Simple Graduation Sheet Cake (Printable Version)

Moist vanilla cake with creamy buttercream and Class of 2026 piping, perfect for festive gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream Frosting

09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - ¼ cup whole milk
12 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
14 - Food coloring for school colors

→ Decoration

15 - Food coloring for piping Class of 2026
16 - Sprinkles or edible decorations as desired

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch sheet pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat for 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy. Tint portions with food coloring as desired.
09 - Spread an even layer of buttercream over the cooled cake.
10 - Use colored buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip to pipe Class of 2026 on top. Add sprinkles or other decorations as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under two hours from start to finish, which means you're not spending your entire day in the kitchen before a celebration.
  • The vanilla cake stays moist for days, so you can actually bake it ahead without it turning into a brick.
  • Buttercream frosting is forgiving and fun to personalize—you control the colors, the piping, and how fancy or casual it looks.
  • One 9x13 cake feeds a crowd without requiring three pans or complicated layering techniques.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients make an enormous difference; I learned this the hard way when I once used cold eggs and the batter looked curdled and grainy.
  • Do not skip the cooling step before frosting—I frosted a warm cake once and watched the frosting literally melt off the sides in real time.
  • If your frosting looks too thick to pipe, add milk one teaspoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency; too stiff and the piping bag becomes impossible to squeeze.
03 -
  • Sift your powdered sugar before beating it into the frosting to avoid ending up with tiny lumps that catch your piping bag tip and ruin the flow.
  • If you're nervous about piping, practice the numbers and letters on parchment paper first with a toothpick to trace where they'll go on the cake.
  • Bake the cake the day before the party so you're only dealing with frosting and decorating on the day of, which keeps you calmer and more present with your guests.
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