GRADUATION CUPCAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 24 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners in school colors.
• Place white cake mix into a large mixing bowl and beat in water, eggs, and vegetable oil with an electric mixer on low speed just until moistened. Turn mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
• Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them about ? full.
• Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Cool cupcakes thoroughly. Place cupcakes on a platter with the bottom sides facing up.
• To decorate the cupcakes, break graham crackers in ½ to make 24 2½-inch squares. Place a dab of frosting centered on bottom of each cupcake and stick a square to the frosting to form mortarboard part of a graduation cap.
• Place the opened container of frosting into a microwave oven and heat for about 10 seconds until the frosting is warmed, soft, and workable. Frosting should be smooth but not runny. Color the frosting to desired shade with food coloring.
• Frost the top and sides of the graham cracker squares.
• Unwrap lemon candies and place 2 candies onto a piece of waxed paper. Microwave the candies for 5 seconds or as needed until warm and soft.
• Roll out the candies on waxed paper to make thin squares of candy. Using a sharp knife or small scissors, cut small tassel shapes from each square. When the tassels are made, set them aside and microwave 2 more candies; repeat steps until there are 24 small candy tassels.
• Place a tassel in the center of each graham cracker square. The tassel should hang slightly over the edge of the square.
• Dip marked side of a candy-coated chocolate piece into frosting and place the piece onto the center of the graham cracker square, frosted side up, to cover the end of the candy tassel string.
• Refrigerate decorated cupcakes to set the frosting. Serve and enjoy.

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (180C) or 320 FC (160C) for a fan forced oven. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper or foil cupcake liners. (Extra points if you can find colors matching your graduate’s school colors!)
• Combine wet ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk, then beat in cake mix for 2 minutes (or according to package directions) until well-blended. (Most boxed mixes call for eggs, oil, and water; I add an extra egg and replace oil and water with butter and buttermilk for a richer cupcake. Up to you!)
• Fill each paper 3/4 of the way (using a cookie or ice cream scoop to transfer the batter into the cupcake liners makes this a quick and easy process)!
• Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting. If you insert a skewer and it comes out with wet batter, bake for another few minutes at a time until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Cool completely before decorating, or your frosting will melt!
• Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar until frosting reaches a pipeable consistency. Reserve about ½ cup to color and use for piping the cupcake tassels! Continue beating, adding the rest of the powdered sugar alternating with cocoa powder and milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
• When your cupcakes have cooled completely (I sometimes toss them in the freezer for 5-15 minutes to accelerate the process!) pipe frosting onto them in large swirls.
• Color your reserved frosting the color of your choice – my sister and I opted for teal. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe a small wavy line from the center of each chocolate square toward the edge with a few lines at the end to resemble a tassel. Stick a Rolo or Reese’s cup to the bottom of each chocolate square with a small dab of frosting, and transfer to the tops of your cupcakes! Enjoy!