Graduation Cap Cupcakes

photo by:kraft

Cue "Pomp and Circumstance." Orange-flavored cake topped with a chocolate graham mortarboard and a fruit-snack tassel earns you a degree in cuteness.

time

prep:

30 min

total:

1 hr 25 min

servings

total:

24 servings

add your photo

add to shopping list

add to recipe box

send/share

What You Need

pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

env. KOOL-AID Orange Flavor Unsweetened Drink Mix

2/3

cup (1/2 of 7-oz. tub) BAKER'S Dark Semi-Sweet Dipping Chocolate, melted

HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, broken crosswise in half (24 squares)

cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

chewy fruit snack rolls, any color

jelly beans

Make It

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter as directed on package. Blend in drink mix; spoon into 24 lined muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean; cool completely. Meanwhile, spread 1 tsp. melted chocolate onto each graham square to completely cover top; place on baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm.

REMOVE liners from cupcakes; place cupcakes upside-down on plate. Use wooden spoon handle to poke deep hole in center of each cupcake. Spoon COOL WHIP into resealable plastic bag. Snip one corner from bottom of bag; pipe COOL WHIP into holes and onto tops of cupcakes, reserving small amount of COOL WHIP for later use. Top cupcakes with grahams, chocolate-sides up, to resemble graduation caps.

USE fruit rolls to make tassels for caps. (See Tip.) Add 1 tassel and jelly bean to top of each graham square, securing each with dab of remaining COOL WHIP. Keep refrigerated.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Variation

For a black-and-white graduation, spread half of grahams with additional COOL WHIP instead of the melted chocolate. Line up different-colored caps in alternating rows.

How to Make Tassels

Cut fruit snack rolls into 24 pieces. Cut 3/4-inch slits at one short end of each piece to resemble fringe. Tightly roll up lengthwise to make tassel.

Rate recipes, or edit your previous ratings and more. Sign In

Kearney07

posted:6/9/2012

Super easy, fast and very yummy! I used chocolate gram crackers, Devils Food cupcake mix and left out the cool-aid. Instead of using the fruit roll ups as the tassels I used Twizzlers pull and peel. MUCH faster and MUCH easier! I left out the M&M and it still looks really cute. My sister loved it and the 24 cupcakes were gone in 10 minutes at the party! it was a HUGE success! I'll definitely be making them again!

ceciled19

posted:6/18/2010

So easy and fast! Buy the chocolate covered cookies, no kool-aid, use M&Ms or jelly beans and fruit rolls in the school color and use frosting instead of cool whip. Piece of cake - literally! Tassles weren't hard to make, just use your imagination.

crazymomof04

posted:6/20/2009

Very easy and went great with our daughters graduation party

jaimee239

posted:5/11/2009

GREAT IDEA!!!!!

laurenking1

posted:10/30/2008

They were really cute, but time consuming. I also would have used icing instead of Cool-Whip. I had to refrigerate them after they were made because of the Cool Whip and the cake hardened along with the fruit roll-up. Very cute though!

lisamarie883

posted:7/31/2008

Here is my version of this recipe: Chocolate cake mix, plain chocolate graham crackers, chocolate frosting. blue m&ms, blue fruit roll up. The fruit roll up wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I refrigerated it, but that didn't make a difference at all. It returned to room temp very quickly. Maybe I'll try freezing it next time??? If you are considering making these you should go for it. It's not that difficult, you can change any part of the recipe to make it work for you or for what you have on hand. These cupcaps have a huge wow-factor for parties. They will be a hit!

dublinyourfunn

posted:7/9/2008

I made these for my grad party and everyone loved them! I didn't use the Kool-Aid mix and I thought it tasted fine without it. Try using Twizzler's Pull N Peel licorice for the tassel and take kitchen scissors to snip tiny fringes along the ends- it's a lot easier!

rmomrhonda

posted:6/8/2008

WOW! This recipe was the best! Even though the tassels proved a challenge. They took about a half hour for the 24 we made. It was easier to make them in two pieces, string and fringe. Wrapping the fringe around the string made them look just like the picture.!! They were amazing. We used frosting instead of cool whip, and took the shortcut of buying already dipped grahams. This cupcake is a hit and we will be making it again this comming weekend for another grad party hostess treat. Thank you Kraft Foods for making me into an amazingly talented cook, once again.

a cook

posted:5/1/2008

This seems like a GREAT! idea..I would try with the personalized mms that u can order now from online...which would make it even more special!!!

Isabelle10

posted:3/22/2008

I made these for my younger brother's graduation at Sorbonne, France. I did not use the Kool-Aid and I made devil's food cake chocolate cupcakes. I did not make my own chocolate squares; as I simply took chocolate squares from a box. Much easier!