Class 2026 Vanilla Cake (Print Version)

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

# What You'll Need:

→ 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

# 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, mix on low speed. Pour in half the milk, 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 immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It bakes in under an hour, which means you can frost and decorate while guests are still arriving.
  • The vanilla buttercream is so silky that spreading it feels therapeutic, not stressful.
  • It feeds 24 people without requiring any fancy equipment or advanced skills.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional—they're the difference between a light, tender cake and a dense, dry brick that tastes like regret.
  • Don't overmix the batter once you've added the dry ingredients; mix just until you don't see white flour streaks, then stop. Overmixing activates gluten and toughens the cake.
03 -
  • Invest in an offset spatula—it makes frosting a sheet cake so much easier than trying to use a regular butter knife or spoon.
  • If you're nervous about frosting evenly, a turntable isn't necessary for sheet cakes, but an angled spatula and room-temperature frosting will do the trick.
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