Graduation Sheet Cake Buttercream (Print)

Soft vanilla cake layered with creamy buttercream and decorated with colorful piped roses for special occasions.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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

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 a 12x18-inch sheet cake pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat 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 fully combined.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
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 - Allow cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before decorating.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, followed by 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 (red, pink, yellow) and leaves (green), leaving some white for the base layer.
10 - Spread a thin, even 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, concentrating on 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 24 people without requiring you to bake multiple layers or fuss with cake stacking.
  • The buttercream roses look professionally done but truly don't require years of practice to master.
  • You can bake it a day ahead and decorate the morning of, which takes the stress out of celebration day.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are the difference between a tender cake and one that tastes like it came from a box—don't skip this step even though it adds 30 minutes to your prep time.
  • Gel coloring is essential for frosting; liquid food coloring makes your buttercream thin and runny, no matter how much powdered sugar you add.
03 -
  • Use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness—the center should register 205-210°F, which is more reliable than the toothpick test alone.
  • If your frosting seems soft, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before piping, or add a tablespoon more powdered sugar to firm it up without losing its silky texture.
Go Back