# Components:
→ 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)
# 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 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the creamed butter mixture in three additions, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide the batter evenly into three bowls. Tint each portion with blue gel food coloring, graduating from light to dark blue.
07 - Pour each colored batter into prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer layers to wire racks for complete cooling.
08 - Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well. Blend in vanilla, salt, and enough milk or cream to achieve a spreadable consistency.
09 - Reserve 1 cup plain buttercream for crumb coat. Tint remaining buttercream with dark blue gel coloring for final frosting.
10 - Level cake layers if necessary. Place darkest blue layer on serving plate, spread a thin layer of buttercream, then stack the next lighter layer and repeat. Top with the lightest layer.
11 - Smooth a thin crumb coat with reserved buttercream over entire cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
12 - Frost cake smoothly with dark blue buttercream. For ombre effect, blend lighter blue tones toward the top if desired.
13 - Apply edible gold leaf or brush gold dust mixed with clear alcohol decoratively on cake surface.
14 - Chill cake until serving time to set decorations and frosting.
