Description
This stunning Purple Ombre Layer Cake features four beautifully tinted layers of moist vanilla cake, each shaded in varying intensities of purple, stacked and frosted with a luscious purple ombre buttercream. Perfect for birthdays or special occasions, this visually striking dessert combines classic flavors with an elegant gradient color effect sure to impress your guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- Purple gel food coloring (varying intensities)
Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2–4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- Pinch of salt
- Purple gel food coloring (for ombre effect)
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line four 6-inch or 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside to be incorporated later.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes, to create a smooth and airy base.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition for proper emulsification, then mix in the vanilla extract thoroughly.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix each addition just until combined to avoid overworking the batter.
- Color the Batter: Divide the batter evenly into four separate bowls. Tint each bowl with purple gel food coloring in increasing intensity to create a gradient from light lavender to deep purple.
- Bake the Layers: Pour each differently tinted batter into the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean.
- Cool the Cakes: Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
- Make the Buttercream: Beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Add heavy cream or milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Tint the Frosting: Divide the buttercream into separate bowls and tint each one with purple gel food coloring in varying shades matching the cake layers for a cohesive ombre effect.
- Assemble the Cake: Stack the cake layers from darkest to lightest, spreading a layer of the corresponding tinted frosting between each. Then apply a final coat of frosting around the outside, blending the colors for a smooth ombre appearance.
- Chill before Serving: Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting, making slicing easier and the cake more presentable.
Notes
- For perfectly even cake layers, weigh the batter with a kitchen scale before dividing among the pans.
- Natural purple colorings such as blueberry or butterfly pea powder can be used, but gel food coloring yields the most vibrant and consistent purple hues.
- Ensure the butter and eggs are at room temperature to achieve a smooth batter.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
