Spring Ombre Cake Pink Yellow (Printable View)

Delicate sponge layers tinted in pastel pink and yellow, finished with silky buttercream frosting.

# What You 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

# How To Make It:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The ombre effect looks so sophisticated that guests assume you spent hours on it, but the technique is surprisingly forgiving.
  • You get to play with color in a way that feels creative without being overly fussy, and the pale pastels feel fresh and modern rather than saccharine.
  • It's honestly one of the most photogenic cakes you can make, which means it's perfect for celebrations or just because you want your kitchen to feel a little brighter.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are absolutely critical for this cake—cold eggs or butter will cause the batter to look curdled and broken, which sounds scary but you can usually whisk in a tablespoon of flour to bring it back together if needed.
  • Gel food coloring is your secret weapon because you can achieve those beautiful pale pastels without watering down your batter the way liquid coloring would, and the colors stay vibrant after baking.
03 -
  • If your frosting looks separated or grainy when you're mixing it, it usually means the butter and powdered sugar weren't at the same temperature; stop, let everything come to room temperature for a few minutes, and start fresh with a clean bowl and beaters.
  • The secret to clean cake slices is a long, thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between each cut—it melts through the frosting smoothly instead of dragging and tearing it.
Return