Vanilla Graduation Sheet Cake (Printable)

A fluffy vanilla sheet cake with creamy buttercream and festive toppings for special celebrations.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 - 1½ cups whole milk, room temperature

→ Vanilla Buttercream

10 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
11 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13 - ¼ cup whole milk, room temperature
14 - Pinch of salt

→ Decoration

15 - Graduation-themed sprinkles or edible decorations
16 - Gel food coloring, optional for school colors

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 12x18-inch half-sheet baking 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, 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 - Add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed. Pour in half the milk and mix gently. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk, mixing just until combined.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
07 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
09 - Beat butter until creamy, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing on low speed. Add vanilla, milk, and salt. Beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Add food coloring if desired.
10 - Spread buttercream evenly over the cooled cake. Decorate with graduation-themed sprinkles or edible decorations.
11 - Slice and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feeds 24 people without breaking a sweat, which means you can actually enjoy the party instead of frantically frosting in the kitchen.
  • The cake stays moist for days, so there's no pressure to serve it immediately if your timing gets wonky.
  • You can decorate it in school colors or with custom toppers, making it feel personal without requiring artistic talent.
02 -
  • Every ingredient needs to be room temperature—butter, eggs, milk—or you'll end up with a batter that looks separated and grainy, which bakes into a dense, disappointing cake that even buttercream can't save.
  • Do not overmix once you add the flour; mix until you can't see any white streaks and then stop, even though your brain says to keep going; overmixing develops gluten and you'll have a tough cake instead of a tender one.
03 -
  • Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the batter if you want a subtle flavor complexity that makes people say this is good but can't quite place why.
  • Sift your powdered sugar even if you think you don't need to; it takes 30 seconds and guarantees smooth frosting that spreads like silk.
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