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Perfect School Colors Ombré Layer Cake

school colors ombré layer cake - featured image
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A stunning ombré layer cake featuring school colors, perfect for celebrations like graduations and pep rallies. This easy recipe uses simple ingredients and creates a moist, tender cake with smooth vanilla frosting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 ½ teaspoons (10 g) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed slightly
  • Gel food coloring in various shades of blue (Wilton or AmeriColor recommended)
  • For the Frosting:
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2–3 tablespoons (30–45 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Prep your pans and ingredients (10 minutes): Grease and flour your cake pans or line them with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bring butter and eggs to room temperature.
  2. Mix dry ingredients (5 minutes): Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. Cream butter and sugar (5-7 minutes): Beat softened butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla (3-4 minutes): Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla extract.
  5. Alternate adding flour and milk (5-7 minutes): Add dry ingredients in three parts alternating with warm milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix gently on low speed.
  6. Divide and color the batter (10 minutes): Divide batter evenly into 4-5 bowls. Add increasing amounts of blue gel food coloring to create gradient from light to dark.
  7. Bake the layers (20-25 minutes each): Pour each colored batter into prepared pans. Bake one or two pans at a time, rotating halfway through. Test doneness with toothpick.
  8. Cool completely (30-40 minutes): Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks to cool fully.
  9. Make the frosting (10 minutes): Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar alternating with heavy cream until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Adjust consistency as needed.
  10. Assemble the cake (15 minutes): Level cake tops if needed. Start with darkest layer at bottom, spread thin layer of frosting, stack next lighter layer. Repeat for all layers. Cover top and sides with remaining frosting.
  11. Chill before serving (at least 30 minutes): Refrigerate cake to set frosting and meld flavors.

Notes

Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning batter. Add dye gradually. Rotate pans halfway through baking for even color and bake. Chill layers before frosting to reduce crumbs. For dairy-free, substitute butter and milk with coconut oil and almond milk. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Nutrition

Keywords: ombré cake, layer cake, school colors cake, celebration cake, vanilla cake, easy cake recipe, party dessert

Find it online: https://chrisfeasts.com/perfect-school-colors-ombr-e-layer-cake-easy-step-by-step-recipe-for-celebrations/