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Easy Graduation Cap Sugar Cookies Recipe with Perfect Royal Icing Decoration Tutorial

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Celebrate graduation day with these festive and easy-to-make graduation cap sugar cookies, featuring a soft but sturdy cookie base and smooth royal icing decoration.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 large egg whites or 4 tablespoons meringue powder + 6 tablespoons water
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Black gel food coloring
  • Yellow or gold gel food coloring
  • Optional: white gel food coloring

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients: whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
  2. Cream butter and sugar: beat softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add egg, vanilla, and cream: beat in egg, vanilla extract, and heavy cream until combined.
  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients: gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined.
  5. Chill dough: divide dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  7. Roll and cut dough: roll chilled dough to ¼ inch thickness and cut out graduation cap shapes with cookie cutter or freehand.
  8. Bake cookies: place cookies 1 inch apart and bake for 8-10 minutes until edges start to turn golden.
  9. Cool completely on racks before decorating.
  10. Prepare royal icing: beat powdered sugar, egg whites (or meringue powder mix), and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
  11. Divide icing into bowls and color with gel food coloring as desired; thin icing with water for flooding or keep thick for outlining.
  12. Decorate cookies: outline caps with thick black icing, flood with thinned black icing, let dry 15-20 minutes, then pipe yellow tassels and optional white details.
  13. Let decorated cookies dry thoroughly, ideally overnight, for a smooth glossy finish.

Notes

Chill dough for at least 1 hour to prevent spreading and achieve clean edges. Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning icing. Practice piping tassels on parchment paper before decorating cookies. Let cookies cool completely before icing to avoid melting. Store decorated cookies in airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: graduation cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing, graduation cap cookies, party cookies, easy sugar cookies, decorated cookies

Find it online: https://twinkletaste.com/easy-graduation-cap-sugar-cookies-recipe-with-perfect-royal-icing-decoration-tutorial/