Graduation Cupcakes

three chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting on individual cupcake pedestals topped with fondant graduation caps and tassels.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate cupcakes, graduation cupcakes

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 22

Total Time: 42

Servings:

Calories: 155kcal

These Graduation Cupcakes are the perfect sweet treat to celebrate your loved one’s big day! Enjoy perfectly moist chocolate cupcakes topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting that’ll melt in your mouth! Don’t forget the graduation cap (made with fondant) - I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step. This recipe truly takes the cake!

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Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa best quality available
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs room temperature
1 cup whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract best quality available
1 cup boiling water

Instructions

Make Chocolate Cupcakes

Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350*F.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).
Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)
Bake cupcakes for approximately 18-22 minutes.
Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Make Cream Cheese Frosting

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until fully combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.
Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until the desired consistency is met. (Don't add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)
Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
Use at once or keep refrigerated. This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.

Make Fondant Cupcake Toppers

Color your fondant as desired (more detailed instructions HERE).
Roll out the color of fondant you plan to use for the hat.
Cut fondant into strips about 3/4 inches wide and 3 3/4 inches long.
Roll up a strip of fondant to create a ring (overlapping slightly). Use a teeny, tiny bit of water or corn syrup to help the ends stay together. Set aside to dry.
Cut a square (for the top of the hat) about 1 3/4 inches x 1 3/4 inches.
Allow hat bases (the rings) and tops (squares) to dry for several hours or overnight. They should be totally firm before moving to the next step.
When the pieces have dried, use a tiny bit of “edible glue” - made with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and a tiny bit of water (it should be the thickness of toothpaste) - and apply with a (clean) paintbrush along the top edge of one ring. Set the top of the hat (a fondant square) on top, and set it aside to dry.
Once the top of the hat has been secured to the base of the hat, make a tassel. For the tassels, simply roll a tiny piece of fondant into a little “snake”. I used my finger to press down one end just a bit, then used a knife to create just a bit of texture to represent the individual strings at the end of a tassel.

Notes

Short on time? Make boxed cupcakes and just focus on making homemade creamy frosting and the graduation caps.

Storage: You can make your frosting a day ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge before frosting your cupcakes the day of your event. Add the caps to your cupcakes and you’re good to go!

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. However, keep in mind that the texture of the frosting will change over time as it’s best enjoyed fresh.

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