Graduation Cupcakes Recipes

GRADUATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Place peanut butter cups upside-down onto frosted cupcakes.
• Using small amount of frosting, attach a chocolate square to peanut butter cup.
• Next, pinch the end of 1 piece of licorice to flatten, then place it on the center of the chocolate square, using a small amount of frosting to secure.
• Place 1 piece of candy on top of the flattened end of the licorice, using the frosting to secure it.

GRADUATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cups into 24 muffin pan cups; set aside.
• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.
• Combine sugar and 3/4 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add cooled chocolate, eggs and vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add flour mixture alternately with water; beat at low speed until well mixed.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin pan cups. Bake 14-15 minutes or until set. Let cool 5 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
• Combine all frosting ingredients except half & half in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed, adding enough half & half for desired frosting consistency.
• Frost 8 cupcakes. Place peanut butter cups onto cupcakes, bottom-side up. Attach chocolate square to peanut butter cup, using small amount of frosting. To create tassels, cut licorice ropes into 3 1/2-inch pieces. Place 3 pieces together; flatten 1 end. Attach to chocolate square using small amount of frosting; place 1 candy-coated chocolate piece over flattened end of licorice. Push slightly into frosting to secure.
• Place decorated cupcakes in center of large platter. Frost remaining 16 cupcakes; sprinkle with decorator sprinkles or sugars. Place around decorated cupcakes.

GRADUATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cut fruit snack rolls into 12-inch pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into 4 strips, using knife and straightedge. Roll each strip in a spiral around handle of wooden spoon. Store at room temperature at least 8 hours to set curl.
• Bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Tint half of frosting with food color. Frost cupcakes with frosting. Write "Congratulations" or "Congrats" and the graduate's name on cupcakes with decorating gel. Decorate other cupcakes with candy sprinkles and colored sugar. Unwrap fruit snack streamers from spoon handles. Reshape into desired curl; place on cupcakes. Cut additional fruit snack into small pieces and flower petal shapes; arrange on some of the cupcakes.
• Top some of the cupcakes with candy graduation caps. To make, place small amount of frosting on bottom of peanut butter cup. Press graham cracker onto peanut butter cup. To make tassel, tightly roll up small square of chewy fruit snack; cut fringe in one end and press other end to center of graham cracker.

SURPRISE GRADUATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about two-thirds full). Press 1 milk chocolate drop in center of each muffin cup.
• Bake and cool as directed on box for 24 cupcakes.
• In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, melted baking bar and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Gradually beat in milk until smooth and creamy. Frost cupcakes; pipe year with melted dark chocolate onto each cupcake. Store loosely covered.

GRADUATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cook cupcakes according to package directions. If using brownie mix (fudgier), then fill liners a little fuller, you will get fewer cakes, and they will be denser.
• Let cupcakes cook completely.
• Mix frosting by beating the butter with a hand mixer in a medium sized bowl until fluffy (1-2 minutes)
• Add in cream cheese, and whip until smooth.
• Add in extracts (vanilla and mint), to preferred taste
• Add food coloring
• Beat together.
• Slowly add powdered sugar. Whip until fluffy.
• Add a pinch of salt, and whip again until free of lumps.
• Fold in mini chocolate chips.
• Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
• Melt chocolate by putting it in a microwave safe bowl, and heating in 20-second increments, stirring between each. When silky and smooth, dip crackers in, and coat. Use a fork to hold graham cracker above the bowl, and lightly tap to get excess chocolate off.
• While chocolate is still wet, place a chocolate chip in the center. Then place a piece of yellow licorice off the side, like a tassel. I cut the licorice into 4 strips, and then cut bigger chunks off the end and inserted the thin strips into the center so it resembled a tassel (see photo).
• Place graduation cap graham cracker on top of frosting. Enjoy!

VEGAN GRADUATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix the vinegar and almond milk together and set aside for 5 mins.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with baking cups.
• In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the almond mix, melted vegan butter, and vanilla. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture an stir until everything is incorporated but don't over stir.
• Spoon the batter into the muffin pan and bake for 20-22 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcake to cool completely before decorating.
• For the frosting: In a large bowl beat the room temperature vegan butter together with the powdered sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until it's light and fluffy. Reserve 1/4 cup of the frosting to make the tassels.
• Spoon or pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
• Carefully cut the chocolate bars into square pieces.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl heat the chocolate chip in 10-15 second intervals until melted.
• For the graduation caps: unwrap the peanut butter cups and place them upside down on a plate. Place a small amount of melted chocolate on top proceeded by a chocolate square. In the middle of the square add another dot of melted chocolate. Press one of the Unreal Gems into the chocolate. Pipe some of the reserved frosting to create the tassels. Set the caps aside to give the chocolate time to harden.
• Carefully press a graduation cap into the frosting of each cupcake.

GRADUATION CAP CUPCAKES

Steps:

• PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 24 paper liners or coat generously with no stick spray. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• CREAM the butter and sugar until fluffy and lighter in color in the bowl of your mixer. Slowly add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in your mixer bowl until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add up to 1 tablespoon black food color. Spoon batter into prepared tin, filling 3/4 full.
• BAKE for 15 to18 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.
• PLACE frosting in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on HIGH for 1 minute until melted. Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons black food color until desired color is reached. Using a fork, dip graham cracker squares into the frosting. Let excess frosting drip off. Place on parchment paper to cool and harden (at least 30 minutes).
• MEANWHILE use sharp scissors to cut licorice strips into tassels. Unwrap cupcakes (if you used paper liners), trim tops to level if necessary, and turn cupcakes upside down. Use a drop of frosting to secure graham cracker squares onto tops of cupcakes. Place a licorice strip and a chocolate candy on top of each, securing with a drop of frosting.

GRADUATION CAP CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Blend in dry drink mix; spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean; cool completely. Meanwhile, spread 1 tsp. melted chocolate onto each graham square to completely cover top of graham; place in single layer on baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm.
• Remove liners from cupcakes; place cupcakes upside-down on plate. Use wooden spoon handle to poke deep hole in center of each cupcake, being careful to not poke through to bottom of cupcake. Spoon COOL WHIP into resealable plastic bag. Cut small piece off one bottom corner of bag; use to pipe COOL WHIP into holes and onto tops of cupcakes, reserving small amount of COOL WHIP for later use. Top cupcakes with grahams, chocolate sides up, to resemble graduation caps.
• Use fruit rolls to make tassels for caps. (See tip.) Add 1 tassel and jelly bean to top of each graham square, securing each with dab of remaining COOL WHIP.