# 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)
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
03 - Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the dry mixture and milk to the batter in three additions, beginning and ending with flour, mixing until just combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly among three bowls. Tint each with a distinct shade of blue gel coloring from light to dark.
07 - Transfer each colored batter into the prepared pans, smoothing surfaces for uniform layers.
08 - Bake layers for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then mix in vanilla, salt, and milk or cream until smooth and spreadable.
10 - Reserve 1 cup buttercream for crumb coating. Tint remaining buttercream with dark blue gel color for the final presentation.
11 - Level cooled layers. Place the darkest blue layer on a serving plate, spread a thin layer of buttercream, stack next lighter layer, repeat, and finish with the lightest.
12 - Spread reserved plain buttercream over cake to seal crumbs. Chill for 20 minutes.
13 - Frost cake with dark blue buttercream, blending lighter tones upward for ombre finish as desired.
14 - Apply edible gold leaf or brush on gold dust mixed with clear alcohol in streaks or along edges for celebratory detail.
15 - Refrigerate cake until ready for presentation.
