I'm making my first graduation cake this week. It's for an open house graduation party. I think I'm going to make a 3 layer 10' square. I want to put a grad. cap on the top. Should I make it with gum paste, chocolate...? And how do I get the shape? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I have done one in the past using a piece of card board, cut to 12" square and then covered it in fondant. hth

Check out my pictures. I took a styrofoam ball, cut in half; covered with buttercream then fondant. I then took a peice of foam board, but into a square; covered with a small amount of icing then fondant. I put that on top of the half peice of styrofoam ball Then I pushed some fondant through a Play-Doh extruder to make the tassel.

the one i made, i used 50/50 gumpaste/fondant and cut out a square,let it dry for a few days.the base i made of rkt's and covered in fondant. then "glued" the top to the base with melted chocolate.

i bake a small cake in a cereal bowl, i have one that is perfect for this with a flat bottom area. the mortor board i make ahead out of black GP. I cover the cake with black fondant then attach the mortor with melted chocolate. and make the tassel using a clay gun and fondant.

Great tips guys!!! Danielle I looked at your photos (very nice BTW) What size are your grad cakes and what size styrofoam ball? Can you get those balls at Michael's?

I have made a few of these. I used a 6 in round cake for the bottom of the cake and then used carboard covered in fondant. It works quite well. For the tassel I used a garlic press. I'm not sure how to post pictures since I'm new on here, but I have a picture posted on my profile of the latest.

**for the bottome of the cap and a square piece of carboard covered in fondant for the top.