Faith is really into helping me in the kitchen at the moment, so last week we decided we’d make some cupcakes. I’d been sent some coffee samples from Douwe Egberts to try and as much as we were just enjoying them with our breakfast, we thought we’d have a go using some in our baking. I wasn’t sure the children would really like cakes with coffee in them but they absolutely loved them – especially Faith!

Ingredients (makes 12)

175g unsalted butter or baking margarine, softened

75g soft dark brown sugar

100g caster sugar

2 eggs

75ml strong black coffee, cooled (we used Douwe Egberts Time Together)

50g walnuts, chopped

200g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

For the icing

100g icing sugar

enough coffee to make the icing to your preferred consistency

12 walnut halves to decorate

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (or whatever temperature you usually bake muffins at – all oven temps vary wildly!) and place 12 muffin cases in a muffin tin.

2. Cream together the butter and sugars with a wooden spoon or use a food mixer.

3. Beat in the eggs, coffee and half of the flour.

4. Fold in the rest of the flour and baking powder until well combined, then stir in the chopped walnuts.

5. Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases and bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 15 – 20 minutes until they are golden brown and spring back when pressed lightly. You can also insert a skewer or cocktail stick to test – if it comes out clean then they are cooked.

6. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin then remove to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

7. To make the icing, gradually add cold coffee to the icing sugar a teaspoon at a time until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Decorate the tops with a walnut half.