Makes 12

Cakes:

5oz butter

5oz golden caster sugar

3 medium eggs

½ cup (125ml) filter or cafetiere coffee

2 tsp vanilla extract

7oz self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time then stir in the filter coffee and vanilla extract. Use a fork to combine the flour and baking powder together. Add the flour mixture to the egg, butter and sugar. Fill a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases and divide the mixture equally between them. Bake in a preheated oven at 170º for 15 to 20 minutes until springy to the touch.

Place on a cooling rack and leave to cool.

Icing:

1 dsp instant coffee powder

1tbsp boiling water

250g unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

400g royal icing sugar

Chocolate sprinkles to decorate

Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water. Cream the butter in an electric mixer. Add the coffee mixture and the vanilla to this followed by the royal icing sugar. Whisk on a high speed for five minutes. Once the icing is ready put it into a piping bag and pipe classic swirls on to the cooled cupcakes. Use chocolate sprinkles to decorate.