Class of 2016

I was asked to make mini cupcakes for a graduation party I attended. I decided to would be fun to display them this way. 

I made a white cake mix (adding an extra egg and 1 cup sour cream and using milk instead of water)

I made lemon cream cheese frosting:

1/2 cup butter softened

8 oz. cream cheese softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2-1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Zest from one lemon

3 to 31/2 cups powdered sugar

I topped the cupcakes with either raspberries or sprinkles. I really like this combo of lemon and raspberries. 

 

Congrats Jared!

I know these aren't the cutest cupcakes ever but I want to remember this special day. I made these for my husband for graduation. Since it was his day I couldn't make these any cuter by putting colored frosting on them since his all time favorite is german chocolate. So I went for yummy instead of cute and he deserved it. I used Grandma Bauerle's recipe which is my favorite so far:
1 cup canned milk
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/4 pound butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine, sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 12 minutes. Add coconut and nuts. Beat until thick enough to spread.

Graduation cupcakes

Patti and I made these for her twin's preschool graduation.  We baked chocolate cupcakes and used the cream cheese frosting recipe.  We made the diplomas out of parchment paper.  The graduation hats had a Reeses peanut butter cup on the bottom with a Ghirardelli square for the top of the hat with a M&M and a pull a part licorice for the tassel.  I can't wait to make these for my husband's school graduation using the school colors.