Review the recipe in its entirety!

🌟 Have chocolate cakes and vanilla funfetti cakes baked and cooled overnight.

🌟 Have simple syrup cooled and ready to use.

🌟 Have Italian meringue buttercream made and ready to use.

🌟 Have royal icing made and ready to use.

🌟 Have ingredients and tools for dark chocolate ganache measured out and ready to go!

Line your pans with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 4 batches of Yo’s Ultimate Chocolate Cake batter then weigh and bake as follows - until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean: 

7” round cake pan → 2 ½  lbs cake batter → 1 hour and 15 minutes

8” round cake pan → 3 lbs cake batter → 1 hour and 25 minutes

9” round cake pan → 3.5 lbs cake batter → 1 hour and 25 minutes

10” round cake pan → 4 lbs cake batter → 1 hour and 35 minutes

Transfer your cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan(s). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

For your Vanilla Funfetti Cake Batter, prepare 4 batches of Yo’s Ultimate Vanilla Cake then mix in confetti sprinkles as follows - until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean: :

• ⅛ cup Red and Green Funfetti Sprinkles in 2.5 lbs. Vanilla Cake Batter
• ¼ cup Red and Green Funfetti Sprinkles in 3 lbs. Vanilla Cake Batter
• ½ cup Red and Green Funfetti Sprinkles in 3.5 lbs. Vanilla Cake Batter
• ⅔ cup Red and Green Funfetti Sprinkles in 4 lbs. Vanilla Cake Batter

Bake your Vanilla Funfetti Cakes as follows:

• 7” round cake pan → 2 ½  lbs cake batter → 1 hour and 15 minutes
• 8” round cake pan → 3 lbs cake batter → 1 hour and 25 minutes
• 9” round cake pan → 3.5 lbs cake batter → 1 hour and 25 minutes
• 10” round cake pan → 4 lbs cake batter → 1 hour and 35 minutes
• Transfer your cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan(s). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To remove the cakes, loosen the edges with a straight spatula and invert the pan(s), then carefully peel off the parchment.

To begin with the bottom of the Giant Holiday Cupcake, remove the cakes from their pans. Loosen the edges with a straight spatula and invert the pans, then carefully peel off the parchment.

• Using your large serrated knife, level your 10”, 9”, 8”, and 7” chocolate cakes. Set aside.
• For the top of your cupcake, remove vanilla funfetti cakes from their pans and level.
• Round off top edge only on largest cake (10”) with a small serrated knife
• Round off top and bottom edges of 3 smallest cakes (9” 8” 7”), and create a tip on the smallest layer (7”), using a small serrated knife

Use Sir Squeeze-A-Lot to soak all of your leveled layers with simple syrup, then let them sit for a few minutes to absorb.

Cut out secret chambers from 10” 9” 8” Vanilla Funfetti cakes with 4 ½”, 4 ¼”, 4” circle cutters, respectively. Save the cut outs! We will be them to build up the peak on the 7” cake.

Fill and stack your chocolate cakes with dark chocolate ganache. Start with the largest layer at the bottom and work your way up to the smallest at the top. Let the cake chill in the fridge until it is firm enough to carve.

• On a lazy susan, carve the cake sides into an A-line shape, replicating an upside-down base of a cupcake.
• Crumb coat the cake with chocolate ganache, then let it chill in the fridge until firm.
• Cut a board to size that fits perfectly on top of your “cupcake bottom”. Remember! This will be the base when you flip over your cake later on.
• Ice your cake with more chocolate ganache using a bench scraper to smooth. (It is important your final layer is as smooth as possible for the fondant!) 

Crumb coat the vanilla funfetti cakes with Yo’s Italian Meringue Buttercream and let it cool in the fridge until firm. Place the largest layer onto a cake board cut to size.

• Ice the vanilla funfetti cakes with more of Yo’s Italian Meringue Buttercream using a square piece of acetate curved in your hand to smooth it out. 

Measure the circumference of your cake and roll out a long sheet of red fondant, and cover the base of your cupcake by unraveling the fondant around the cake. Cut a clean seam at the back where the fondant overlaps itself. Smooth and cut away the excess fondant at the bottom and top with a sharp paring knife. 

• Use a template on top to mark 16 sections of your “cupcake wrapper”
• Use a fabric measuring tape to mark the same amount of sections at the base. 
• Use a ruler and veining tool to indent the sections, joining the marks you made, vertically around the cake.

Mix red lustre dust, red gel food color, and food grade alcohol and paint red fondant vertically along the lines. Set aside to dry.

Ice another layer of Yo’s Italian Meringue Buttercream on largest (10”) vanilla funfetti cake. While the buttercream is still room temperature, press sprinkles around the side. Place in the fridge to set.

Flip the “cupcake bottom” over to resemble the bottom of a cupcake. Cut dowels to size and insert in a circular formation.

Spread royal icing over the top of the “cupcake bottom” using a small offset spatula.

Place your largest (10”) “sprinkle layer” of vanilla funfetti cake on top of your chocolate “cupcake bottom”, and fill in the gap between the base and “sprinkle layer” by piping buttercream and adding a row of jelly beans.

Start stacking your next layer (9”) of vanilla funfetti cake, and fill the secret chamber with holiday candies. Add next layer and continue these steps until you have stacked your 7” peak.

Fill in gaps between layers by piping buttercream and smoothing with a wet paintbrush. 

Make chocolate sauce and let it cool completely, making sure it is still pourable but not hot. Place into a squeeze bottle.

When your giant holiday cupcake has chilled completely, create chocolate drip on top with chocolate sauce, then decorate your cupcake with candies any way you please!