Pisces Sheet Cake Ocean (Printable)

Vanilla sponge with blue ombré buttercream and ocean wave piping for an aquatic-themed dessert.

# 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, room temperature
05 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Buttercream Frosting

09 - 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
10 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 - 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
13 - Blue gel food coloring in various shades
14 - White gel food coloring

→ Decoration

15 - Edible pearls or sugar pearls
16 - White chocolate or fondant for Pisces symbol

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x13-inch sheet cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing on low speed. Add vanilla and milk; beat until fluffy and smooth.
09 - Divide buttercream into 3-4 bowls. Tint each with varying shades of blue from deep ocean blue to pale aqua, and leave one portion white.
10 - Once cake is completely cool, spread a thin layer of white buttercream over the entire cake as a crumb coat. Chill for 20 minutes.
11 - With an offset spatula, layer blue buttercreams in wave-like shapes across the cake, starting with the darkest shade at the base and working up to the lightest. Use swooping motions to mimic ocean waves.
12 - Pipe or swirl white buttercream on top to create sea foam effect.
13 - Decorate with edible pearls and add a Pisces symbol made from white chocolate or fondant if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The vanilla sponge stays impossibly moist and tender, so even if your piping isn't perfect, every bite tastes like a win.
  • Gel food coloring lets you create those Instagram-worthy ombré blues without making your buttercream weepy or thin.
  • You can absolutely make this the day before and decorate it fresh the morning of, which takes the pressure off entirely.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are the difference between a smooth, creamy batter and one that looks curdled and sad; take 30 minutes to let your eggs, butter, and milk sit on the counter.
  • Don't open the oven door while the cake bakes or you'll let all the heat escape and end up with a sunken center that no amount of frosting will fix.
  • Chill the frosted cake between decorating steps if your kitchen is warm; buttercream softens quickly and your beautiful wave lines will blur together if you try to do everything at once.
03 -
  • Chill your piping bags and offset spatula in the freezer for 10 minutes before decorating; cold tools make cleaner lines and the frosting holds its shape longer.
  • Gel food coloring is your secret weapon—it's concentrated enough that a tiny amount goes a long way, and it won't thin out your frosting like liquid coloring does.
  • Make the cake a day or two ahead and store it wrapped tightly at room temperature; it actually gets more moist as it sits, which is the opposite of what you'd expect.
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