The Best Graduation Party Cupcakes to Impress your Guests (2024)

With chocolate graduation caps on top, these really are the Best Graduation Party Cupcakes to Impress your Guests!

Little graduates will love these too-pretty-to-eat cupcakes!

Perfect for graduation parties, this is one of the best graduation dessert ideas out there!

Whether you’re celebrating your kindergarten, high school or college graduate, these cupcakes are perfect your graduation celebration!

Why I love these graduation cap cupcakes

• It's graduation season! The little graduation caps make them the perfect addition to any graduation party.

• Whether it's for pre-school or law school, it's such a fun and easy graduation party dessert for the big day!

• Since they're baked in ice cream cones, they're a little bit more fun than traditional cupcakes.

• This grad party dessert is simple to make! They start with a box of cake mix, plus the best homemade buttercream frosting and edible graduation hats on top.

• These Cupcake Graduation Caps are going to look so cute on your graduation dessert table!

• I love fun party food that matches the theme of the party and this is one of the easiest graduation desserts.

• This is one of my favorite graduation party desserts!

What you need

Ingredient notes

• Ice Cream Cones - Use your favorite brand but make sure they are the cake cones (not the sugar cones or waffle cones).

• Cake Mix - We used a white cake mix for this recipe, but you could use any kind of boxed cake mix you like such as yellow, chocolate, red velvet or funfetti.

• Buttercream - Homemade buttercream frosting is the best. Scroll down for the recipe. If you're in a hurry, use canned frosting (but it doesn't taste as good).

• Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers - We found them at Walmart. If you can't find them, you could use a chocolate squares instead such as Ghiradelli chocolate.

• Peanut Butter Cups - You'll need the Reese's miniature cups that come in a bag and are individually wrapped. I found them at Dollar General.

• M&M Candies - Use your graduate's school colors, if you wish. You can find specialty M&M colors at a candy store (such as turquoise or purple).

How to make these cute cupcakes with grad caps

• Step 1- Prepare your favorite cupcake batter (we used Duncan Hines cake mix).

• Step 2 - Place cones* in cupcake cone baking rack which I found online. I recommend buying two. (If you don't have this, you can use a muffin pan).

• Step 3 - Fill cones approximately half full with cake batter. Do not overfill. Test bake one cone to determine correct amount.

• Step 4 - Place rack on baking sheet to catch any overflow.

• Step 5- Place rack and baking sheet in a 350°F pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean

• Step 6 - Let cones and rack completely cool before decorating and serving.

• Step 7 - Make buttercream (reserving ¼ cup) and pour into piping bag with 1M tip. Color remaining frosting red or desired color. Place in piping bag with #3 round tip.

• Step 8 - For the mini graduation caps, Use melted chocolate to stick a chocolate graham cracker on top of an upside down peanut butter cup. Pipe a red loop on top and stick an M&M in the middle.

• Step 9 - Pipe vanilla buttercream on top of each cupcake. Place grad cap on top.

*Sugar and waffle cones not recommended.

Expert tips

• Room Temperature Ingredients - For best results, always use room temperature ingredients for most baking projects. Chilled ingredients mix differently and affect the consistency of the recipe.

• Serving Suggestion for Cupcake Cones - If you're serving them at a graduation party, place each cupcake in a clear plastic cup with a handful of M&M candies in the bottom of the cup to stablize the cupcake and also look cute (preferrably school colors). Or you can display them on this nifty Cupcake Cone Baking Rack.

• EdibleTassels - For the tassels on the cap, I used colored buttercream. You can select your own color so the tassels will match your school colors.

• Chocolate Squares –I used chocolate covered graham crackers but you could also use chocolate squares such as Ghirardelli brand chocolate squares.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much batter do I put in the ice cream cone? This is an important question. Make sure you don't over-fill them. You only need to fill the ice cream cone about half full. It helps if you use a medium scoop or muffin scoop. For best results, test bake one cone to determine correct amount.

Does the ice cream cone burn in the oven? Lots of people have asked this question and the answer is no. As long as you bake your ice cream cone cupcakes on the middle rack of a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, they will not burn.

Can you make this graduation cupcake recipe gluten free? Yes! Just substitute a gluten free cake mix and gluten free ice cream cones instead of the regular cake mix and cones.

How to store this fun dessert? It is best to store cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter. Cupcakes are best to be enjoyed with in 48 hours of making them. They won’t be bad to eat after 48 hours but they will start to dry out and not be as fresh.

How to Serve Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes?The cupcake cone baking rack is great for serving your ice cream cone cupcakes because they each have a little hole to sit in. They are more stable this way. If you don't have this, place each cupcake in a clear plastic cup with a handful of M&M candies in the bottom of the cup to stablize the cupcake and also look cute (preferrably school colors).

How to transpoert Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes?If you have to travel with your cupcakes, I recommend placing the cooled cupcakes in an airtight container (not frosted). Bring your frosting, and cupcake decorations with you so you can decorate the cupcakes when you get there. The cupcake cone baking rack is also great for displaying your cupcakes.

Looking for more graduation party dessert ideas?

Rice Crispy Treats - Original Recipe

Strawberry Rice Krispie Cake

My Favorite Chocolate Cake

Grad Cap Cookies

Layer Cake in Glass Jars

Homemade Gummy Bears

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Cake

Copycat Publix Sprinkles Sugar Cookies

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Fresh Fruit Easy Bagel Pizza

Key Lime Pie with Graham Cracker Crumbs Crust

Graduation Cookies

Rainbow Cake No Bake Dessert

Graduation Cake Pops

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