Coffee and whiskey Christmas mini cakes

Method

1. Preheat your (fan) oven to 150°C and line your cupcake tray with cases.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together then add the treacle and mix in well.

3. Beat the eggs into the mixture one by one until the batter is smooth and not lumpy. If it is lumpy then add a small spoonful of the flour.

4. Slowly beat in the flour, espresso, baking powder, cinnamon and ground ginger. The batter will become thick.

5. Stir in the soaked mixed fruit and crystallised ginger.

6. Divide the mixture equally between the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes.

7. After 40 minutes using a cocktail stick test the cakes by poking right into the centre, if they are baked then the cocktail stick will come away clean. If the stick does not come away clean then bake for a further 10 minutes and test again.

8. Once cooked remove the cupcakes from the oven and sprinkle the top of each with whiskey and leave to cool covered with a clean tea towel.

9. If you're going to freeze the cupcakes, then once completely cool then (still inside the cases) bag them or box them before putting them into the freezer to protect them from burn.

10. To ice, beat together 150g unsalted butter, 50ml full fat milk and 400g icing sugar. Flavour as you wish although perhaps a little whiskey and espresso in the icing might add a bit of zing!