Graduation Sheet Cake Buttercream (Print View)

Moist vanilla cake topped with smooth buttercream and decorated with colorful piped roses.

# Components:

→ Sheet Cake

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - 1¼ cups whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream Frosting

10 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
11 - 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - ¼ cup whole milk
13 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
14 - Gel food coloring in assorted colors

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 12x18-inch sheet cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool cake completely in the pan on a wire rack before proceeding with frosting.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.
09 - Divide buttercream into separate bowls. Tint portions with gel food coloring for roses in red, pink, and yellow, and green for leaves. Reserve white buttercream for base coat.
10 - Spread a thin layer of white buttercream over the cooled cake to create a smooth foundation.
11 - Fit piping bags with petal tips for roses and leaf tips for foliage. Pipe roses and leaves across the cake, emphasizing corners or creating a decorative border.
12 - Using a small round piping tip, pipe a congratulatory message or personalized graduation greeting onto the cake.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to bake multiple cakes, and the vanilla base lets the decorations steal the show.
  • The buttercream roses look impossibly fancy but become second nature after piping your first three or four.
  • You can make it days ahead and refrigerate, so graduation day stays stress-free.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients aren't just a suggestion—they're the reason this cake stays moist and the frosting pipes like silk.
  • Gel food coloring is the secret weapon; liquid coloring dilutes your frosting and turns it grainy, so make the switch and never look back.
03 -
  • Sift your powdered sugar before measuring—it sounds fussy but prevents tiny lumps that catch on your piping tip and ruin your flow.
  • If your frosting gets too soft while you're working, pop the piping bag in the fridge for 10 minutes instead of starting over.
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