# 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, light blue)
→ 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 to 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 to 2 tablespoons clear alcohol (vodka or lemon extract, for gold dust application)
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
03 - Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the batter in three additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly into three bowls. Tint each with blue gel food coloring to create gradient shades from light to dark.
07 - Pour each colored batter into prepared cake pans. Smooth tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating thoroughly. Mix in vanilla, salt, and milk or cream until a spreadable consistency forms.
09 - Reserve 1 cup of buttercream for crumb coating. Tint remaining buttercream with dark blue gel food coloring for final frosting.
10 - Level cake layers if needed. Place the darkest blue layer on a serving plate. Spread buttercream, then add the next lighter layer and repeat. Finish with the lightest layer.
11 - Apply a thin layer of reserved plain buttercream over the entire cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
12 - Frost cake smoothly with dark blue buttercream. For ombre effect, blend lighter blue tones toward the top as desired.
13 - Apply edible gold leaf or brush gold dust mixed with clear alcohol as decorative accents on the cake surface.
14 - Chill cake until ready to serve.
