Graduation Cupcakes Tips
How can you make graduation cupcakes your own?
Adjust the colors to match the school colors of the graduate! You can add food coloring to the cake batter or the frosting, and pick matching M&M's for the "button" on top of the graduation cap. Color-coordinated cupcake liners would be super cute, too. Of course, you can also choose to make a different kind of batter or flavored frosting, if the flavor matters more to you than the colors. Just make sure you leave the
graduation cap on top, with the tassel on the left (vs. the right) to show that they've graduated!
How should you store graduation cupcakes?
Since both the cake and the frosting have dairy, it's necessary to keep leftover frosted graduation cupcakes in the fridge. However, the graduation caps are better stored at room temperature, so consider removing those beforehand. You can always put them back on top of each cupcake before you serve leftovers. Try to eat them in 3 to 4 days, if they're not all gone before the end of the party.
Can you make graduation cupcakes in advance?
If you want to work ahead, you can bake the cupcakes and freeze them, unfrosted, for up to 2 months. Pull them out of the freezer and thaw the cupcakes at room temperature before you frost them. (Check out our guide to
how to freeze cake for more tips.) Otherwise, you can fully bake and frost the cupcakes the day before, and keep them in the fridge until it's time for the party. Add the graduation caps right before serving. Your graduate might find these cute cupcakes to be one of the best
graduation gifts they'll receive.
—Lauren Pahmeier, Taste of Home Associate Editor
Nutrition Facts
1 cupcake: 480 calories, 22g fat (13g saturated fat), 62mg cholesterol, 283mg sodium, 70g carbohydrate (58g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.