# What You 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)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly into three bowls. Tint each bowl with blue gel food coloring to create a gradient from light to dark blue.
07 - Pour each colored batter into a prepared pan. Smooth the tops. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. Mix in vanilla extract, salt, and milk or cream until buttercream is smooth and spreadable.
09 - Reserve 1 cup of buttercream for the crumb coat. Tint the remaining buttercream with dark blue gel color for the final coat.
10 - Level each cake layer if necessary. Place the darkest blue layer on a serving plate. Spread a thin layer of buttercream. Stack the next lighter blue layer and repeat. Top with the lightest layer.
11 - Apply a thin crumb coat of reserved plain buttercream over the entire cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
12 - Frost the cake smoothly with dark blue buttercream. For an ombre effect, blend in lighter blue tones toward the top if desired.
13 - Apply edible gold leaf or brush gold dust mixed with clear alcohol in decorative streaks or along the edges.
14 - Chill the cake until ready to serve.
