Prepare Your Base

• Apply a thin crumb coat of plain buttercream or ganache to seal in crumbs. Chill the cake for 15–20 minutes.

Colouring the Buttercream

• Divide buttercream into portions.
• Leave one portion the lightest shade (or plain white/cream).
• Add increasing amounts of food colouring to the other portions to create a gradient (e.g., pale pink, medium pink, deep pink).

Apply the Buttercream

• Starting at the bottom of the cake, spread the darkest shade in a horizontal band.
• Add the medium shade above it, then the lightest shade toward the top.
• You don’t have to be neat the blending comes next.
• (Tip: For a smooth ombré, make each colour band slightly overlap the one below it).

Blend the Colours

• Hold a scraper against the side of the cake.
• Slowly spin the turntable (or move around the cake if you don’t have one) while keeping the tool steady.
• This will smooth the frosting and blend the lines where the colours meet.
• Scrape off excess and repeat until you get a soft fade.

Finishing Touches

• Chill the cake briefly to set the frosting.
• You can also do the effect vertically, diagonally, or on cupcakes by piping colours side-by-side in a piping bag.