White Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes

1. First, make the cupcake batter. Using a free-standing mixer or electric hand whisk, mix together the flour, ground ginger and mixed spice.

2. In a saucepan, gently heat and melt together the Wyke butter, sugar, golden syrup and black treacle. Be careful not to let the mixture boil.

3. Add the melted butter mixture to the flour, and gently stir everything together. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix. Scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Then add the milk and gently mix again.

4. Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas 6. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with muffins cases and pour the cupcake batter until each case to about two-thirds full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes until well risen or lightly golden, and a skewer comes out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. Use a free-standing mixer or electric hand whisk to beat the butter for 4-5 minutes until pale and cream. dd the icing sugar, melted white chocolate and vanilla extract to the butter, then gently beat together until the buttercream is light, airy and smooth.

6. Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle and pipe a swirl of buttercream on top of each cupcake. Finish off by adding a mini gingerbread man for decoration.

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