Graduation Cake Ideas

Graduation is an incredibly exciting and special time for your child. Whether its pre-school, kindergarten, middle school, high school or college, your graduation celebration will be memorable and a special part of the festivities involves sharing a bit of graduation cake.

A graduation cake is important to mark the occasion, because it both is something to share and can be a way of offering a personalized wish for your grad. So, if you are not going to the corner bakery and making the grad confection yourself, here are some creative ideas for making a memorable cake.

The Basics

Most big parties and celebration include a beautiful cake which serves as the centerpiece of the food table. For graduations, the graduation cake includes a nice message, but when personalized it can be part of the decorations as well.

Decide whether you want to make a sheet cake or a traditional layered cake. Deciding on the type of cake will help you in adding personal touches. Also, make a cake (or two) which can be enjoyed by your new grad and guests. Chocolate is a typical favorite, but some folks are allergic. As an alternative, white or yellow cake can be a winner. Icing, if you are making a cake that contains a message, should be plentiful and light.

Bake and Decorate

Kindergarten and Pre-School

Graduations for little kids are just as special as those for your older child; however, the celebration does not have to require as much pomp and circumstance.

For sheet cakes, you can offer a simple message, such as "you're my star student" or "great job" and add nice festive accents to the cake. Balloons, confetti candy and roses are all favorites. The cake can be extra special if your child's favorite television or cartoon character's image is on the cake. These items can be made with edible sugar papers and colorful inks that you print. You can add pictures or cartoons using his clever craft. For layered cakes, the sky is the limit. You can create a beautiful decorative cake with colorful candies that stand like candles in the cake and even add your child's favorite toys as figures atop the cake.

Middle School, High School and College Grads-For the more mature graduates, a graduation cake takes on new meaning. To make the cake special, really think about who your child is, what your child likes and what your child hopes to be.

For some sheet cakes, you can design the cake to have the colors of your child's favorite school or college. Mascots are optional. You can make traditional artwork or designs on the cake that include caps and gowns or diplomas. You can use edible papers to place scenic pictures, senior portraits or a group picture of your child and friends on his or her graduation cake. If you are sentimental, you can even add a young or silly picture of your child as the central decoration for the cake.

For layered cakes, think of how you have decorated your home and stick with that theme. You can make the layers with different colors. You can you figurines. You can use flags and sparklers. There are Options are endless.

Don't' forget the message. It can be silly or sweet. "Congratulations" and "We're Proud of You" both can sum up the sentiment.

Other Options

Many of us are not the Ace of Cakes, and cannot create elaborate motorcycle shapes or fountains out of caramel and batter. So, when in doubt, rely on professionals to design and decorate your special cake.

In the alternative, if you are at a loss for ideas on how to make your child's cake extra special, you don't have to go it alone. A simple Google Image search can offer inspiring examples of graduation cakes. You will find some with or that look like caps and gowns, others look like stacks of text books, and still more that are towers with layers of interesting items such as scrolls, stars and flowers.

Graduation is a wonderful time for your child and your family. With parties and events to plan, make the day special with a cake that expresses the feelings of the day. You can bake it on your own or order from the store. Whichever way you go, your graduation cake will certainly become part of your child's and your family's great memories.

For more ideas and resources for making your child's graduation party centerpiece cake, check out these links:

http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/holiday/grad/gradcakespg.html

http://www.graduationcakeideas.net/Graduation-Cake-Resources/Graduation-Cake-Pictures.html

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&aid=7