Vanilla Graduation Sheet Cake (Printable)

A fluffy vanilla sheet topped with creamy buttercream and festive decorations, ideal for celebrations.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the 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

→ For the 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

→ For Decoration

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

# How to Make It:

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 - Allow the cake to 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 immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to be a pastry chef—just confidence and a good mixer.
  • The buttercream is silky enough to pipe decorations but forgiving if your hands shake a little.
  • It actually tastes like real vanilla cake, not that artificial grocery store sweetness.
02 -
  • If your buttercream looks broken or curdled, it's because something was too cold—let it sit for five minutes at room temperature, then beat it again and it'll come together like magic.
  • Don't frost a warm cake; the frosting will melt and slide off dramatically, which is why I now let every cake cool completely even though my impatient brain wants frosting immediately.
03 -
  • Make sure your mixing bowl is completely dry and grease-free before creaming butter and sugar, or the mixture won't fluff up properly no matter how long you beat it.
  • If you're piping decorations, make your frosting slightly stiffer by using a tiny bit less milk—it holds shapes instead of sagging into smooth waves.
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