High School Graduation Cake (Printer-Friendly)

A festive vanilla cake with creamy buttercream, gold accents, and a charming diploma topper.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream Frosting

09 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
10 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 - 3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Decorations

14 - Edible gold foil sheets
15 - 1 diploma-shaped cake topper
16 - Sprinkles or star confetti, optional

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans 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 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops.
07 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat butter on high speed until creamy and pale, approximately 3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla, salt, and enough milk to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.
10 - Level cooled cakes if necessary. Place one layer on a serving plate. Spread a thick layer of buttercream on top, then place second layer over it.
11 - Apply a thin crumb coat layer of frosting around the cake. Chill for 30 minutes.
12 - Frost cake smoothly with remaining buttercream.
13 - Using tweezers, carefully apply edible gold foil sheets to desired areas on the cake for a luxurious appearance.
14 - Place the diploma topper at the center or side of the cake. Add sprinkles or confetti if desired.
15 - Chill briefly to set, then serve at room temperature.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The vanilla sponge stays impossibly moist and tender, making it a cake people actually want to eat slowly and savor.
  • Buttercream frosting that doesn't taste overly sweet or waxy, just rich and real.
  • The gold foil and diploma topper do the heavy lifting on presentation, so you look like you spent hours in the kitchen when you really didn't.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and milk incorporate so much more smoothly than cold ones; this makes the difference between a silky batter and one with visible streaks.
  • Edible gold foil requires absolutely dry hands or tweezers, because any moisture makes it stick to itself instead of to the cake.
  • The crumb coat is the secret weapon that separates homemade cakes that look store-bought from ones that look homemade in the rough way.
03 -
  • Make this cake the morning of your event so the frosting is fresh and holds its shape better than next-day frosting.
  • If you're worried about transporting the cake, a lazy Susan or cake carrier makes moving it stress-free, and you can apply the gold foil after it reaches its destination.
  • Chill the finished cake for at least thirty minutes before serving; buttercream that's cool enough to hold its shape looks infinitely more polished when you cut and plate it.
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