Sharks might be circling at the top of this cake, but it's so pretty how could you be scared of it? Recreate this towering beauty (with a little bite!) for your Shark Week celebration. Here's how to do it.

This cake begins with a classic white cake batter. A small portion of the batter is divided and tinted blue and teal with food color. The white batter is layered into cake pans and then the colors are swirled into each other using a knife or skewer. Bake the cakes until they are lightly golden and cool them before leveling them. Find details on the ingredients and instructions for baking the cake layers in the full recipe.

This cake requires a big batch of Swiss meringue buttercream frosting, we recommend using stand mixer for its capacity and muscle. You’ll also need 10 egg whites for this recipe (find the full instructions here), so stock up!

Use some of the white buttercream frosting to fill and frost the cake. This is a tall cake with five layers, so consider inserting a cake dowel through the center to anchor the layers together. This is optional, but adds extra stability. Smooth the icing evenly using a cake smoother or a bench scraper. Chill the froste cake while you tint the remaining buttercream.