Ingredients

• 150g/5½oz butter
• softened
• 150g/5½oz light muscovado sugar
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 150g/5½oz self-raising flour
• 1 level tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp coffee essence
• 75g/2½oz chopped walnuts
• 150g/5½oz butter
• softened
• 450g/1lb icing sugar
• sifted
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp coffee essence
• 200g/7oz walnut halves
• finely chopped
• 16 chocolate-covered coffee beans

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C(fan)/375F/Gas 5. Grease a 16-cup mini cake tin and line with baking parchment
• or
• alternatively
• grease 16 chefs’ rings (5cm/2in diameter) and place them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
• For the cakes
• place the butter
• sugar
• eggs
• flour
• baking powder and coffee essence into a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended and smooth. Fold in the walnuts.
• Divide or pipe the mixture equally between the mini cake tins. Bake for about 12-15 minutes
• or until well-risen and the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger.
• Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle
• turn the cakes out of the tins and remove the parchment. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the filling and decoration
• beat together the butter
• icing sugar
• milk and coffee essence in a bowl until smooth.
• When the cakes are completely cold
• trim the tops if domed. Slice in half horizontally
• then sandwich them together with about a quarter of the buttercream.
• Spread a thin coating of buttercream around the sides of each cake and then roll the sides in chopped walnuts.
• Spoon the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a small star (2D) nozzle and pipe a rose on the top of each cake. Place a chocolate-covered coffee bean over the joins.
• Arrange the cupcakes on the nicest cake stand you have and serve.