When my son tossed his cap in the air, I was bursting with pride… and stress. Between planning the party, wrangling family, and trying to hold back happy tears, I needed a cake that felt homemade but didn’t take me all day. So I baked this grad cake rich, fluffy, celebratory, and ridiculously simple to decorate (even if you’re not a Pinterest queen).
Whether you’re a busy mom, cool auntie, or proud godmother, this cake is the perfect sweet send-off for your rising star.
Note: The full list with exact measurements will be found in the recipe card at the end of the article.
Why You’ll Love This Grad Cake
This graduation cake is:
- Super soft, moist, and chocolatey
- Foolproof (seriously, it’s hard to mess up)
- Customizable with fun graduation decorations
- Make-ahead friendly
- A crowd-pleaser even the picky cousins went back for seconds
And the best part? You don’t need to be a cake-decorating pro. A little buttercream, a fondant cap, maybe a “Class of 2025” written in frosting it’ll look amazing with minimal effort.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups unsweetened plant milk (almond or soy work great)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2–4 tablespoons milk or cream
- Food coloring (optional)
Optional Decorations
- Black fondant (for the grad cap)
- White fondant (for a diploma scroll)
- Edible gold pearls or sprinkles
- Colored buttercream for piping messages
How to Make This Grad Cake
1. Preheat and prep
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
2. Make the buttermilk
In a small bowl, stir together the plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes. It’ll curdle a bit that’s what we want.
3. Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cocoa powder until combined.
4. Add the wet ingredients
Pour in the oil, vanilla, and the buttermilk mixture. Stir until smooth, but don’t overmix just until it comes together.
5. Bake
Divide the batter evenly into the pans and bake for 30–35 minutes. Check with a toothpick when it comes out clean, you’re golden. Cool the cakes completely before frosting.
6. Make the buttercream
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, then mix in vanilla and just enough milk or cream until you reach a creamy, spreadable consistency.
7. Assemble and decorate
Layer your cakes with buttercream in the middle and all around the sides. Smooth it out with an offset spatula. Then go wild pipe on a “Congrats!” or “You did it!”, add your fondant grad cap and scroll, or toss on edible glitter if you’re feeling fancy.
Chef Maria’s Little Tips
- Let your cakes cool fully before frosting, or your buttercream will slide off like a graduation cap in the wind.
- No fondant? No worries! You can make a mini grad cap using a chocolate square and a peanut butter cup. Adorable and delicious.
- Want to switch up the flavor? Try adding espresso powder to the batter for a mocha twist, or swap in a vanilla cake base with lemon zest if your grad prefers something lighter.
FAQs About Graduation Cakes
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes! You can bake the cake layers a day in advance. Wrap them tightly and keep them at room temp. The buttercream can be refrigerated too just give it a good whip before using.
Can I make it gluten-free?
Absolutely. Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that says it’s 1:1 for baking. Check your baking soda and other ingredients to be sure they’re gluten-free, too.
How do I store leftovers?
Keep the frosted cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Just let it come back to room temp before serving.
Let’s Celebrate
This grad cake isn’t just dessert it’s a memory. It’s the slice your son or daughter will remember eating in their cap and gown, with frosting on their face and family around them. So make it big, make it bold, and most of all make it with love.
If you’re planning a bigger celebration, check out some of my other crowd-pleasing cakes like homemade zebra cakes or my super simple Princess Peach Cake.
Congratulations, grad! Now let’s eat cake 🎉
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Grad Cake to Celebrate Big Wins (Because Your Grad Deserves More Than Store-Bought)
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 16 slices 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This dreamy unicorn cake is everything a magical birthday needs—soft, buttery cake layers frosted with colorful buttercream rosettes and adorable piped eyes. It’s easier to make than it looks, and guaranteed to make jaws drop at any unicorn-themed party!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
9 large eggs
3 cups whole milk
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting (for icing):
6 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
12 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1–2 tablespoons whole milk
Buttercream Frosting (for decorating):
3 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 to 3/4 cup whole milk
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Food coloring – purple, pink, dark purple, blue, and black
Instructions
Prep the Cake Pans
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line the bottom of six 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.Make the Batter
Cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy. In one bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. In another, whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla. Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients into the butter mixture. Mix until smooth.Bake the Cake
Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then wrap and freeze each layer.Make the Icing Buttercream
Beat butter until pale. Add powdered sugar in batches. Mix in vanilla and milk until fluffy.Make the Decorating Buttercream
Repeat the same method. Divide into bowls and color with gel food coloring. Transfer to piping bags.Assemble & Decorate
On a cake stand, place a small amount of frosting to anchor the bottom layer. Stack cake layers with icing in between. Chill for 30 minutes. Crumb coat the cake, chill again. Frost fully, then decorate with colored rosettes for the mane and black buttercream for the eyes.
Notes
Freezing the cake layers helps with clean assembly and even frosting.
Use gel food coloring for vibrant shades without altering the buttercream texture.
Want to make this gluten-free? Swap the cake flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix.
You can make the buttercream up to 3 days ahead—just keep it refrigerated and re-whip before using.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 890
- Sugar: 86g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 48g
- Saturated Fat: 30g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 105g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 180mg
Keywords: unicorn on a cake, unicorn cakes, unicorn birthday cake, rainbow cake, kids birthday cake, buttercream cake