Simple Graduation Sheet Cake (Printable)

Moist vanilla sheet topped with creamy buttercream and celebratory 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

→ Decoration

15 - Additional food coloring for piping
16 - Sprinkles or edible decorations, optional

# How-To Steps:

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. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
07 - 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.
08 - Spread an even layer of buttercream over the cooled cake.
09 - 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's foolproof enough to bake while answering emails, but impressive enough to be the star of any graduation spread.
  • The buttercream frosting pipes beautifully, which means you'll feel like a pastry chef even if you've never touched a piping bag before.
  • One cake feeds the whole party—no juggling multiple layers or worrying about structural integrity.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional—they blend together smoothly and create a better crumb than cold ingredients that don't mix evenly.
  • Sifting the powdered sugar sounds fussy but changes everything; if you skip it, your frosting will have grainy bits no matter how much you beat it.
  • Let the cake cool completely before frosting or your buttercream will melt into puddles and drip off the sides.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about piping the year, practice on the side of the cake first—buttercream is forgiving and you can smooth over mistakes and try again.
  • Add a half-teaspoon of almond extract to the batter if you want a more nuanced flavor that still feels like celebration without being loud about it.
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