# 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 dusting
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together until evenly combined.
03 - Beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
04 - Mix in vanilla extract. Alternately add flour mixture and whole milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix only until ingredients are just combined.
05 - Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan. Smooth the surface. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan.
06 - Beat unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk. Mix until frosting is light and spreadable.
07 - When cooled, remove cake from the pan. Using a serrated knife, carve cake into a jersey silhouette, creating gentle curves at the shoulders and indenting sides for armholes.
08 - Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the sculpted cake to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set the crumb coat.
09 - Knead food coloring gel into white fondant to achieve desired team colors. Roll fondant on a cornstarch-dusted surface to about 1/8 inch thickness.
10 - Drape tinted fondant over chilled cake. Smooth fondant with hands or a fondant smoother and trim excess from edges.
11 - Embellish cake with additional colored fondant or edible markers to create jersey details: collar, numbers, name, stripes, and graduation year.
12 - Arrange finished cake on a serving board and present for celebration.
