Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Dry Ingredients

Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl and whisk lightly to combine.

Wet Ingredients

Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to another bowl and whisk together.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing in-between to combine.

Add the instant coffee to the hot water and then add this to the the batter; mix to incorporate, ensuring that you scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Fill cupcake liners half full and bake for 18-21 minutes. A skewer or cake tester should come out clean.

Icing

Add the room temperature butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth. Gradually add in sifted icing sugar in small batches until fully incorporated.

Add the vanilla extract and milk and mix for about 3 minutes. Add liquid food colouring drops or a measure of powdered food colouring to the icing and mix until incorporated, ensuring that you scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add until the desired colour is reached.

Add the icing to a piping bag fitted with a 1M nozzle. Pipe up into a Christmas tree shape, then dust in a little icing sugar and edible gold powder (if you want your trees to have a snowy look) alternatively, simply decorate as is.