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Easy Elegant One-Tier Graduation Cake Recipe with Personalized Photo Frame Tutorial

easy elegant one-tier graduation cake - featured image
Print Recipe

An easy and elegant one-tier vanilla cake with smooth buttercream frosting and a personalized edible photo frame decoration, perfect for graduation celebrations.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour – 2 ½ cups (320g), sifted
  • Baking powder – 2 ½ teaspoons (10g)
  • Salt – ½ teaspoon (3g)
  • Unsalted butter – 1 cup (226g), softened
  • Granulated sugar – 1 ¾ cups (350g)
  • Large eggs – 4, at room temperature
  • Whole milk – 1 cup (240ml), warmed slightly
  • Pure vanilla extract – 2 teaspoons (10ml)
  • For Buttercream Frosting:
  • Unsalted butter – 1 cup (226g), softened
  • Powdered sugar – 4 cups (480g), sifted
  • Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon (5ml)
  • Heavy cream – 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml)
  • Pinch of salt – optional
  • For Personalized Photo Frame Decoration:
  • Edible photo print – custom-ordered or printed with edible ink on wafer paper
  • Fondant – white or colored, about 200g
  • Edible glue or water
  • Edible gold or silver dust – optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and dust with flour or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Using a mixer on medium speed, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. If mixture curdles, add a tablespoon of flour to bring it back together.
  5. Alternately add flour mixture and warm milk to the batter, starting and ending with flour. Mix on low speed just until combined.
  6. Fold in vanilla extract gently with a spatula.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth surface, and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and top springs back.
  8. Let cake sit in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely (about 1 hour).
  9. Prepare buttercream by beating softened butter until creamy, gradually adding powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream until spreadable consistency is reached.
  10. Level cake top if needed, apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream, and chill in fridge for 20 minutes.
  11. Apply a smooth final layer of frosting using an offset spatula.
  12. Roll out fondant to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut strips to frame the edible photo print sized to cake top.
  13. Attach fondant frame gently with edible glue or water. Add edible gold dust if desired.
  14. Position edible photo in center of cake top and press fondant frame around it. Chill cake again if desired before serving.

Notes

If cake edges brown too quickly, tent with foil halfway through baking. Dip spatula in hot water and dry before smoothing frosting for a professional finish. Keep hands and surface dusted with cornstarch or powdered sugar when working with fondant to prevent sticking. Chill between crumb coat and final frosting layer for best results.

Nutrition

Keywords: graduation cake, vanilla cake, buttercream frosting, edible photo frame, easy cake recipe, celebration cake, personalized cake

Find it online: https://magnetmeal.com/easy-elegant-one-tier-graduation-cake-recipe-with-personalized-photo-frame-tutorial/