Spring Ombre Cake Pastel (Printable Version)

Layered sponge with pastel pink and yellow shades, finished in smooth buttercream frosting.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Batter

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Food Coloring

09 - Pink gel food coloring
10 - Yellow gel food coloring

→ Buttercream Frosting

11 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
12 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
14 - 3 to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
15 - Pinch of salt
16 - Pink and yellow gel food coloring

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat room temperature butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
06 - Divide batter into three equal portions. Tint one with small amount of pink gel coloring for pale pink, one with yellow gel coloring for pale yellow, and leave third plain or tint with combination for pastel peach.
07 - Pour each colored batter into prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat room temperature butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 3 tablespoons milk or cream. Beat until fluffy, adding more milk if needed.
10 - Divide frosting into three bowls. Tint one pastel pink, one pastel yellow, and leave one plain.
11 - Level cake layers if necessary. Place yellow cake layer on serving plate, spread with yellow buttercream. Top with peach or plain layer, frost with plain buttercream. Top with pink layer, frost with pink buttercream.
12 - Use remaining frosting to ombre the sides, blending from yellow at base to pink at top for gradient effect. Smooth with cake scraper or offset spatula.
13 - Decorate with pastel sprinkles, edible flowers, or desired garnishes. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing for cleaner cuts.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours on it, but the technique is surprisingly forgiving once you understand the ombre blending trick.
  • Spring celebrations finally have a cake that matches the mood, with soft pastels that photograph better than any filter.
  • The sponge is tender and vanilla-rich, so nobody suspects how straightforward the whole thing actually is.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion, they are the entire foundation of whether this cake turns out tender or dense and sad.
  • The ombre blending looks impossible until you realize a cake scraper held at an angle and gentle circular motions create the gradient almost by accident.
  • Gel food coloring costs a few dollars more but saves your batter from becoming soupy, which liquid coloring does instantly.
03 -
  • A bench scraper or old credit card works as well as an expensive cake scraper for smoothing the ombre sides, and sometimes better because you have more control.
  • If your buttercream breaks or looks greasy, it means the butter or room was too warm, so stick the bowl in the freezer for two minutes and beat it again until it comes back together.
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