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Graduation Cake

5 from 1 review
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Ingredients

For the cake

  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (canola works, too)
  • 2 tablespoons Rodelle pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk

For the champagne buttercream

  • 1 1/2 cups champagne (eventually 3 tablespoons reduced)
  • 3/4 cups salted butter, room temperature
  • 3 1/2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Rodelle pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup raspberry jam

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 8 -1/2″ cake pans and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whip eggs and both sugars for 3 minutes. Add in oil and Rodelle vanilla extract.
  3. In a separate bowl, sift together baking powder, flour, and salt. Fold half of flour mixture into wet ingredients, then pour in half of your milk. Repeat with remaining flour and remaining milk.
  4. Pour batter equally into three prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Once cooked, allow to cool completely before frosting.

To make the champagne frosting

  1. Simmer 1 1/2 cups of champagne in a small saucepan over low heat for about 25 minutes, swirling the pan every few minutes to prevent burning. You want to end up with a little over 3 tablespoons of champagne. It will happen! Once reduced, allow to cool completely.
  2. To make the frosting, whip butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in 3 tablespoons reduced champagne and powdered sugar, whipping for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag with a large circular tip (a piping bag sans tip is fine).
  3. To to assemble the cake, place first layer of cake on cake stand, then generously pipe a circle of frosting around the outer edge of the top of the cake. In a random pattern, pipe frosting into middle of cake, then smooth out middle of frosting with a spatula, keeping the edge/outer rim of the frosting intact. (Basically you’re making a super shallow divot for the raspberry jam). Fill inner divot with 1/3 cup raspberry jam, spreading it evenly.
  4. Repeat with second layer.
  5. For third layer, frost top of cake normally, then frost outside with remaining frosting. Use a cake spatula to scrape frosting from sides to create “naked” look.
  6. Top with blackberries, edible beads, and edible flowers. If you use a sparkler, be aware that some ashes may end up on the top of the cake. I’d make sure you scrape this off before eating!