# 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, room temperature
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
10 - Blue gel food coloring (navy, royal, light blue shades)
→ Vanilla Buttercream
11 - 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, 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, if using gold dust)
# Directions:
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 - Using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs individually, mixing well after each addition; blend in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the wet mixture in three batches, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
06 - Distribute batter evenly into three bowls. Tint each portion progressively with blue food coloring to create an ombre gradient.
07 - Transfer each tinted batter into the prepared pans. Smooth tops evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
08 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove and finish cooling on wire racks.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar. Mix in vanilla extract, salt, and enough milk or cream to reach a spreadable consistency.
10 - Reserve 1 cup of buttercream for the crumb coat. Color the remaining buttercream with dark blue gel food coloring for the final layer.
11 - Level each cake layer. Arrange darkest layer on serving plate, apply buttercream, stack next lighter layer, and repeat. Top with lightest blue layer.
12 - Spread a thin layer of reserved plain buttercream around the cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
13 - Smooth dark blue buttercream over the cake. For ombre effect, fade lighter blue hues toward the top.
14 - Place edible gold leaf or brush gold dust (mixed with clear alcohol) to create decorative streaks and edges.
15 - Store cake in refrigerator until ready to serve.
