High School Graduation Cake (Printable)

Rich vanilla sponge with buttercream, gold foil accents, and a diploma topper for festive celebrations.

# What Goes In:

→ 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 - 3-4 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

# How to Make It:

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 3-4 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 28-32 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 finish.
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 Tips:

01 -
  • The vanilla sponge is tender and forgiving, which means you can focus on the decorating fun instead of stressing over a temperamental cake.
  • Buttercream frosting is actually more forgiving than fondant and tastes infinitely better while still looking sophisticated.
  • You get to play artist with the gold foil without needing any special skills—just steady hands and tweezers.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and milk are not just suggestions—they actually blend into the batter smoothly and create a better crumb, whereas cold ingredients can cause the batter to look curdled or lumpy.
  • That crumb coat layer is the secret weapon that separates homemade cakes from bakery-level cakes, so resist the urge to skip it even though you're eager to see the final result.
  • Edible gold foil requires completely dry hands or tweezers because moisture makes it stick to your skin instead of the frosting, which is frustrating and wasteful.
03 -
  • A cake turntable changes everything about frosting application because it lets you rotate the cake instead of contorting your body, and you don't need an expensive one—even a lazy Susan from the dollar store works perfectly.
  • Those few extra minutes of creaming butter and sugar at the beginning really does make the difference between a dense cake and an airy, tender one, so don't rush this step even though it feels like it's taking forever.
Go Back