Oh Christmas Tree!

Ripe red raspberries stud this light vanilla cake with Fluffy frosting. 

As the last "white christmas" entry for this year, with "show me the colour" and "gingerbread" series starting later in the week, I thought I'd go with my favourite fruit raspberries. When using meringue it's a good idea to include an acid ingredient such as citrus or berries to balance out the sweetness of the frosting, raspberries add a burst of Christmas colour to the cake too. 

Oh Christmas Tree cupcakes

Pre heat oven to 180c (350F) 
12 cup cupcake tray lined with paper liners

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 unsalted butter (softened)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup of raspberries (frozen are fine)
*framboise liqueur (French sweet raspberry liqueur) optional

Method
Sift together baking powder and flour, put to one side.
With an electric mixer, *cream sugar and butter. With the mixer on medium beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla.

Alternatively fold in flour and milk, starting and ending with the flour.

Gently stir in raspberries, if using frozen do not defrost first. 

Scoop batter into prepared tin and bake for 23 to 28 minutes or until light golden and the tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, remove to cooling rack, brush with liqueur if using and let cool completely.

Adapted from Very Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cupcakes Julie Hasson 125 best cupcake recipes

Decorate;
Fluffy Frosting
Assorted sized silver cachous 
Edible white glitter

Put a scoop of fluffy frosting on each cake and shape into Christmas tree shape. Sprinkle with cachous and edible glitter. 

Notes;
* framboise liqueur is a lovely liqueur to include in your desserts. Excellent in trifles to soufflés, try a little poured over berries and ice-cream. 
* creamed butter and sugar changes colour and looks whiter. 

                       Fluffy Frosting when set

* Fluffy Frosting losses it's gloss and takes on a meringue look... use edible white glitter if you want sparkle.