# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
03 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
05 - 6 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
07 - 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
08 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Buttercream Frosting
09 - 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
10 - 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - ½ cup whole milk or heavy cream
12 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13 - Food coloring, gel preferred, as needed for roses, leaves, and diploma
→ Decorations
14 - Edible gold or silver pearls (optional, for accents)
15 - Fondant or white chocolate for diploma and ribbon (optional)
# How to Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 12x18-inch sheet cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
03 - Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
05 - Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with whole milk. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
06 - Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
08 - Beat unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk or cream, mixing until frosting is fluffy. Adjust consistency as needed.
09 - Divide frosting into bowls. Tint portions pink, red, or yellow for roses, green for leaves, and leave some white for coating.
10 - Cover the cooled cake with an even layer of white buttercream using an offset spatula.
11 - Pipe buttercream roses in desired colors using a rose tip, and pipe green leaves with a leaf tip. Pipe additional accents as desired.
12 - Shape fondant or white chocolate into a scroll and tie with a ribbon. Place on the cake as the diploma decoration.
13 - Add edible pearls and other decorative accents as desired.
