Pull-Apart Santa Cake (Printable Version)
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Base
01 -
Cooking spray
02 -
2 boxes (432 g each) vanilla cake mix, prepared according to package instructions
→ Frosting and Decoration
03 -
4 cans (454 g each) store-bought vanilla frosting, divided
04 -
Red food gel coloring
05 -
Brown food coloring (optional)
06 -
1 Oreo cookie, separated into wafer halves
07 -
3 mini candy canes
# Step-by-Step Directions:
01 -
Grease four 12-cup muffin tins with cooking spray and line with cupcake liners. Prepare the vanilla cake batter according to package instructions and evenly distribute among prepared muffin cups.
02 -
Bake cupcakes as directed on the box. Allow to cool slightly, then refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes until thoroughly chilled.
03 -
In a small bowl, combine 360 g of frosting with 1 to 2 drops of red food coloring, adjusting for desired intensity. In a separate bowl, blend 120 g white frosting with 1 to 2 drops red food coloring to create a pale pink hue; add brown coloring if a darker skin tone is preferred. Transfer red frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip; reserve white frosting in another piping bag.
04 -
Place cupcakes on a serving platter in rows as follows from top to bottom: 3, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 5, 8, and 6 cupcakes. Form bottom three rows into a half-moon to represent the beard. Shift the top row of 3 cupcakes to one side and angle downward to resemble the floppy hat.
05 -
Using an offset spatula, spread the pale pink or brown frosting centrally on the fifth, sixth, and seventh rows to form the face. Use white frosting to pipe rose shapes on cupcakes below and adjacent to the face to form the beard, filling gaps with smaller swirls. Pipe the hat’s brim with a continuous squiggle of white frosting and add a white swirl at the hat’s tip.
06 -
Attach Oreo wafer halves with frosting as eyes. Pipe eyebrows and a mustache using white frosting. Add a small dollop of red frosting above the mustache to serve as the nose.
07 -
Replace the star tip in the piping bag filled with red frosting. Pipe red rose swirls onto the unfrosted cupcakes within the hat area to complete its look.
08 -
Break the curved sections off two candy canes. Position one straight candy cane piece between the eyes as the bridge and attach curved candy cane pieces on each Oreo wafer to simulate Santa’s glasses.
# Helpful Notes:
01 -
Baked cupcakes can be stored undecorated at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months; thaw before decorating. Frosted cupcakes may be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated until serving.