mini cappuccino cakes

Makes 12

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 14 minutes

3 teaspoons instant coffee granules

2 teaspoons boiling water

175 g (6 oz) lightly salted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

175 g (6 oz) light muscovado sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

175 g (6 oz) self-raising flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

To decorate

300 ml (½ pint) double cream

75 g (3 oz) dark or white chocolate curls

Grease the sections of a 12-hole deep muffin tin and line the bases with discs of greaseproof paper.

Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water. Put the remaining cake ingredients in a bowl and beat with a hand-held electric whisk until smooth. Stir in the dissolved coffee. Divide among the sections and spread the surfaces level.

Bake in a preheated oven, 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4, for 12–14 minutes until well risen and just firm to touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Slice each cake in half horizontally. Whip the cream until softly peaking, then use to sandwich the cakes together in pairs and spoon the remainder on the tops. Sprinkle with the chocolate curls. These cakes are best eaten on the day they are made.

For mini chocolate sandwich cakes, make the cakes as above, omitting the coffee and replacing 25 g (1 oz) of the flour with 25 g (1 oz) cocoa powder. After baking, split the cakes and spread each with a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut spread and the whipped cream. Decorate the tops as above.