I want to make a graduation cap cake topper. Wondering if I should shape gumpaste or just make it out of cake. Suggestions? I need this by Saturday night, so I'll need to get started soon if I do gumpaste.

I guess it depends on size? I made a topper for a cupcake tower that was cake. I started with a 3inch tall 6 inch round and carved it into a half-ball shape. I covered it with fondant and added a matching mortar board made from the same fondant (with tylose powder added). It took a few days for the board to dry but it worked out well.

See the picture from my photos and good luck! (the tassel was purchased.)

i too have made them out of cake. I baked my cake in a small glass pyrex bowl, it was the perfect shape and it was flat on the bottom so it was simple and easy to set the mortar board top on the grad cap (which was gumpaste)

They both look great! The pyrex bowl idea is great for the flat bottom I'll have to look and see what I have!

you know sometimes customers place last minute orders, and i had to make one grad cap like in 2 days. Even that i used tons of cmc, it did not work and it never got dry enough. So i came out with a back up plan, as usual, and i bake half cake on the ball shape pan and for the flat topper i used a square piece of black foamy the one you can get at michael´s the is used for school and kids projects, HTH