The Theme Is … Cupcakes!

 
Graduation season is upon us, and you know what that means: graduation parties. Parties that typically include lots of young individuals. Young individuals who will arrive armed with appetites ready, willing and able to polish off any amount of food laid out, and still have enough room for cake.

Believe me, they’ll be expecting cake. Every party needs to have some cake.

If the thought of preparing a huge cake, cutting it into slices and portioning the slices out onto plates doesn’t quite appeal to you, why not do cupcakes instead? They’re cute, come in individual sizes, and are pretty much the same as cake, except in miniature form. (Side note: A muffin, on the other hand, is more like a quick bread than a cake. Which is why you’ll find it under our Breads category, and not under Desserts.)

So I thought I’d round up a few options for you, because I like you so much, and also because it means I get to look at lovely photos of cupcakes.

Clockwise from top left: Almond Cupcakes with Ultimate Vanilla Buttercream Icing from threepeas, Maple Pecan Cupcakes from wynk52, Banana Cupcakes from Bakerella, Peanut Butter Cupcakes from loveandbutter (Jamie), Key Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream Frosting and Toasted Coconut from missamy, Apple Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting from multiplydelicious, and Chocolate Cream Filled Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting from Kelly @ EvilShenanigans.

 
 
What’s great about cupcakes is that you can also create versions of your grad’s favorite cake, candy, or even cookie. That adds a nice personal touch, and since the guests will all be friends and family, everyone will recognize the gesture. Here are some cupcake recipes that are a take on popular candies and desserts.

Clockwise from top left: S’more Cupcakes from myrecessionkitchen, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream from threepeas, Strawberry ‘Cheesecake’ Cupcakes from lairythecupcakefairyxx, Cannoli Cupcakes from Tracy (sugarcrafter), Turtle Cupcakes from pleasanthome, Cookies and Cream Cupcakes from HowSweetEats, Tres Leches Cupcakes from piescientista, and Oreo Cupcakes from Tracy (sugarcrafter).

 
 
You can even decorate the cupcakes with a theme in mind, like the Beach Cupcakes seen below. If you want to get even more creative, Ree has a great post on How to Decorate Cupcakes with Fondant from that time Bakerella visited the ranch and killed all of us with the cuteness of her creations. Or you can simply choose to make cupcakes in your grad’s favorite color.

Clockwise from top left: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting from sweettooth, Blue Velvet Cupcakes from sprinklebakes, Coconut Cupcakes with Pomegranate Frosting from FrontierKitchen, Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes from Cooking Ventures, Lucky Green Velvet Baby Cakes from pickypalate, Ree’s Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Icing, and Beach Cupcakes from chefmommy09.

 
 
And finally, you didn’t think I would do a post on desserts without showing you some chocolate, did you? From chocolate chips to flourless versions to mint and even salted caramel creations, feast your eyes on some of the mouthwatering chocolate cupcakes I found. (There were so many of them, I didn’t even have room to include Ree’s incredible Life by Chocolate Cupcakes in the collage.)

Clockwise from top left: Chocolate Yoghurt Cupcakes from Bindi, Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes from ThreeManyCooks, Mint Chocolate Cupcakes from manicmother, Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes from elanaspantry, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting from Winnie Abramson, Fleur de Sel Cupcakes from melting, and Chocolate and White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes from multiplydelicious.

 
 
So there you have it, just some of the many ways to serve up some cupcakes for that upcoming graduation party! Or any party, for that matter. I remember that I once made chocolate cupcakes and threw myself a graduation party. I was graduating from laundry, mopping, and bathroom-cleaning duties. No one came, and I ended up eating all the cupcakes. Then I had to clean up after. It was a sad day, made better only by chocolate.

 
Do you have a graduation party coming up? Tell us your plans! If not, do you have any stories to share about past graduation parties? Did you also try to graduate from household chores like I did? Because, despite the no-show, I’m still planning to pull that one again. I’m hoping someday, someone will believe me.