Gluten-Free Numberblock Four Character Cake

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with an oven rack positioned in the center.

Grease two 20 cm (8-inch) square cake pans with softened butter and line the bases and sides with parchment paper.

Sift the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, and fine sea salt together into a clean mixing bowl.

Cream 250 g of softened butter and 300 g of granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high speed for 4 minutes until pale and aerated.

Beat the eggs into the creamed mixture one at a time on medium speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.

Mix the sifted dry ingredients and the combined whole milk and vanilla extract into the creamed base in alternating batches on low speed just until uniform.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared square cake pans and level the surfaces with a silicone spatula.

Bake the cakes at 175°C (350°F) for 32 to 35 minutes until the centers reach an internal temperature of at least 95°C (203°F) and a wooden toothpick inserted into the middle emerges clean.

Cool the cakes inside the pans on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes, then invert them directly onto the wire rack to cool completely to room temperature for 75 minutes.

Combine 100 ml of water and 100 g of granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, bringing it to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes while stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.

Stir 5 ml of pure vanilla extract into the hot syrup in the small saucepan, remove from heat, and allow it to cool completely to room temperature.

Slice the domed tops off both cooled square cakes using a serrated bread knife to produce two flat, level cake layers.

Brush the exposed cut surfaces of both trimmed cake layers with the cooled vanilla soaking syrup using a pastry brush.

Beat 350 g of softened butter in the clean stand mixer bowl on medium-high speed for 5 minutes until aerated and light ivory in color.

Mix 700 g of sifted powdered sugar, 45 ml of whole milk, and 10 ml of pure vanilla extract into the whipped butter on low speed, then beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until smooth.

Mix royal blue gel food coloring and sky blue gel food coloring into the buttercream using a silicone spatula until a uniform, saturated cartoon blue is achieved.

Place the first square cake layer on the center of the cake board and spread 250 g of the blue buttercream across its top surface using an offset spatula.

Place the second cake layer on top and spread a thin crumb coat of blue buttercream across the top and all four vertical sides of the cake using an offset spatula.

Chill the crumb-coated cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until the buttercream feels firm to the touch.

Frost the entire cake with the remaining blue buttercream using an offset spatula, smoothing the faces to establish crisp 90-degree square corners.

Score a centered cross grid across the top and sides of the cake using the clean edge of an offset spatula to demarcate the four individual Numberblock square units.

Roll the white, black, and royal blue fondant pieces on a clean surface dusted lightly with cornstarch to a thickness of 3 mm using a rolling pin.

Shape the Numberblock Four facial features by cutting two 5 cm white circles and two 2.5 cm black pupil circles with round fondant cutters, and slicing royal blue fondant with a paring knife into square glasses frames and a curved smiling mouth.

Garnish the front face of the cake by adhering the assembled fondant eyes, blue square glasses, and mouth across the upper two block quadrants using gentle fingertip pressure.