How to Make Graduation Cap Cookies
With May just a few days away, graduation season is quickly upon us. The end of the school year can be a crazy time for parents and kids (and cookiers). Why not keep things simple when it comes to making cookies for the occasion?
These graduation cap cookies are as simple as they come. They make a bold statement while only requiring three icing colors. Also, these caps can be easily personalized with a name, or a celebratory message can be added quick and easy when utilizing a stencil.
Graduation Cap Cookie Cutter
The cookie cutter for these graduation cap cookies was just added to the shop.
I designed this cutter with an emphasis on the lower "hat" portion of the grad cap. I figured by having this part large and wide, it would be a great way to add someone's name or a short message. The tassel was also design to be short and close to the cap to prevent any possible breakage.
For easy decorating, I made a "Congrats" stencil to coordinate with this cookie cutter. I'll be showcasing how to use this stencil in the tutorial below.
Template for Graduation Cap Cookies
These graduation cap cookies are fairly simple to decorate and probably don't require a template. However, if you're a perfectionist like myself, I made a template file available as a guideline anyways.
You can download the graduation cap cookie template HERE.
If you have a Kopykake or Pico projector, just print it out (or pull it up on your mobile device) and you are good to go. For those without a projector, follow the suggested steps below by tracing the design onto the cookie with an edible food marker.
Decorating Process
The colors I used for these graduation cap cookies were selected at random. Feel free to use colors to coordinate with your actual school's graduation colors.
Step 1
For those without a projector, mark guidelines where the lower section of the cap should be, as shown. I made a template with template plastic from the PDF file above and used a food marker to draw the guideline on the cookie.
Step 2
Begin by outlining and filling the lower section of the grad cap. Let that set for about 15 minutes, then fill the upper section of the cap. Let this set up as well before moving on.
Step 3
Repeat the steps again with the tassel. Fill the lower part first, let it set, and then fill the upper ball section. Let the cookies dry completely (about 2-4 hours).
Step 4
Now comes the fun (and a little nerve-wrecking) part-- stenciling on the "congrats" message. Align the stencil onto the dry cookie. I used a Stencil Genie to help me hold the stencil in place. You can also use magnets as an aid as well. (See how I use magnets here, here, and here.)
Step 5
With stiff white icing, swipe a thin, even layer of icing over the stencil with a scraper.
Step 6
Then take a deep breath and gently lift the stencil off.
Step 7
Lastly, finish up by adding outline details around the cap and on the tassel.
Video Tutorial
The steps above are summarized in the time-lapsed video below.
The Congrats stencil is great for adding a quick, yet impressive final touch to these graduation cap cookies. However, these grad caps can be personalized with names, as well.
To personalize the grad cap cookies with names (see below), I used a projector to help guide my hand-piping of the names onto the cookie. For reference, I used this Claudia Script font. It's not a free font, but its retro-modern feel made me want to buy it.
I hope everyone has a wonderful start to their May. And big "congrats" to all the new 2017 graduates!
For more graduation cookie cutter ideas, be sure to check out our shop as our collection is always growing. And for more step-by-step tutorials on graduation cookies, visit the links below:
