Eight Tips for Selecting the Best Graduation Cakes

These eight graduation cake ideas will provide inspiration and guidance for planning the next graduation party. Graduation cakes mark the end of a course of study, successful completion, and new ventures on the horizon. Each historical celebration has its special rituals, decorations, music and cake. Careful preparation will ensure your party will be remembered for years to come.

1. Choose exciting flavors, pastels, and colors

Buying a ready-made celebration cake at the supermarket often limits you to vanilla or chocolate. When ordering custom graduation cakes, you can choose from a wide range of cake flavors, colors and types. There’s nothing wrong with a standard butter cake, but there are other options, like cheesecake, pound cake, ice cream cake, fudge, or mousse. Consider marble, fruity flavors of berries, tangy citrus, coffee, and nutty scents. Frosting and filling flavors can be the same or different, for example, Chocolate Lemon, Chocolate Vanilla, or Vanilla Strawberry.

When choosing colors, keep in mind flavor, other party decor, and of course any themes. Some decorators incorporate colors from school, from the completed program, or from the next educational institution. Using the graduate’s favorite colors is another possibility.

2. Match the graduation cake to the occasion

When tossing out graduation cake ideas, line up key information about the occasion. How old is the graduate? Did he or she complete kindergarten or a college degree? Will the cake honor a graduating class, a group of graduating friends, or an individual’s accomplishments? What kind of effect is desired: formal, serious, elegant, humorous, or entertaining? How many servings are needed?

There are several ways to serve a large gathering. Multiple cakes can be placed side by side, stacked or tiered. The stacking can be symmetrical or twisted in an upside down design. Cupcakes are often served at large parties. They can be displayed on tiered cake plates, on a cupcake tree, or as part of a sculpture.

3. Entertain with themed graduation cake designs

A graduation can be celebrated with a themed party or a themed cake that reflects something about the graduate’s life. You may decide to build the party around the clothing, art, music, and food of a particular state, province, or country. Your choice may be based on past or future travel plans, a language in which the student has excelled, the location of the student’s next place of study, or a favorite type of music.

Other topic ideas may come from the student’s extracurricular activities and interests. Sports, ballet, hip hop, singing, musicianship, horseback riding, dog training, exercise, debates or cell phone conversations can be reflected in graduation cake decorations. If there is a special graduation gift, such as a car or jewelry, the cake can celebrate the exciting gift.

4. Shaped prom cakes are all the rage

Decorations are not limited to a flat surface; the cake itself can be an object, an animal or a person. Teen ideas include a jeweled crown, a favorite cartoon character, a star, a teddy bear, or an owl dressed as a graduate. Any age in sports can enjoy a soccer ball, hockey stick, ice skates, or other symbol that represents their favorite sport.

The classic forms of graduation are a graduation diploma, a graduation cap, or both combined. A graduation cap cake is particularly suitable for a student finishing high school, college, or university. However, a traditional design is not a requirement for a historical graduate. You can still go for something fun, like a cake decorated like a high school locker, a luggage set for a world traveler, or an airliner for a graduating pilot.

5. Graduation cupcakes can be awesome.

Cupcakes are often a hit as they can be offered in various flavors with attractive and delicious designs. Placing figurines on cupcakes is an easy way to provide party favors. A classic cupcake design is the graduate cap cupcake made with an inverted round shape, topped with a flat cookie, and garnished with licorice strands.

6. Buy original decorations

Figurines, plaques and photo frames can enhance basic decorations or the work of a professional. Shopping for decorations online or at baking craft stores will give you lots of ideas. For themes, toppers make images more realistic. School symbols include books, rulers, scissors, apples, a school bus, blackboards, diplomas, and mortar boards. Robed graduate figures come in many different styles and poses and are great for placing on top of tall graduation cakes.

For non-school topics, such as travel, sports, movies, music, etc., there are endless toppers that can be used. Sometimes cake designers have their own inventory of toppers, but others encourage you to provide your own for a special theme.

7. Use photographs

A class photo or an individual photo definitely personalizes a cake. Pronged frames can be used to insert cakes. Use a large frame for a group photo or organize a collection of individual photos. The frames come in different colors and shapes, such as stars and spirals.

8. Order well in advance

Graduations tend to occur in the summer or near the end of the year. To avoid disappointment, plan and order well in advance.