Festive Christmas Tree Chocolate Cupcakes. I was following a food blogger debate last week about whether there are ever really any true new recipes. There was a lot of arguments for no. Now while I concede that that there are lots of precedents for a lot of recipes that we eat today certainly the new waves of nouvelle cuisine, fusion food, molecular gastronomy and multi-sensory cooking all created dishes and that had never been seen before. However day-to-day when I am cooking or writing about food, I am using basic recipes and techniques that have sometimes been handed down for generations. But I do like to think occasionally I come up with a twist like today’s Christmas Tree Cupcakes.
My Festive Christmas Tree Chocolate Cupcake inspiration
So today was a Sunday off and the girls wanted to bake Christmas cupcakes. If you follow the blog you know I have a great, go to chocolate cupcake recipe ( see my Scary Halloween Double Chocolate Cupcakes ). So, it was just a matter of finding some fun way to decorate them. Flicking through magazines and online in the run to the festive season is a great way to find inspiration and I had already seen an idea for Christmas Tree light cakes I wanted to put a spin on. We all got to work and created a recipe!
Double Chocolate Christmas Cupcakes
This is most definitely the only Chocolate Cupcakes recipe you will ever need. Why is this my second favourite cupcake recipe? Well, I have already posted the number one recipe. My Strawberry Milkshake and White Chocolate Cupcakes recipe. Some cupcake recipes use vegetable oil instead of butter. If you do use oil it can make cupcakes moister, but these never seem to hang around long enough to worry.
Festive Christmas Tree Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- Christmas cupcake cases or liners
- Cupcake or deep Muffin Tins
- Piping Bags
- Star piping nozzle
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 210 ml Full fat Jersey Milk
- 210 gr Plain Flour
- 220 gr Caster Sugar
- 120 gr good quality Cocoa Powder
- 80 gr Milk Chocolate Drops
- 70 g soft Unsalted Jersey Butter
- 2 large free-range Eggs
- 1 scant tablespoon of Baking Powder
- A good pinch of Salt
For the Icing
- 500 gr Icing Sugar
- 160 gr soft Unsalted Butter
- 2 teaspoons quality Vanilla extract
- 50 ml Full Fat Milk
- Green and silver icing colouring
For the Decorations
- 1 bag Smarties or crisp covered Chocolate Sweets
- Edible decorative Silver or Gold Stars
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3 / 170°C / 330 °F and line the baking trays with large paper cases.
- Using an electric mixer or food processor mix the butter, flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together until they form a sandy, crumb-like texture.
- In a bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together. With the mixer on a slow speed, gradually pour half of the liquid into the crumb mixture and mix thoroughly until combined and the batter is smooth and thick.
- Once all the lumps are gone gradually pour in the remaining liquid and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the milk chocolate buttons.
- Evenly divide the cake batter between the prepared cases and bake in the oven for twenty to twenty-five minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before removing them from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool.
To Decorate
- Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add the butter, beat together with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Heat the milk until scalding in a microwave and in a jug, mix in the vanilla and stir until it is all combined and allow to cool.
- Gradually pour the cold milk and vanilla into the icing while mixing on a slow speed, then turn the mixer up to a high speed and beat the icing until light and fluffy.
- Split the whipped-up icing dividing it roughly into five. Colour a fifth silver and the rest green.
- Carefully transfer the green icing into a piping bag with a star shaped nozzle and pipe swirls onto the cupcakes. Add the silver icing as the cable for the Smartie lights.
- Decorate the cupcakes with Smarties and Stars as per the picture.
