# What You'll Need:
→ Vanilla Cake
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
08 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk
→ Buttercream
09 - 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
10 - 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 - 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
13 - Teal gel food coloring
→ Geode Decoration
14 - 2 cups rock sugar crystals (clear or white)
15 - Teal gel food coloring
16 - Edible gold leaf or gold luster dust
17 - Clear alcohol (such as vodka), for painting
→ Assembly
18 - Simple syrup (optional, for moistening cake layers)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternate adding dry ingredients and whole milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
06 - Divide batter evenly among pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla extract. Add cream or milk as needed for a spreadable texture.
09 - Color most of the buttercream teal, reserving a portion without coloring for crumb coating.
10 - Place rock sugar crystals in a bowl. Add a few drops of teal food coloring and gently mix until evenly colored. Dry on parchment paper if needed.
11 - Level cake layers as needed. Optionally brush each layer with simple syrup. Stack layers with a thin layer of buttercream between each.
12 - Spread a thin layer of uncolored buttercream over the cake for crumb coating. Chill for 20 minutes.
13 - Frost the entire cake with teal buttercream, smoothing the sides and top.
14 - Using a serrated knife, carve a wedge into the side of the cake. Apply a thin layer of buttercream in the cut area.
15 - Press teal sugar crystals into the buttercream inside the carved area, using lighter crystals in the center and darker crystals towards the edges.
16 - Apply edible gold leaf or brush gold luster dust mixed with clear alcohol onto the edges of the geode for a metallic finish.
17 - Embellish cake with additional gold accents and a graduation topper if desired.
