for 20-25 minutes until golden.
Cool cakes in tins for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Boil 100ml water and 250g sugar to 121°C without stirring.
Whisk egg whites until stiff, adding remaining sugar gradually.
Briefly plunge the syrup pan into cold water to stop the cooking.
Slowly pour hot syrup into the whisking egg whites until lukewarm.
Whisk in butter, salt, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.
Assemble cakes with jam and frosting, then chill for 15 minutes.
Coat the exterior with remaining frosting and add bunting decorations.