Pandan Graduation Cupcakes

The sad moment when most of your friends start to graduate and you are still doing your degree. Even though it is a sad moment, I made it a happy moment by getting out my creative skills and creating graduation cupcakes, with an all time favourite flavour of pandan.

Pandan Cupcakes (recipe guided by muchamunch)
Makes 12 standard cupcakes

Ingredients

125g butter (softened)

1/2 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup caster sugar

3/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

2 eggs

3 tbsp milk

1-2tsp of pandan essence

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. 

2. Using an electric or hand held mixer, combine sugar and butter until pale.

3. Add one egg and combine. Add additional egg once the first is well combined.

4. Add in pandan essence, and combine. 5. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

6. Add half the flour mixture, and half the milk into the green mixture, mix well.
7. Once combined, add the remaining flour and milk. The mixture should be nice and smooth.

8. Spoon mixture 2/3 in cupcake cases, and bake for 20 minutes.

NOTE**: I used 2 teaspoons in my attempt, but I found that it turned out too green for my liking. Since I have only made this once, I am not sure what colour it would turn out when using 1 teaspoon.

Buttercream Frosting

75g butter (softened) 

1 1/4 cups of icing sugar (sifted)

1tsp vanilla bean paste

2 tsp milk

1. Using an electric mixture, mix the butter until it becomes pale (almost white)
2. Gradually add in sifted icing sugar (one heaped spoon at a time), and continue adding spoonfuls once each previous spoon is combined.

3. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency. Do not add too much.
4. Add in vanilla bean paste and combine.

NOTE** The addition of milk changes the consistency of the buttercream, so depending on how stiff or runny you would like the icing, depends on how much milk you add. If you feel that the icing is to your desired consistency without milk, then don't add it.

Graduation Hats

Materials:

Mini peanut reese's cups 

Melting chocolate (milk or dark)

Lindt chocolate block (milk or dark) - 10 individual pieces

Writing icing - any colour of choice.

White fondant/hard icing

Toothpicks

NOTES:

- Which ever chocolate you  use, ensure you get matching chocolates. i.e. milk melting chocolate, with milk lindt chocolate or vice versa.

- For the lindt chocolate, I used the thin flat block (blue packet) not the red packet.

- If you dont want to use block chocolate, you can melt chocolate and place in a piping bag and draw our your own squares to desired size.

- Miniature reese's cups can be found at costco or any speciality stores

Method

1. Melt 100g melting chocolate. (I used the microwave)
2. Carefully remove foil wrapper on mini reese's chocolate cup, and poke with a toothpick.

3. Dip into melted chocolate, and place on wax proof paper and remove toothpick.

4. Refrigerate until hardened (15 minutes). 

5. Neatly cut the lindt chocolate block into individual pieces.

6. Once reese's cups are hardened, place on cupcake (bottom side up).
7. Add a little bit of melted chocolate on top, and place lindt block on top (writing side down).

8. Leave to set.

9. Using writing icing,  add a tassel from the centre of the lindt block and drag to one side and leave to hang.

10. Using the fondant or hard icing, roll out small graduations scrolls.

11. Add little bow detail using writing icing.

As you can see, my bottom part was coated in dark chocolate, and I placed a milk chocolate lindt piece on top, and it looks funny. So I strongly advise using same coloured chocolate.

I made two cupcakes blank and using black writing icing to say Congrats Graduates. I wish all the graduates the best of luck, and hope they enjoyed the cupcakes!

Good food, good times!