Pink Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Pink Christmas Tree Cupcakes 

Banana and Almond cake

1/4 cup + 2tbsp self raising flour

1/4 cup ground almonds

1 banana, mashed

1 large free range egg

1/4 cup castor sugar

1/4 cup canola or mildly flavoured oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 + 1/8 tsp baking soda

White chocolate filling:

100g grams white chocolate, chopped

65 g cream 

Vanilla Butter Icing: 

110g softened butter

1 3/4 cup sifted icing sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

few drops of pink food colouring

To finish:

1/3 cup shredded coconut

heaped 1/4 cup finely chopped white chocolate

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

1/4 cup lightly packed dried rose petals

2 tbsp gold sprinkles 

Pre-heat oven to 180c. Line 2 mini cupcake pans with 20 mini cupcake cases (there isn't quite enough batter for 24 cupcakes)

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix untill smooth. Divide between the 20 cupcake cases and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 13 minutes or until golden and when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool while you make the white chocolate filling. 

Place white chocolate in a bowl and set aside. Heat the cream until just boiling and pour over the chocolate. LEave to sit for about 10 seconds before whisking until smooth and all the chocolate is melted. Leave to cool completely in the fridge before beating with an electric whisk until thickened (do not over beat as it can cause the cream in the mixture to over whip and curdle). Place in a piping bag fitted with a filling nozzle and pipe into the center of each cooled cupcake. Set aside while you make the icing.

For the icing, beat the butter until smooth and slightly paler in colour. Add the icing sugar, 1 third at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk, vanilla and colouring and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Place in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm tip circle nozzle and pipe the icing evenly over the 20 cupcakes. 

Place all of the "to finish" ingredients on a plate and toss to evenly distribute everything. Roll the icing on top of each cupcake around in a circular motion in the coating, rolling round to shape the icing into a cone to resemble a christmas tree.  Serve.