Pomp and Circumstance

My next creation was a request I had from my niece for her daughter's high school graduation party.  My great-niece desired cupcakes co-ordinating with her color scheme of  hot pink and black.  I racked my brain for weeks, googled graduation ideas ad nauseam and finally came up with my own creation:

I had found some Wilton graduation cupcake cups and made a french vanilla cupcake from mix.  I then made a buttercream frosting which I piped onto the cooled cupcakes using different tips.  The grad caps were a bit tricky.  I had found some white chocolate hot pink fondant at my new favorite store in my City, Golda's Kitchen, which you can order online from as well as visit in person (if you're fortunate enough to live nearby like I do!).  I'm not a big fan of fondant usually, but this white chocolate fondant is not only easy to work with, but it's actually quite yummy as well.  

I'd never used fondant before so I was a bit intimated at first but it was very easy.  I rolled out some fondant after first working it to pliable consistency with my gloved hands.  I then cut it into strips to make the square bases of the caps.  I turned them upside down and then made the bases (that part where the hat would sit on one's head).  Next I let them harden in the fridge for an hour or so before going on to the next step. Meanwhile I took strings of black shoelace licorce and cut one end into 3 distinct lines to make the "fray" of the tassles, which once the bases were stiff, I placed on the flat tops of the caps and covered with a round "dot" of fondant.  I placed them back in the fridge to keep hard until it was time to place them on the cupcakes the day of delivery.

Grad cupcakes on display at the Party