Preheat oven to 350 degrees and adjust oven rack to lower middle position.
In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and corn meal.
Add 11/2 cups of sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in a separate bowl and mix well.
Throw in the flour mixture in the bowl above and mix well so that there are no dry lumps and everything is well combined.
Prepare the cake pan (I used a mini bundt pan) greasing it with melted butter and then throwing in some cornmeal or flour and shaking off the excess.
Pour the batter into the prepares pans. Bake until top is browned and knife inserted comes out clean. It took me 35 mins as I baked in mini bundt pans. If you are baking in a cake pan, it might take a little longer and about 40-45 mins.
Let the cakes cool in the pan for a good 30 mins. This is extremely important especially for these cornmeal cakes as they may break while you try to unmold them.
After 30 mins, run paring knife across the edges and invert the cakes on a parchment lined plate.After unmolding, let them cool for at least an hour. Now for the cream cheese frosting, using a hand mixed first whip the softened cream cheese for 2 mins. Add the softened butter to it and whip again.
Now add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract and whip again until the mix comes together.
Frost the top of the cakes with this cream cheese frosting and top with thinly sliced strawberries.
Finish off with a drizzle of maple syrup.
