Christmas Tree CupCake

6oz Self Raising Flour

6oz Butter

6oz Caster Sugar

3 Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

100g Chocolate drops

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Bi Carbonate of Soda

Cooking time: 30-45 minutes on 170c / Gas Mark 4

Serving: 1 Large cupcake

1. Pre-pare your cupcake tin by greasing it well with butter and putting it on a baking tray

2.Cream together the butter and into a bowl until it is smooth

3. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a separate bowl

4. Whisk the eggs into the creamed butter mixture for approx. 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fluffy

5. Into a separate bowl sieve the flour, baking powder and bi carbonate of soda

6. Add the chocolate chips to the flour mixture and coat well

7. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold in gently but smoothly ensuring it is all mixed in well

8. Once mixed together divide the mixture evenly between the top and bottom of the cupcake

9. In the bottom part of the cupcake insert the insert if you have one as shown by the instructions (this means you then have a hole which you can fill with extra filling, yum!)

10. Put in the Oven and bake, at about 20 minutes through cover the sponge with baking proof paper so it does not burn on top but cooks through

11. The bottom part of the cupcake will take longer to bake than the top

12. Once each part is done, remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before removing from the silicone case onto a wire cooling rack

Decoration and Icing

12oz Icing Sugar x 2

4oz Butter x2

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

2 Tbp Cocoa Powder

Orange and lemon slices

Silver ball balls

1. Prepare the two batches of icing as follows;

2. Cream the butter in a bowl until soft

3. Sieve the icing sugar into the butter and mix with a metal fork until it is combined

4. Mix witha fork or a whisk for a few minutes until it forms a smooth consistency but not runny! Otherwise it will not hold its shape when piped

5. In one batch add the vanilla and mix to the other sieve in the cocoa powder and mix well

6. I decorated the top of the cupcake first using a swirl piping knozzle and piping bag and piped around the cupcake

7. I then added slices of organge and lemon to be the christmas lights and then little silver ball balls for the tinsel effect

8. I then decorated the bottom before putting the top on top. I did this using a piping tube and a small knozzle to make the lines more defined like bark. I did this by starting at the bottom of the cake and piping up and just over the edge to get a smooth finish.

9. I then put about a good cm of buttercream in the middle to hold the top and bottom together

10. Carefully lift the top of the cupcake onto the top of the bottom and press gently down

11. Then do any last bits of icing in the middle to make it form nicely together and there you have it a green cupcake or what I like to say a Christmass Tree!