# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Layers
01 - 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 and 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 and 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
10 - Blue gel food coloring (navy, royal, and light blue shades)
→ Vanilla Buttercream
11 - 1 and 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, such as 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 together in a medium mixing bowl.
03 - In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in pure vanilla extract.
05 - Add the flour mixture and whole milk to the wet ingredients in three parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined.
06 - Divide the batter evenly into three bowls. Tint each bowl with blue gel food coloring to achieve a gradient from light to dark blue.
07 - Pour each colored batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. Mix in vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and enough milk or cream to achieve a spreadable consistency.
10 - Reserve 1 cup of buttercream for the crumb coat. Mix the remaining buttercream with dark blue gel coloring to achieve desired color for final coating.
11 - Level the cooled cake layers if needed. Place the darkest blue layer on a serving plate and spread a thin layer of buttercream on top. Stack the next lighter blue layer and repeat. Place the lightest blue layer on top.
12 - Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of reserved plain buttercream as a crumb coat. Chill the cake for 20 minutes.
13 - Spread the dark blue buttercream smoothly over the cake. For an ombre effect, blend lighter blue tones toward the top as desired.
14 - Apply edible gold leaf or brush gold dust, mixed with clear alcohol, in decorative streaks or edges on the cake surface.
15 - Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
