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How to Make Grad Cupcakes - A Step-by-Step Guide

Graduation is a special milestone in life, and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious treat? These Grad Cupcakes are the perfect way to honor the graduate in your life and satisfy everyone's sweet tooth at the same time. Whether you're throwing a big graduation party or just want to make something special for your loved one, these cupcakes are sure to be a hit.

With their adorable graduation cap design, these cupcakes are not only tasty but also visually appealing. They ar...

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Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 eggs
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 12 graham crackers
  • 1 (16 ounce) container white buttercream frosting
  • 1 drop food coloring in school colors, or as desired
  • 6 chewy lemon candy squares (such as Starburst®), or as needed
  • 24 candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (such as M&M's®) in school colors

Information

  • Prep Time: 1 hr
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Additional Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
  • Servings: 24
  • Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • 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 2/3 full.
  • Bake cupcakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.
  • Cool cupcakes thoroughly. Place cupcakes on a platter with the bottom sides facing up.
  • To decorate the cupcakes, break graham crackers in half to make 24 2 1/2-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 until the frosting is warmed, soft, and workable, about 10 seconds. Frosting should be smooth but not runny. Color the frosting to your 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 until warm and soft, 5 seconds or as needed.
  • 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 you have made 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. Store covered.

    • Nutrition

    228 cal.

    • Total Fat: 10g
    • Saturated Fat: 2g
    • Cholesterol: 23mg
    • Sodium: 207mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 34g
    • Dietary Fiber: 0g
    • Total Sugars: 26g
    • Protein: 2g
    • Vitamin C: 1mg
    • Calcium: 47mg
    • Iron: 1mg
    • Potassium: 47mg

    Categories

    Classic recipes
    Chocolate recipes
    Fruit recipes
    Nutty recipes
    Specialty recipes