Simple Graduation Sheet Cake (Printable Version)

Moist vanilla sheet cake topped with creamy buttercream and festive Class of 2026 piping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 3/4 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 - 1/4 cup whole milk
12 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
14 - Food coloring for school colors, optional

→ Decoration

15 - Food coloring for piping Class of 2026
16 - Sprinkles or edible decorations, optional

# Directions:

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. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened 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 until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add flour mixture in three portions, alternating with milk and beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
07 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.
08 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Divide and tint portions with food coloring as desired.
09 - Spread an even layer of buttercream over the cooled cake using a rubber spatula.
10 - Transfer colored buttercream into piping bags fitted with small round tips. Pipe Class of 2026 lettering on top of cake. Add sprinkles or additional edible decorations as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttermilk-free formula keeps the cake moist without extra tanginess, so the vanilla shines and stays tender for days.
  • You can customize it in minutes by tinting the frosting with school colors, making it feel personal without requiring special skills.
  • It actually tastes better than most grocery store sheet cakes, and your guests will genuinely wonder if you went to culinary school.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and butter aren't a suggestion—they actually emulsify and incorporate air, making your cake light instead of dense and heavy.
  • Don't skip the cooling step; frosting a warm cake is like trying to frost warm butter because that's basically what's happening.
  • Gel food coloring beats liquid coloring every time because it won't thin out your beautiful buttercream and make it grainy.
03 -
  • Add one-half teaspoon almond extract to the cake batter if you want an extra flavor layer that nobody can quite identify but everyone will love.
  • Use gel food coloring instead of liquid, and add it drop by drop because you can always add more but you can't take it out once the frosting is dyed neon pink by accident.
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