2023 was definitely the year of Pink. From Pantone Color of the Year to your favorite doll movie, pink has been everywhere. This colorful ombre cake is perfect for Valentine’s Day, any girly party, as a Gender Reveal cake or to celebrate your favorite Breast Cancer survivor.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

4 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour (plus more to flour cake pans)

2 ¼ cups Granulated Sugar

2 ¼ cups Whole Milk

1 ½ cup Unsalted Butter, cubed & softened (plus more to grease cake pans)

6 Large Eggs

4 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

¾ tsp Salt

Chefmaster Neon Pink Liqua-Gel® Food Coloring

For the Buttercream Frosting

2 cups (4 stick) Unsalted Butter, softened

6 cups Confectioners’ Sugar, shifted

8 Tbsp Whole Milk, room temperature

2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

Tools & Utensils:

Measuring Cups & Spoons

8-inch Cake Pans (4)

Stand Mixer with both Whisk and Paddle attachments (or Electric Mixer & Large Bowl)

Bowls (4)

Spatulas

Spoons

Icing Spatula

Cooling Racks

Flour Shifter

Cake Tester (or Toothpicks)

Plastic wrap

Preparation:

1. Prepare and measure all your ingredients.
2. Grease and lightly flour all four cake pans.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for convection oven).
4. Prepare your cake batter:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter, and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, one at a time, waiting until the previous egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. 
4. Add the vanilla extract and continue mixing until well combined.
5. Reduce speed to low. Add approx. 1/3 of your flour mixture and mix until well combined.
6. Pour approx. 1/3 of your milk and mix until well combined and smooth.
7. Repeat alternating adding flour and milk until there is none left and your batter is well combined and smooth.
5. Color your cake batter:
1. Separate your cake batter evenly into 4 bowls.
2. Add 2 drops of Chefmaster Neon Pink Liqua-Gel® in the first bowl for a light pink hue.
3. Add 4 drops of food coloring in the second bowl for a slightly stronger hue.
4. Add 6 drops of food coloring in the third bowl for a brighter pink hue.
5. Add 8 drops of food coloring in the fourth bowl for a deep pink hue.
6. Pour each color of batter into one previously greased and floured cake pans.
7. Bake approx. 30 to 35 minutes or until a until a cake tester (or a toothpick) inserted in the center comes out clean. 
8. While your cake layers are baking, prepare your Buttercream frosting.
1. Cream butter in your stand mixer using the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy and white (speed 6-8 approx.)
2. Gradually add Confectioners’ Sugar (no more than ½ cup at the time) and continue beating on medium-high until fully incorporated.
3. Add Vanilla extract into your milk and mix with a spoon until evenly distributed.
4. Slowly pour Flavored Milk into mixer bowl and continue beating on medium-high until fully incorporated and smooth (approx. 3 to 5 minutes)
5. Once your frosting is ready, use plastic wrap to cover the surface of your Buttercream, smoothing out any air bubbles between your icing and the film as possible. Set aside. 
9. Once cakes are baked, remove them immediately from the oven and let them cool for approx. 10 minutes.
10. Flip each cake over a cooling rack and let them cool completely. 
11. If the top of some of the cakes are rounded, use a cake slicer or a large kitchen knife to cut the top and create a flat cake layer.
12. Once the cakes are completely cooled, place the darker pink cake layer on a plate and frost the top by evenly spreading about ¼ to ½ inch of frosting using your icing spatula. 
13. Add bright pink cake layer on the top. Press lightly to make sure the upper layer is leveled and flat.
14. Repeat with the 3rd and 4th layer going from darker (bottom) to lighter (top)
15. Use remaining icing to frost the top and the edges of your 4-tier cake with a thin layer of frosting. Smooth and flatten frosting with your icing spatula.
16. Leave icing plain or decorate as desired.

Your cake is now ready to enjoy. Please refrigerate your cake if you are not going to serve it within the next 6-8 hours or if it’s really hot in your kitchen.