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Stunning Graduation Sheet Cake

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A quick and easy sheet cake recipe perfect for graduations, featuring vibrant school colors and a moist vanilla base with creamy buttercream frosting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3–4 tablespoons (45–60ml) whole milk or heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • Gel food coloring in school colors

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) sheet pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Using an electric mixer, beat ¾ cup softened unsalted butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  5. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to the butter-egg mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined.
  6. Stir in vanilla extract by hand.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
  8. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  9. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then lift out using parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. For frosting, beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  11. Gradually add powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons milk or cream, mixing well.
  12. Add vanilla extract and adjust consistency with more milk if needed.
  13. Divide frosting into bowls and mix in gel food coloring to desired vibrant school colors.
  14. Spread a thin crumb coat layer of white or neutral frosting on the cake and chill for 15 minutes.
  15. Decorate with colored frosting using an offset spatula or piping bags in stripes, swirls, or blocks.
  16. Refrigerate the frosted cake for at least 30 minutes to set before serving.

Notes

Ensure cake is completely cool before frosting to prevent melting. Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning frosting. Chill cake after crumb coat to keep colors crisp. Cake tastes better after resting a few hours or overnight. Variations include adding cocoa powder for chocolate flavor, cream cheese frosting, or gluten-free and dairy-free substitutions.

Nutrition

Keywords: graduation cake, sheet cake, buttercream frosting, school colors, easy cake recipe, vanilla cake, party dessert

Find it online: https://twinkletaste.com/stunning-graduation-sheet-cake-recipe-easy-vibrant-school-colors-guide/