Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180c / 160c fan. Grease and line a 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue to mix.
4. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix by hand. Add the milk and mix again.
5. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and flatten with a spoon or spatula.
6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
7. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. It’s really important to let the cake cool completely before cutting it so that it won’t crumble. We need it to hold its shape.
9. Once the cake is completely cooled cut it into 8 triangles – in half first, then quarters, then eights.
10. Turn the cake triangles upside down for a flatter surface. Use the writing icing to create a string or tinsel effect and then add a few smarties. Then decorate with a few silver balls.
11. Use the end of a teaspoon to make a small hole in the bottom of the christmas tree. Snap off the curved part of the candy cane and insert that into the hole.
12. Finally, dust with a little icing sugar.