DIY Easy Graduation Money Cake

Creating a graduation cake with unique layers made from trifle bowls and decorated with rolled dollar bills can be a fun and creative way to celebrate this special occasion. In this step-by-step tutorial, we'll guide you through the process of making a stunning graduation cake that will surely impress your guests.

What you need

Trifle bowls or polystyrene dummy cake bases

Dollar bills (enough to cover the layers)

Small plastic hair ties

Tinsel, card, craft foam, or extra candy

Graduation decorations (such as mini graduation caps, diplomas, etc.)

Cake base or serving platter

Scissors

Optional: candles

Instructions

Making a graduation cake with dollar bill layers is a creative and unique way to celebrate the graduate’s achievements. With careful planning and attention to detail, you can create a stunning cake that will be the centerpiece of your graduation party. Have fun decorating and enjoy the celebration!

Thank you to Tosha Anderson for sharing her photo version of this project.

Step 1: Prepare Your Materials Gather all the materials needed for the cake, including the trifle bowls, dollar bills, small plastic hair ties, decorative items, and any fillers you’ll use for the layers (tinsel, card, craft foam, or candy).

Step 2: Roll the Dollar Bills Carefully roll each dollar bill into a tight cylinder. Secure each roll with a small plastic hair tie. Ensure that the hair tie is small enough not to damage the dollar bill but strong enough to hold the roll securely.

Step 3: Prepare the Trifle Bowls Place one of the trifle bowls on your cake base or serving platter. This will be the bottom layer of your cake. If you’re planning to have a candle-filled layer, this is where you’ll place it. Make sure this layer is the heaviest to prevent the cake from becoming top-heavy.

Step 4: Arrange the Dollar Bills Take the rolled dollar bills and place them along the inside edge of the trifle bowl, with the rolled side facing outward. You can stuff the middle of the bowl with tinsel, card, craft foam, or extra candy to give the layer some volume and support.

Step 5: Add the Second Layer Place the second trifle bowl on top of the first layer, ensuring that it’s centered. This layer will have another ring of rolled dollar bills along the inside edge. Again, you can add fillers to the middle of the bowl for support.

Step 6: Create the Top Layer For the final layer, use the smallest trifle bowl. Instead of dollar bills, you can fill this layer with tinsel or any other decorative item to add visual interest.

Step 7: Stack the Layers Carefully stack the trifle bowls on top of each other, with the heaviest layer at the bottom and the lightest layer at the top. Make sure the layers are aligned properly to prevent the cake from toppling over.

Step 8: Decorate the Cake Once the layers are stacked, decorate the cake with graduation-themed decorations such as mini graduation caps, diplomas, or any other embellishments you prefer. You can place them on top of the cake or around the base for added flair.

Step 9: Final Touches Before serving, make any final adjustments to the decorations and ensure that the cake is stable. Optionally, you can add candles to the bottom layer if desired.

Enjoy! Your graduation cake with dollar bill layers is now ready to be enjoyed! Display it proudly at your graduation party and celebrate this momentous occasion with friends and family.