# What You’ll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs
07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Buttercream Frosting
09 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 4 cups powdered sugar
11 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt
→ Decoration
14 - 2 pounds white fondant
15 - Food coloring gel, assorted colors
16 - Edible black food marker or black fondant
17 - Cornstarch, for rolling fondant
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
04 - Mix in vanilla extract. Alternately add dry mixture and milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
05 - Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
06 - Beat butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk, beating until fluffy and spreadable.
07 - Once the cake is cool, carefully remove it from the pan. Using a serrated knife, carve the cake into a jersey shape, creating slight curves at the shoulders and indentations along the sides for armholes.
08 - Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream to seal in crumbs. Chill for 30 minutes.
09 - Tint fondant with desired colors using food coloring gel. Roll out fondant on a cornstarch-dusted work surface to an even thickness of approximately 1/8 inch.
10 - Drape fondant over the chilled cake, smooth the surface, and trim away excess using a fondant smoother and knife.
11 - Use colored fondant or edible markers to decorate with collar, numbers, stripes, graduate’s name, and graduation year.
12 - Transfer cake to a serving board and present for celebration.
