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If you're looking for a simple yet effective bake this festive season, then these Christmas Tree Cupcakes fit the bill perfectly! They are a chocolate sponge with a green coloured vanilla buttercream, decorated with little chocolate beans and gold chocolate stars to look like Christmas trees. A dusting of icing sugar finishes their pretty appearance. These cupcakes are so simple to make and would be great for baking with the kids over the holidays.

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cupcakes and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
You can use any cocoa powder for the cupcakes, of course the better quality it is, the better flavour it will have. Also do make sure you are using cocoa powder and not a hot chocolate powder.
For the buttercream I used professional grade food colourings. These types of food colouring not only provide excellent colour results, but they are gel based so they do not make the buttercream sloppy. They are also easily available for purchase online. My favourite brands are Pro Gel and Sugarflair. Other good quality brands are Colour Mill and Americolor.
I decorated the cupcakes with Dr Oetker chocolate stars that I painted gold with lustre dust, and some small chocolate beans. You could make the stars from fondant or melt some chocolate and pipe out a star shape on some baking paper and leave it to set. For the baubles you can use any small coloured sweets or sprinkles.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Christmas Tree Cupcakes

To make the cupcakes, mix the baking spread and caster sugar together for five minutes until fluffy, then mix in the eggs and milk. Add the self raising flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, and mix or fold in gently.

Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, bake for 25-30 minutes, or until risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack and leave to cool fully.

For the decoration, mix the lustre dust with some dipping solution or vodka and paint it onto the chocolate stars. Let it dry, then if needed, you can add a second coat. Leave to dry before using. For the buttercream, mix the butter on its own for a few minutes, then add the icing sugar, vanilla extract, milk and green food colouring. Mix until smooth. Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate. Finish with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

What is the best food colouring to use?

To get bright shades you need use a professional grade gel food colouring. You can buy these easily from many online shops, including Amazon. I used the brand Sugarflair for these cupcakes. Pro Gel, Colour Mill and Americolor are other popular brands.

How long do the cupcakes last and can they be frozen?

The cupcakes will last for 2-3 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze both the cupcakes and the buttercream. To freeze them separately, wrap the cupcakes well in cling film or put them in an airtight container. The buttercream can be frozen in a sealed tub. To freeze them decorated, freeze the cupcakes on a plate until frozen solid, then carefully wrap in cling film. Remove the clingfilm when you take the cupcakes out of the freezer to defrost, as if they defrost with it still on it could damage the appearance of the buttercream.

Do you have to beat the butter and sugar together for the full 5 minutes?

You don't have to, but I do recommend doing this to achieve the same results as me. I like a very slight bump or dome on my cupcakes, and for them to rise all the way to the top of the cupcake cases. I've tested this recipe multiple times and found that beating the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes achieves what I consider to be the perfect rise!

Is butter or a baking spread better for cupcakes?

I prefer to use a baking spread (my preferred brand is Stork) for cupcake and cake sponges. I find that they are easier to use and they make the sponge rise more. You can also use most baking spread straight from the fridge, which is handy during a last minute baking emergency!

Should you use salted or unsalted butter for cupcakes?

I always use unsalted butter and baking spread for baking. This is because if you want to add salt to your recipe, you then have complete control of the salt level. Lots of people add salt to enhance the flavour of baked goods, so when you do this you want to know exactly how much you're adding. I personally prefer not to add salt to cakes and cupcakes. However, using a salted butter or baking spread will not affect the bake negatively and won't make it taste salty.

What are the best cupcake cases to use?

Good quality cupcake cases that are made from high strength and greaseproof paper will improve the overall appearance of your cupcakes. They will also help to prevent the cases from peeling. My favourite brand is Culpitt, which you can get via Amazon and also several online cake decorating retailers.

What can you use for the decorations?

To decorate the cupcakes I used some chocolate stars that I painted gold using lustre dust mixed with dipping solution (or you can use vodka). If you can't get chocolate stars, you can make them by melting some chocolate and piping out star shapes onto some baking paper. Leave them to set, then paint gold if you like, and add to the cupcakes. You could also make the stars from fondant or modelling paste, leave to set and then paint gold if you wish. Another option would be to use some gold card cut into stars - but of course do remove anything non-edible before eating or serving the cupcakes. For the baubles, I used some mini chocolate beans in different colours. You have a lot of options here, you can use any small coloured chocolates or sweets that you can find, or use sprinkles.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cupcakes will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

Can these cupcakes be made with plain or all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 1 + ½ teaspoons additional baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can these cupcakes be made gluten free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additional baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 1 + ½ teaspoons additional baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cupcakes if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can these cupcakes be made dairy free?

For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for the cupcakes and the buttercream. For the buttercream I recommend using a block butter alternative, such as Flora Plant or the Stork Baking Block, for best results. You will also need a dairy free alternative to the chocolate stars and chocolate beans. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cupcakes if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

More tips for making the Christmas Tree Cupcakes:

I used red foil cupcake cases, but brown ones would work well too.
For piping the buttercream, I used a Wilton 2D nozzle.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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