# 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 Steps:
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 mixing bowl.
03 - Beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Blend in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the dry flour mixture and whole milk in three additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix gently until just combined.
06 - Equally divide batter into three bowls. Tint each with varying intensities of blue gel food coloring for a gradient effect.
07 - Pour each colored batter into a prepared cake pan, smoothing tops evenly.
08 - Bake layers for 25 to 30 minutes. Cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool fully.
09 - Beat unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating to incorporate. Mix in vanilla, salt, and milk or cream until the buttercream reaches a spreadable consistency.
10 - Reserve 1 cup of plain buttercream for crumb coating. Tint the remainder with dark blue gel color.
11 - Level cooled cake layers as needed. Position the darkest blue layer on a cake turntable or serving plate. Cover with buttercream. Stack the next lighter blue layer and repeat finishing with the lightest layer.
12 - Spread a thin crumb coat over the assembled cake using reserved plain buttercream. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.
13 - Frost the cake smoothly with blue-tinted buttercream. To achieve ombre, blend lighter shades toward the top as desired.
14 - Apply edible gold leaf or brush gold dust mixed with clear alcohol onto cake surface in decorative streaks or edges.
15 - Chill until ready to serve. Slice and present for graduation celebration.
