Shindigz
has been around since 1926 would you believe! It has an amazing supply of
graduation themed paper plates, cups, napkins, tablecloths, graduation table
center pieces, graduation favors etc. etc. etc. You name it, it has it! Not
only that, the prices are amazing. So save yourself some surfing time and
check this wonderful party site out now.
Plus, there are lots of other graduation cake decorating ideas like using
edible pens, plastic graduation toppers, edible photos, colored fondant cut
outs using a graduation cap cookie cutter, candy confettii, food color spray
etc.
ebay
have a great array of cake supplies that you can just buy without the hassle
of bidding. Their cake pans are fantiastic value - why bother buying new when
you'll probably only use it once.
Graduation cake pans will help make your cake look really
unique and really fit the occaision. You could also use it to make a jelly.
Help it to slip out easily by just dipping the pan in boiling water for a
few seconds.
Can I Freeze My Graduation Cake?
You can freeze your cake. It should last up to three months
in the freezer. To freeze the cake simply wrap it in a few layers of cling
film or seal in a freezer bag.
Cakes sometimes become a little soggy if allowed to defrost too quickly so
for best results, leave it in its wrapping and allow it to defrost overnight
in the fridge. The next day, remove from the fridge and take out of the wrapping
to let it come up to room temperature for an hour or so before decorating
it.
There are a few cake storage tips you need
to consider in order to keep your cake fresh for as long as possible:
- Store the graduation
cake in a covered box or container out of direct sunlight as the sunlight will
alter icing colours.
- Heat and humidity
can soften the buttercream and icing used so keep your decorated cake as cool
as possible, and in a box or container if possible.
- Try not to use tinfoil
or cling film to cover a decorated cake as this can sometimes stick to icing
and damage any decorations you may have used.
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How Do I Know When My Cake is Cooked?
To check your cake is completely cooked, insert a very thin
knife into the centre of the cake for a couple of seconds and then remove.
If the knife comes out wet and sticky then the cake needs a few more minutes.
If the blade comes out clean, then your graduation cake is ready.
Graduation Quotes
Perhaps you could write a short graduation quote on your cake
using an edible pen. How about the following:
The tassel's worth the hasstle!
You are hard wired for genius.
There are no barriers in life, only challenges.
Success is a journey, not a destination.
The sky's the limit when your heart is in it.
Climb as high as you can dream.
Change your thoughts and you change your world.
"All that stands between the graduate and the top of the ladder is the
ladder."
Graduation Poems
Graduation Poems are great for slipping into graduation speeches and also
for putting inside your homemade graduation invitations. Here is just one
of them:
'Hail to the graduate!
Looking great and feeling fit!
Oh, so proud and full of it!
This day belongs to you.'
Making cupcakes are lots of fun and I think this page covers just about every aspect of graduation cupcakes, most importantly though are the lovely design ideas of which there are many. Please read on and enjoy!
Scroll down or you can fast link to the areas of interest below:
Displaying your Cupcakes - stands and novel ideas plus how to store and transport your graduation cupcakes to the venue.
Cake Mixes for Graduation Cupcakes
Classic Cupcake Recipe
This is your classic cupcake recipe and they taste fabulous with either a raspberry or a strawberry cream filling.
Makes: Approx 14 to 16 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour • Pinch of salt • 1 cup of butter or margarine • 1 cup of granulated sugar • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Instructions:
1. Place the cases in the cake tin – this helps them to keep their shape. 2. Sieve the flour and salt and leave. 3. Cream the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. 4. Gradually beat in the eggs and then add a tablespoon of flour with the last amount. 5. Fold in the remaining flour. 6. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.
Cooking Temperature: 190 degrees centigrade/375 degrees farenheight/ gas mark 5. Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
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Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Everyone loves chocolate cake – and these will be no exception. Why not choose a chocolate filling to double the pleasure.
Makes: Approx 14 to 16 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour • Pinch of salt • 1 cup of butter or margarine • 1 cup of granulated sugar • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • ¾ cup of unsweetened melted chocolate.
Instructions:
1. Place the cases in the cake tin – this helps them to keep their shape. 2. Sieve the flour and salt and leave. 3. Cream the butter or margarine sugar anuntil light and fluffy. 4. Add melted chocolate. 5. Gradually beat in the eggs and then add a tablespoon of flour with the last amount. 6. Fold in the remaining flour. 7. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.
Cooking Temperature: 190 degrees centigrade/375 degrees farenheight/ gas mark 5. Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
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Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe
Kids love this one. It’s great with the cream cheese filling.
Makes: Approx 14 to 16 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour • Pinch of salt • 1 cup of butter or margarine • 1 cup of brown sugar • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • ¾ cup peanut butter
Instructions:
1. Place the cases in the cake tin – this helps them to keep their shape. 2. Sieve the flour and salt and leave. 3. Cream the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. 4. Gradually beat in the eggs and then add a tablespoon of flour with the last amount. 5. Fold in the remaining flour. 6. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.
Cooking Temperature: 190 degrees centigrade/375 degrees farenheight/ gas mark 5. Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
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Carrot Cupcake Recipe
This is my personal favourite and with a cream cheese filling it is simply divine.
Makes: Approx 14 to 16 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour • Pinch of salt • 1 cup of butter or margarine • 1 cup of granulated sugar • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 4 cups carrots freshly shredded • ½ cup nuts chopped
Instructions:
1. Place the cases in the cake tin – this helps them to keep their shape. 2. Sieve the flour, cinnamon and salt and leave. 3. Cream the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. 4. Gradually beat in the eggs and then add a tablespoon of flour with the last amount. 5. Add the carrots and nuts and mix gently. 6. Fold in the remaining flour. 7. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.
Cooking Temperature: 190 degrees centigrade/375 degrees farenheight/ gas mark 5. Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
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Banana Cupcake Recipe
Another yummy recipe and again goes down a treat with the cream cheese filling.
Makes: Approx 14 to 16 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour • Pinch of salt • 1 cup of butter or margarine • 1 cup of granulated sugar • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • 2 ripe bananas mashed • 3/4 cup sour cream.
Instructions:
1. Place the cases in the cake tin – this helps them to keep their shape. 2. Sieve the flour and salt and leave. 3. Cream the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. 4. Gradually beat in the eggs and then add a tablespoon of flour with the last amount. 5. Mix in the mashed banana and sour cream. 6. Fold in the remaining flour. 7. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.
Cooking Temperature: 190 degrees centigrade/375 degrees farenheight/ gas mark 5. Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
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Some other cupcake flavour ideas. It won’t be too hard to customise your classic cupcake recipe to include other ingredients like the ones listed below:
• Apple cupcakes • Chocolate mint cupcakes • Chocolate orange cupcakes • Cinnamon cupcakes with a cream cheese filling • Coconut cupcakes • Coconut pineapple cupcakes • Gingerbread cupcakes • Lemon cupcakes • Yellow cupcakes with lemon filling • Mocha cupcakes • Orange cupcakes • Pina Colada cupcakes • Pink Lemonade cupcakes • Strawberry or Raspberry cupcakes.
Now your graduation cupcakes don’t need a filling but it is a lovely unexpected surprise for your guests when they bite into their cupcake and discover one of the delicious fillings below.
Here is how you fill your cupcake:
• Prepare a decorating bag with a smallish tip and add the filling of your choice. • Insert the tip into the top and centre of your cupcake and gently squeeze out a small amount of filling.
Strawberry Cream Filling
This is a very indulgent filling.
Makes: Approx 2 ½ cups full
Ingredients:
• 1 cup heavy cream • 16oz of strawberries • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions:
1. Cook strawberries, cream and corn starch in a saucepan over a medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. 2. Remove from heat and chill before filling cupcakes or using as an icing on cupcakes.
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Raspberry Filling
Very fruity!
Makes: Approx 2 cups full.
Ingredients:
• 16 oz raspberries • 1/3 cup granulated sugar • 1 teaspoon lemon juice • 3 tablespoons cornstarch • 1 cup of water
Instructions:
1. Put raspberries in a bowl. 2. Combine water, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat while stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickns. 3. Cool completely. 4. Stir raspberries into cooled mixture and mix well.
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Cream Cheeses Filling
Cream Cheese is perfect for carrot cupcakes—but is just as delicious in apple or banana cupcakes.
Makes: Approx 1 ½ cups full.
Ingredients:
• 8oz cream cheese softened • ½ cup confectioners' sugar • ¼ cup milk
Instructions:
Combine cream cheese, sugar, and milk in a bowl and beat until well blended.
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Chocolate Filling
Now nobody will be disappointed with this chocolate filling.
1. Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a saucepan and blend in some of the cream. 2. Place on medium heat and stir continuously. 3. Add the rest of the cream and continue stirring for a couple of minutes. 4. Add the egg yolks into the sauce in pan. 5. Cook for a few minutes on low heat until thickened. 6. Remove from heat, add unsweetened chocolate along with the vanilla and leave to cool.
Ebay has a great selection of suitable for graduation cupakes and they are a great price too.
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Take your Pick
There are a many quite brilliant available that will make decorating your graduation cupcakes a breeze. Just add a swirl of buttercream icing using a large tip, maybe a few colourful sprinkles and then a pick of your choice.
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Sparkling Star Graduation Cupcakes
Well the graduate is certainly a star so this is certainly a good idea for your graduation cupcakes.
I am sure you will agree that these fondant stars with colored sugars look fantastic and even better - they are so easy to make and store well so can be made a few days in advance of when they are required.
Here are the ingredients and tools that you need which can all be found on ebay:
• Star cookie cutter • Ready-To-Use White Rolled Fondant • Cake Sparkles (in choice of colors) • Buttercream icing
Instructions:
Simply roll out the fondant and cut out star shapes.
Brush the stars with water and then sprinkle with cake sparkles.
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Star Studded Graduation Cupcakes
Here are the ingredients and tools that you need which can all be found on ebay:
How about putting photos on your graduation cupcakes:
I am afraid you cannot do this yourself though as you need a special printer AND the edible paper AND the edible ink cartridges.
Most supermarkets or cake shops should be able to do this for you or you could do it all online at www.picturethatcake.com. It is quite a nice idea to use a selection of photos of the graduate at various stages in their life. If you don’t have an electronic copy of all the photo you’d like to use though then try options like – taking a photo of a photo with a digital camera or you could scan the photo to create a digital image – a lot of home printers have a scanning option – just ask around your friends and family.
Picturethatcake make lovely edible icing sheets full of photos of your choice and they post it out to you at a very reasonable cost. The photos could also have text added to them. They are so easy to use, just peel off the back of the edible image and lay it flat on the frosted cupcake. It’s amazing watching it absorb and create this cool image on your cakes.
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Photo Picks
You could make a mosaic on your computer using small images of the graduate, print it out, get the sheet laminated and then cut them all out and use these that you can get from ebay to decorate your graduation cupcakes:
Similarly, you could get several small photos of the graduate at various stages in their life laminated and then using the party picks to decorate your main graduation cake with them.
Baking Liners and Wrappers for Your Graduation Cupcakes
Search ebay for some - again it has the best array to choose from and not surprisingly the best prices too. These ones don't however have a graduation theme.
I did find these
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Have You Ever Heard of Cupcake Wrappers?
Well there are some
The detail is unimaginable and they are easily assembled to slip your graduation cupcake in for a wonderful display. These look amazing on a tiered stand or set at each place setting as a dessert or party favour, the possibilities are endless. The wrappers are for presentation purposes only, not edible or for baking in.
This lovely
also exists on ebay but it requires a special search on ebay to find it.
Ebay has the best selection of by far and the prices cannot be beaten – there are ones for making square or star shaped cupcakes, mini cupcakes, a single large one and even ones capable of holding 24 cupcakes.
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Tips on How to Fill Them
• Place the cupcake cases or baking liners in the cups in the cake pan. • Fill the cups 2/3 full. • You could use a decorating bag to add the mixture or a big spoon would also do. • You are probably best using the decorating bag though if you are making mini cupcakes.
I discovered this fantastic video on Youtube. It shows you how to make these fantastic ice-cream cone looking cupcakes and she fills the cone with sweeties. They look gorgeous, totally unique and so easy to make - well worth a look.
on ebay. If you specifically like the one with feet then you’ll need to search on “2 feet of treats cupcake”. You’ll also discover some expensive glass, silver and even illuminated versions.
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Display Options
Here are some nice displays that I have come across:
First photo - This tiered stand looks great, I love the way it has bigger cake at the top (scope for adding a message or a graduation cake topper or even edible photo) and the streamers are a great idea too.
Second photo -Another tiered option – doesn’t matter if you can’t fit all your graduation cupcakes on the stand, they look great scattered around it.
Third photo - This square tiered stand is also nice and I like the idea of putting flowers on top.
Fourth photo -This stand is a little bit different. It suits the star graduation cupcakes which are actually a good theme for graduation.
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Pedestals for Graduation Cupcakes
Give your graduation cupcakes a lift with these lovely
They could be used over and over again for a variety of things like holding favors, muffins or pastries or even turn it upside down and make it into an ice-cream holder.
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A Carrier for Your Graduation Cupcakes
Now that you have made some amazing graduation cupcakes – how are you going to store them, airtight or transport them to your venue without messing them up. Well the solution is a and again good old ebay to the rescue with a brilliant supply of graduation cupcakes carriers, some holding up to 36 graduation cupcakes. I think the 3 in 1 kind looks like a good investment as it holds 12 standard graduation cupcakes or muffins, 24 minis or a single 9x13 cake so it’s the kind of thing you could use for storing anything airtight.
As part of your fund raising activities it can be profitable to make and sell cupcakes. You could make the cupcakes to coincide with special events at the school such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
Each cupcakes picture must be of a cupcake that you or a family member have made.
The cupcake picture and your write up must be original and cannot be copied from another source.
We are looking for creative ideas so your graduation cupcakes do not need to be perfect. Creative cupcakes, stories and photos are best.
You might want to explain how you made the cupcakes, where your ideas came from, the recipe you used, give your decorating ideas and tips, or provide other information you would like to share.
You can send more than one graduation cupcakes photo, in fact please do. Just fill in another form and let us know that you have already sent a photo, if you give the detail we can tie it all together.
