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Yukon Cornelius Pull-Apart Cupcake Cake
Yukon Cornelius Pull-Apart Cupcake Cake
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Prep Time:
90 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Total Time:
200 minutes
Yukon Cornelius pull-apart cupcake cake inspired by Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - perfect for Christmas parties!
Ingredients:
  • 1.75 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey's® Special Dark), sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 0.5 cup white sugar
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup strongly brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 20 ounces white chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli®)
  • 8 ounces heavy cream
  • 0.33333334326744 cup crushed peppermint candies
  • 0.5 teaspoon peppermint extract, or to taste
  • 1.5 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 5 cups powdered sugar, or as needed
  • 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, or to taste
  • 0.25 teaspoon salt
  • 0.33333334326744 cup heavy cream, or as needed
  • 6 drops yellow food coloring, or as needed, divided
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, or as needed
  • 6 drops red food coloring, or as needed, divided
  • 1 (10.5 ounce) package large marshmallows
  • 1 (12 ounce) bag dark chocolate chips
  • piping bags
  • couplers
  • large round piping tips
  • large open star piping tip
Instructions:
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and prepare two 12-cup standard cupcake pans with paper liners.
  • Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, gently whisk until well mixed.
  • In a large bowl, cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
  • *Gently fold 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined. Then, gently mix in half of the coffee and half of the sour cream until just combined. Alternately fold in the remaining flour mixture, sour cream, and coffee without overmixing. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups.*
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes until they spring back lightly when touched. Allow to cool completely for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Use a knife or cupcake corer to remove the centers of the cooled cupcakes, saving them for another delicious purpose like making cake balls.
  • Make ganache by combining white chocolate chips and heavy cream in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Stir in crushed candies and peppermint extract until well combined. Let cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Transfer the ganache into a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Fill each cupcake to the brim with ganache. Let them rest until the ganache sets and remains firm when gently pressed with your fingertips, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Make the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter until smooth. Gradually beat in one cup of powdered sugar at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt. Pour in the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, which should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust the consistency as needed by adding more heavy cream if it's too thick or more powdered sugar if it's too thin, until the frosting is spreadable but still holds its shape.
  • Scoop a small portion of frosting into a separate bowl and mix in yellow food coloring to create the ear muffs. Split the rest of the frosting in half. Color one half with cocoa powder and red food coloring to make an auburn shade. Divide the remaining white frosting in half once more. Lightly tint half peach with a touch of red and yellow food coloring. Color the remaining half red. Transfer each frosting into separate piping bags with couplers.
  • Place the cupcakes on a large cake board or platter by starting with 1 cupcake at the top. Continue with rows of 2, 3, 5, 4, 5, and 4 cupcakes, ensuring they are tightly packed together. Use a small amount of frosting under any sliding cupcakes to secure them. For gaps, fill in with trimmed marshmallows to create a smooth surface for frosting.
  • Start frosting the top 6 cupcakes with red frosting, focusing on the hat portion, using a large round tip. Use an offset spatula to smooth the center if desired. Proceed to frost the center 3 cupcakes in the row of 5 below with peach frosting, leaving the 2 outer cupcakes unfrosted for the ear muffs. Smooth the peach frosting with an offset spatula and gently press 2 dark chocolate chips upside-down into the center for the eyes.
  • Using peach frosting, pipe the nose below the eyes, then the lower lip below the nose. Next, frost the cupcakes on each side of the face with yellow frosting for the ear muffs. For the beard, cover the unfrosted cupcakes with a row of 4, a row of 5, and final row of 4 cupcakes with a thin layer of auburn frosting, smoothing it all over the "beard-portion" until mostly smooth and flat. Place a star tip on the auburn frosting piping bag, and pipe dots of frosting along the side of the face. Pipe the mustache between the nose and lip, and add swirls on the beard, if desired.
  • Let the cupcake cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (or chill in the fridge) to allow the frosting to set. Serve.

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