Grad Cake for Five - 3 Different Schools

I was asked to do a graduation cake for a reception at my church. The challenge was that it needed to congratulate five kids, and represent three different schools.

I envisioned using fondant to create diplomas for each of the students, and I used different color ribbon to represent each student in their school colors.

I spelled out each name in all caps in a row across the bottom of the cake.

This was a 12x18 cake that served around 50 in 1/2 chocolate and 1/2 white.

Decorated Angel Food Cake ?!?!?! I tried it!

I had a request for a graduation cake done with angel food, so I tried it, and it turned out better than I thought it would!

I used loaf pans to bake the angel food cake, and tinted the batter with the school colors. I lined four loaves up in a row and iced with whipped icing. I made a graduation cap out of rice krispie treats and covered it with black fondant. It was a little heavy, so I held it up on the angel food with five short dowel rods. I used fondant to make a diploma for the other side as well.

I used fabric ribbons for the tassle and diploma ribbon.

Overall, a tasty treat and another flavor to add to the list of options!

7 Cakes - 1 Weekend

Last weekend was a crazy, cake frenzie in my kitchen, and it has taken me all week to recoup! We're talking powdered sugar flying, hubby making runs to Wal-Mart, my first all-nighter since college (ouch, it hurt much, much worse than it used to!) But in the end, I got them all done, and was able to sit back with a large sigh and a feeling that I had conquered the world by Sunday evening.

Cake #1 - Baby's First Birthday

The first cake I had was to be picked up Friday afternoon, and it was for a baby girl's first birthday. I had free reign on the design - it just had to be girly, flowery and had to be accompanied by a smaller matching cake for the little tike to dig into.

I googled some ideas and found some cute fondant flowers and leaves I could re-create, and then I had it: the vision. I decided to ice it in light blue buttercream to add some character, and created some cute fondant confetti for the matching baby cake.

This was an 11x15 cake in 1/2 chocolate, 1/2 white that was to serve between 35 and 45 people. All in all a sweet, simple cake that was fun to do!

Cake #2 - Two-Tiered Graduation Cake

Now it was on to the cake that I would spend the most time on and be the most proud of! The request was for a unique graduation cake, with photos, that would serve around 100 people. It was to display the grad's name and feature the class motto.

Rather than do the standard sheet cakes, we decided to build up. The bottom is a 12-inch square white cake, with a 9-inch chocolate hexagon cake on top. I used fabric ribbon to tie around the bottom layer, and penned the class motto above.

For the top layer, I made photo mattes out of red colorflow, and sealed wallet-sized photos onto them with royal icing. The name was displayed as part of the cake topper in black colorflow. I used lollipop sticks secured to the back of the name with royal icing to help it remain sturdy. I found the confetti in the background as part of a graduation decoration at a party store. I cut apart the original decoration and used hot glue to place portions of it into flower spikes, which I placed behind the paper cap and diploma.

Overall I was very pleased with how this one turned out!

Cakes #3 and 4 - Confirmation cakes

Now on to matching confirmation cakes for Sunday. The request was for an 11x15 chocolate sheet cake and a cross-shaped white cake with blue daisies, the boy's name, date and confirmation verse on the cakes.

I used royal icing to create the daisies, and placed them on the cakes with no major problems. Two more down!

Cakes # 5 and 6 - My niece's graduation

My niece requested two 12x18 sheet cakes for her graduation, totally non-traditional. She graduated from Warrensburg High, with colors red and black, so naturally she wanted hot pink. One cake was to have pink zebra stripes with her senior photo and name. The other was to have a "then" and "now" photo with pretty decorations, and say "Congratulations." She wanted one to be 1/2 chocolate and 1/2 white, and the other to be red velvet. Wishes granted!

To save money, we printed actual photos and laminated them for the cake rather than having edible icing sheets made. Both turned out very cute!