# 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 in 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, such as vodka or lemon extract, if using gold dust
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
03 - Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing until fully blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add dry mixture and milk to the batter in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix only until just combined.
06 - Portion batter evenly into three bowls. Tint each with blue gel coloring for graduated intensity.
07 - Transfer each colored batter to a prepared cake pan, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula.
08 - Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, mixing well. Blend in vanilla, salt, and enough milk or cream for a spreadable consistency.
10 - Reserve 1 cup of plain buttercream for crumb coating. Tint remaining buttercream with dark blue gel color for final frosting.
11 - Level cakes if necessary. Set the darkest blue layer onto a serving plate, spread with buttercream, then repeat with medium and light blue layers.
12 - Cover the cake with a thin layer of reserved buttercream. Chill for 20 minutes to set.
13 - Smooth the cake with dark blue buttercream. For a graduated effect, blend in lighter blue tones toward the top, as desired.
14 - Apply edible gold leaf or brush gold dust (mixed with clear alcohol) onto the cake’s surface in streaks or along edges.
15 - Refrigerate the finished cake until ready to present.
