Ingredients:
150g caster sugar
1 tsp coffee (granulated)
25ml boiling water
150g unsalted butter
3 eggs
150g self-raising flour
50g walnuts

Vanilla buttercream:
113g unsalted butter
220g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g Icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Method:
Step 1: Heat the oven to 180˚C and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases and set aside.

Step 2: Firstly, dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and leave aside to cool, next beat together the butter and caster sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the self-raising flour and eggs and beat again until combined. Pour the cooled coffee into the mix, and beat again. Fold the chopped walnuts into the mix.

Step 3: Distribute equally into each cupcake pan, filling up to about 2/3. Bake for about 20-25minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow cooling for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Step 4: While they are cooling down, you can start to make the icing. Beat (hand mixer) the butter until soft, then add in the icing sugar a small bit at a time until pale and fluffy. Add in the cream cheese and a pinch of salt and beat again for a further 2 minutes until well combined.

Step 5: Once the cakes are cool, use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle to cover the cakes with the cream cheese icing, or dollop the icing on top using a spoon.