Graduation Cake Ideas

If you have a graduation coming up and want to make your own cake instead of spending a fortune having a professional do one for you, there are plenty of ideas to help you get started. Whether you have to make a cake to feed ten or a hundred, there are really no limitations other than your imagination.

The first thing that you want to do is decide on how many people you need to serve. Once you have a rough estimate of the amount of cake you will need to make, the fun can begin.

You will want to decide what kind of theme you want for your graduation cake ideas, what kind of flavor and what kind of cake. For instance, do you want to do a smaller fun cake and then offer the guests a sheet cake?

Graduation cake ideas are fun and here are some good ideas to help get you started picking out what you want to decorate your cake with.

Graduation Cake Ideas:

• Pick a theme based on the type of graduation such as college or high school

• Choose the school colors as your theme for the cake

• Choose the school mascot as the theme for the cake• Choose the graduate's favorite sport or high school activity for the theme

• Choose the graduate's favorite hobbies or pastimes

•Choose the diploma based theme• Use the name of the school or college where the student graduated

• Make a fun shape to the cake based on a particular sport or hobby that the student excels in

• Use a family heirloom or heritage to help get ideas

• Use the family's nationality as colors and ideas for themes

• Try making a stack of books as the graduation cake idea with all of the subjects that the student participated in

• Design the cake based on the next endeavors of the student, such as the college he or she will be attending or the program that they will be majoring in

• Screen print a picture of the graduate on the cake using a graduation picture or other school picture

• For a combined graduation, choose a picture of the graduate with their friends on the cake

• Take a team picture from the yearbook and print it on the cake

• Add in some fun elements on the cake that depict the high school or college career of the graduate 

The options are endless when it comes to what you can do for your graduate and their special day. Create a graduation cake for them that is as unique and special as they are. 

By Katie Appleby

Graduation Cake

This is the cake that I am going to make for my children next year when they graduate from high school. Great for college too.

INGREDIENTS 

(Nutrition)5 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt 10 egg whites

1 cup white sugar

1 1/3 cups shortening

2 1/2 cups white sugar

1 3/4 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup butter 8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

Measure sifted flour, add baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt, and sift together three times. Beat egg whites until foamy, add 1 cup white sugar gradually, and continue beating only until mixture will stand in soft peaks.

Cream shortening, add 2 1/2 cups white sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and egg whites and beat thoroughly into batter. Turn batter into one round 10 inch pan and one round 8 inch pan, 3 inches deep, each lined on bottom with paper, filling each pan about half full of batter.

Bake in moderate oven 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), placing the smaller layer towards front of oven for quicker and easier removal when done. Bake the 8 inch cake 1 hour, or until done; bake the 10 inch cake about 10 minutes longer. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. 

Then loosen from sides of pans with spatula, turn out, remove paper, and turn right side up on racks to cool. When thoroughly cooled, at least 2 hours, brush cakes to remove any loose crumbs. Prepare Creamy Butter Frosting and set aside about 2 cups of frosting for decorating. Spread with frosting. 

You can tint the frosting the color or colors you want and be able to write on top of cake. To Make Creamy Butter Frosting: Cream 1 cup butter or margarine; add part of the confectioners' sugar gradually, blending after each addition. 

Mix in 4 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Then add remaining sugar alternately with milk, until of right consistency to spread. Beat after each addition until smooth. 

Makes about 5 cups. (While frosting cake, keep bowl of frosting covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying.)

BY: Carol