Ingredients

• FunCakes Mix for Sponge Cake Deluxe 900 gr
• FunCakes Mix for Buttercream 250 gr  
• FunCakes Edible Glue
• FunCakes Gum Paste White 500 gr
• FunCakes Magic Roll-Out Powder 
• Wilton Icing Color - Black -
• RD Metallic Food Paint - Gold
• 90 + 250 ml water
• 14 eggs
• 300 gr soft butter

Supplies

• FunCakes Cake Card Gold/Silver -Round-
• Wilton Cut-Outs -Alphabet & Numbers- Set
• Wilton -Perfect Height- Rolling Pin 22,5cm
• Wilton Decorating Tip #012 Std Round Carded
• Wilton Decorator Preferred Deep Round Pan Ø 20 x 7,5cm
• Wilton Decorator Preferred Deep Round Pan Ø 15 x 7,5cm
• Wilton Taartzaag / Cake Leveler -25cm-
• Silikomart Wonder Cakes Multi Roll Tool
• Patisse Cooling Grid Non-Stick 40x25cm
• PME Easy Cut Dowels -30cm- pk/4
• Brush
• Modeling knife
• Silicone work mat

Step 1: Make the hat and tassels two days in advance

Two days in advance, make the mortarboard and large tassel. Tint 340 gram FunCakes Gum Paste black using the black food colouring. Roll out the gum paste on the Wilton Roll N Cut Mat’. Cut to a 18 cm x 18 cm square. Let it dry for 48 hours. Reserve the remaining black gum paste.

For large tassel, roll 2,5 cm ball white fondant into 13 cm. long rope. Roll out 3 cm ball white fondant. Cut into 5 cm x 5 cm square. Cut bottom 3,5 cm of square into seven strips, leaving 1,5 cm uncut. Using damp brush, attach top of square to end of 13 cm long rope. Wrap square around rope, forming tassel. Using a sugarcraft knife, carefully cut indent at top of strips, pinching gently to shape.

Carefully bend the rope 2 cm from tassel, forming “L” shape. Lightly flatten other end of rope that will sit on mortarboard. Let dry on cornstarch-dusted measuring mat, about 1 hour. Carefully transfer to cooling grid. Let dry for 48 hours.

Step 2: Make the small tassels, dots and letters a day in advance

Small tassels

One day in advance, make small tassels. Roll out black fondant. Cut strips measuring 3 cm wide. Cut each strip into 2,5 cm squares (you’ll need sixteen 3 x 2,5 cm squares).

Leaving 1,3 cm at top of each square, cut bottom half of square into five strips. Using damp brush, wet top of square and roll into tassel. Using craft knife, carefully cut indent at top of strips, pinching gently to shape. Reserve leftover black fondant.

Repeat this with white fondant, creating a total of 16 black tassels and 32 white tassels.

Dots

Also one day in advance, make dots. Roll out 15 gram black fondant and 30 gram white fondant. Using narrow end of tip 12, cut out 18 to 20 black dots and 36 to 40 white dots.

Letters

Also one day in advance, make letters. Roll out 45 gram white gum paste. Cut out desired message using Wilton Numbers and Alphabet Set. Let dry on cornstarch-dusted mat.

Paint fondant and gum paste. Using RD Metallic Food Paint Light Gold and decorating brush, paint large gum paste tassel, 16 white mini tassels and 16 dots gold. Let dry, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 3: Bake the Sponge cakes

Grease the baking pans with cake release. Prepare sponge cake batter following recipe instructions or as described on the packaging. Bake and cool 2 15 cm round cakes (7,5 cm high) and 2 20 cm round cakes (7,5 cm high). In total you need 900 gram of mix for sponge cake, 90 ml water and 14 eggs. Let the sponge cakes cool down completely.

Step 4: Prepare the buttercream and cover the cakes

In the meanwhile, prepare 250 gram FunCakes mix for Buttercream following these instructions or as described on the packaging. Cut the sponge cakes horizontally with the cake leveller. Fill the cakes with a filling as desired. Colour less than half of the buttercream black. Colour the rest of the buttercream white using the Wilton White White icing color. Cover the 20 cm cake with white buttercream. Cover the 15 cm cake with black buttercream.

Step 5: Assemble the cake

Place dowels in the 20 cm cake and lay a cakeboard on top. Place the 15 cm cake on top.

Assemble cake. Attach small tassels around 20 cm cake, alternating between black, white and gold tassels. Attach dots to bottom half of 20 cm cake. Add letters on top of 20 cm cake, curving around 15 cm cake. Attach all of it with edible glue.

Place mortarboard on top of 15 cm cake. Using reserved black gum paste, set aside1,5 cm ball for button. Attach large tassel with edible glue to center of mortarboard. Cover tapered end of tassel rope with button.

Step 6: Enjoy this delicious Graduation Cake!

This recipe is made possible by Wilton.