# 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
# Directions:
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 with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
05 - Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three stages, alternating with whole milk. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.
06 - Transfer batter into the prepared pan and level the surface with an offset spatula.
07 - Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat unsalted butter for frosting until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk or heavy cream, mixing until fluffy. Adjust consistency with additional milk or sugar as needed.
10 - Divide buttercream into separate bowls. Tint portions pink, red, or yellow for roses, green for leaves, and leave a portion white for main coverage.
11 - Spread a smooth layer of white buttercream across the cooled cake.
12 - Use a piping bag fitted with a rose tip to pipe buttercream roses and green leaves with a leaf tip.
13 - Shape a scroll using fondant or white chocolate and a ribbon fashioned from colored fondant. Place on cake.
14 - Decorate with edible pearls and any desired finishing touches.
