# What You’ll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 1¾ cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
→ Buttercream Frosting
09 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
10 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 - ¼ cup whole milk, room temperature
13 - Blue gel food coloring in various shades
14 - White gel food coloring
→ Decoration
15 - Edible pearls or sugar pearls (optional)
16 - White chocolate or fondant for Pisces symbol (optional)
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x13-inch sheet cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing on low speed. Add vanilla and milk; beat until fluffy and smooth.
09 - Divide buttercream into 3-4 bowls. Tint each with varying shades of blue ranging from deep ocean blue to pale aqua, and leave one portion white.
10 - Once cake is completely cool, spread a thin layer of white buttercream over the entire cake as a crumb coat. Chill for 20 minutes.
11 - With an offset spatula, layer blue buttercreams in wave-like shapes across the cake, starting with the darkest shade at the base and working up to the lightest. Use swooping motions to mimic ocean waves.
12 - Pipe or swirl white buttercream on top to create sea foam effect.
13 - Optionally decorate with edible pearls and add a Pisces symbol made from white chocolate or fondant.
