# 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 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)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly into three bowls. Tint each bowl using blue gel food coloring to achieve light, medium, and dark blue gradient.
07 - Spoon each colored batter into prepared pans and smooth the tops.
08 - Bake for 25 to 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 blend in powdered sugar. Add vanilla, salt, and milk or cream little by little until achieving a spreadable consistency.
10 - Reserve 1 cup plain buttercream for crumb coating. Tint the remainder with dark blue gel color for final coating.
11 - Trim each cake layer if necessary. Position the darkest blue layer on a serving plate, spread with a thin layer of buttercream, and add the next lighter layer. Repeat with the lightest layer on top.
12 - Apply a thin crumb coat of reserved buttercream to the entire cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
13 - Frost cake smoothly with blue buttercream. For ombre, blend lighter blue tones toward the top if desired.
14 - Place edible gold leaf or brush gold dust mixed with clear alcohol onto cake surface for decorative accents.
15 - Chill cake until service time.
