Graduation Sheet Cake Buttercream Roses (Printable)

Moist vanilla sheet cake topped with silky buttercream and decorative piped roses for special occasions.

# What You Need:

→ Sheet 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 - 1¼ cups whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream

10 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
11 - 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - ¼ cup whole milk
13 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
14 - Gel food coloring in assorted colors

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 12x18-inch sheet cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool cake completely in the pan on a wire rack before proceeding with frosting.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.
09 - Divide buttercream into separate bowls. Tint portions with gel food coloring for roses in red, pink, and yellow, and green for leaves. Reserve white buttercream for base layer.
10 - Spread a thin layer of white buttercream over the cooled cake using an offset spatula to create a smooth base.
11 - Fit piping bags with petal tips for roses and leaf tips for foliage. Pipe roses and leaves across the cake, focusing on corners or creating a border design.
12 - Using a small round piping tip, write a congratulatory message or personalized graduation greeting on the cake.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without needing specialized equipment or fancy techniques you'll need weeks to master.
  • The buttercream roses sound intimidating until you realize they're actually forgiving and fun to pipe, even on your first try.
  • Everyone will think you spent hours on this when really, most of it comes together in an afternoon.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients aren't just a suggestion—they're the difference between a tender crumb and a dense brick, so take the time to let everything warm up.
  • Gel food coloring really does make a difference in color vibrancy and frosting texture compared to liquid coloring, which can make everything runny and weak.
03 -
  • If you want a chocolate variation, swap out ¾ cup of flour for ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and reduce the milk slightly because cocoa soaks up moisture.
  • Make your roses in advance if you're nervous—you can pipe them on parchment paper ahead of time, refrigerate them until firm, then gently transfer them to the cake right before serving.
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