Description
Celebrate a milestone with this beautiful Butterfly Graduation Cake—a soft and moist vanilla layer cake adorned with buttercream frosting, fondant butterflies, and colorful accents. This cake is perfect for graduation parties, combining elegance with whimsical charm. Keywords: butterfly cake, graduation cake, celebration cake, vanilla layer cake, themed party dessert
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- For the Vanilla Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- For the Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional, for themed colors)
- For Decoration:
- Fondant butterflies (pre-made or homemade with molds)
- Edible glitter or luster dust
- Graduation cap topper (optional)
- Piping bags and decorative tips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- In a separate large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- Alternately mix in flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour.
- Divide the batter evenly between pans and bake for 25–30 minutes.
- Let cakes cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat butter until smooth, then gradually add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
- Tint portions of the frosting with food coloring as desired.
- Stack and frost the cake layers. Decorate with piped designs, fondant butterflies, and graduation elements.
Notes
- Make butterflies ahead of time to let them harden.
- Customize colors to match school or event themes.
- Chill the frosted cake slightly before serving for cleaner cuts.
Nutrition
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
