Princess Graduation Cake

I graduated in December, so I thought I had been done with college for many months. However, I got a phone call a month or so ago asking me to return to the school to discuss academic honors. Well, what do you know, this Smart Cookie was named salutatorian for the class of 2015, and I have to walk at spring commencement in order to receive the honors.

Okay, I guess I can manage that.

So call this the most drawn-out graduation celebration of all time. It’s been months in the making, and I’m ready to really, for real be done when I walk this weekend. This Smart Cookie worked hard for her degree.

Believe it or not, this Princess Graduation Cake actually isn’t for me. You wouldn’t expect me to bake my own cake, would you? I made this fit-for-a-fairytale cake for a friend of mine and former co-worker who is graduating this spring too. She’s a Disney fanatic, so she needed her own princess-inspired cake.

No princess grad cake would be complete without a sparkly pink graduation cap. But I felt like a pink cap wasn’t enough; there needed to be a tiara too so the princess could switch to the appropriate headwear at the – wait for it – drop of a hat.

Pretty flowers add to the feminine feel of this cake. I’m no flower expert, but these ones were easy enough. Pearl sprinkle centers make them extra elegant. And no one can deny some confetti sprinkles.

Did I mention it’s complete with my best vanilla buttercream frosting?

If you really want to make friends, serve this cake with a few extra tiaras for everyone to wear, and don’t be surprised when the dudes enjoy them more than the ladies.

Congrats to everyone graduating this spring!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

1. I bought my tiaras in the birthday section of Party City. I chose them because they’re tinier.
2. I use Wilton Ready-to-Use Frostings because my Wilton tips attach right to them. If you don’t have Wilton tips, you might want to opt for a different brand.
3. Almost all of this is optional. Make it your own, and use whatever elements you like.
4. Confetti sprinkles are hard to find, but I have had success at Hobby Lobby.
5. When making the frosting, always start mixing the sugar in on a low speed to let it incorporate a bit. Otherwise, you’ll have a powdered sugar dust storm.

Princess Graduation Cake
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients

• 2 8×8-inch round cakes (I used confetti)

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 3 sticks (1 ½ cups) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 3-4 tbsp. chilled heavy cream

• Pink Wilton Ready-to-Use Frosting
• Purple Wilton Ready-to-Use Frosting
• White Wilton Ready-to-Use Frosting
• Black Wilton Ready-to-Use Frosting
• Green Wilton Ready-to-Use Frosting
• Blue Wilton Ready-to-Use Frosting
• Yellow Wilton Ready-to-Use Frosting
• Pink luster dust
• Small white pearl sprinkles
• Confetti sprinkles
• Small tiara (I bought mine at Party City with the princess-themed stuff)

Tools

• Parchment or wax paper
• Round frosting tip
• Leaf frosting tip
• Drop flower frosting tip and/or petal frosting tip

Directions:

1. Place one cake round centered on your working surface. Take small strips of parchment or waxed paper and stick them around the edges of the cake so they stick out. This will let you make a mess with the frosting, then you can pull the paper away when you’re done and take the mess with you.
2. Make the frosting: place butter and two cups sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on low speed until the sugar starts to incorporate then increase speed to medium until well-combined. Continue adding 2 cups of sugar at time, mixing in at low then increasing to medium speed, until all sugar is incorporated.
3. Add the vanilla and cream and beat on high until light and fluffy. If it’s still too thick, add 1 tbsp. more cream.
4. Put 1/3 of the frosting on top of the first layer of cake and spread out to the edges in an even layer.
5. Place the second cake layer centered on top of the first frosted layer. Scoop the rest of the frosting out onto the cake, leaving a little bit so that you can use it for touch-ups.
6. Spread the frosting out the edges, letting it fall over. Smooth the top out into an even, smooth layer. Then smooth out the edges. Gently remove paper from under the cake.
7. Use the pink frosting fit with a round tip to draw a graduation cap. Start with a diamond shape for the top of the hat, then draw a lowercase “m” under it and connect it to the top of the hat. Fill in the cap and dust with pink luster dust.
   
8. Outline the cap with black. Use the white to draw highlights.
9. Use the purple frosting fitted with a purple tip to draw a dot centered on the top of the hat. Draw a tassel falling over the edge of the cap. If you like, you can place one of the small white pearl sprinkles on top of the cap.
   
10. Stick the tiara into the top right of the cake. Choose whatever color you like fitted with the drop flower tip, the petal tip or a little of both to draw flowers underneath the tiara. Vary the sizes and stick a few pearl sprinkles in the center of each flower. Use the leaf tip on the green frosting to draw leaves around the flowers.
    
11. Use pink or purple frosting fitted with a round tip to write “Grad Princess” in cursive underneath the tiara. Write the cake recipient’s name above.
12. Use the same color with a round tip to write your congratulatory message centered at the bottom of the cake. I wrote “Congrats and good luck.”
13. Use the blue fitted with a large ribbon tip to draw a thick border around the top and bottom edges of the cake. Top the blue border with confetti sprinkles.