# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Layers
01 - 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, at room temperature
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
10 - Blue gel food coloring (navy, royal, and light blue shades)
→ Vanilla Buttercream
11 - 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
12 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
14 - 3–4 tablespoons milk or cream
15 - Pinch of salt
16 - Dark blue gel food coloring
→ Gold Decoration
17 - Edible gold leaf or edible gold dust
18 - 1–2 tablespoons clear alcohol (vodka or lemon extract, if using gold dust)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, for 3–4 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, then blend in the vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and milk in three portions, beginning and ending with the flour blend. Mix just until incorporated.
06 - Divide the batter equally into three bowls. Color each with increasing levels of blue gel food coloring to create a gradient from light to dark blue.
07 - Transfer each colored batter into a prepared cake pan, smoothing the tops. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
08 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and allow to cool completely.
09 - Beat unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually incorporate the powdered sugar. Add vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and milk or cream as needed for desired consistency.
10 - Reserve 1 cup of plain buttercream for the crumb coat. Tint the remaining buttercream with dark blue gel color for final exterior frosting.
11 - Level each cake layer as needed. Place the darkest blue layer on a serving plate, spread buttercream, stack the lighter blue layer, and repeat with the lightest layer.
12 - Apply a thin layer of reserved plain buttercream as a crumb coat. Chill the assembled cake for 20 minutes.
13 - Smooth a thick layer of dark blue buttercream over the cake. Blend lighter tones towards the top for an ombre effect as desired.
14 - Apply edible gold leaf or brush edible gold dust (mixed with clear alcohol) in decorative streaks or at cake edges.
15 - Refrigerate the finished cake until ready to present.
