Deep Sea Cake
A beautiful layered vanilla cake decorated with blue ombré buttercream and beach-themed decorations, perfect for parties and summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 2 cups 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup 1 cup whole milk, room temp
- Blue gel food coloring (varying shades)
Buttercream Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temp
- 5 cups 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp 2–4 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Blue gel food coloring (light blue, medium blue, navy)
Decoration Ingredients
- Edible seashells, starfish (molds with candy melts or white chocolate)
- Crushed graham crackers (for “sand”)
- White chocolate truffle or hand-molded sugar pearl
- Fondant or sugar paste for pearl shell
- Edible shimmer dust or luster spray (optional)
Instructions
Make the Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line 3 8-inch round pans.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
- Add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with milk.
- Divide batter into 3 bowls. Tint each a different shade of blue.
- Pour each into a prepared pan and bake for 25–30 mins. Cool completely.
Make the Buttercream Frosting
- Beat butter until creamy.
- Slowly add powdered sugar.
- Add vanilla and cream until fluffy.
- Divide and tint in multiple blue shades.
- Apply a crumb coat, chill for 30 mins.
- Apply ombré or wave-like layers of buttercream (light to dark).
Decorate
- Use silicone molds and white chocolate or candy melts to create shells and starfish. Dust with edible gold or pearl shimmer.
- Pipe melted white chocolate onto parchment in coral shapes and let harden.
- Sprinkle crushed graham crackers at the base for 'sand'.
- Form an open clamshell with fondant/sugar paste and place a truffle or candy pearl inside.
Notes
Use an offset spatula or palette knife for wave-like frosting textures. Freeze cake layers for 30 mins before stacking to reduce crumbs. For extra elegance, add a light mist of edible pearl spray for shimmer.