Simple and sweet

WONDERFULLY RICH: Mocha walnut cupcakes.

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When you want to pull the stops out for a special afternoon tea, or make a treat for a friend, these decorative muffins are the answer.

They taste as wonderfully rich as they look, but they are surprisingly simple to make.

Mocha Walnut Cupcakes

Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake papers

125g butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup milk

2 tsp white or cider vinegar or lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla essence

4 tsp instant coffee powder

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

2 cups white flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cocoa powder

Icing and decorations:

1 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

250g cream cheese (Philadelphia and Tararua are gelatin-fee)

4 Tbsp icing sugar

Walnuts

Chocolate shavings

Place into a mixing bowl the butter, brown sugar, milk, vinegar or lemon juice, vanilla essence, and instant coffee. Stir to dissolve the instant coffee powder.

Add the walnuts. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Gently fold all ingredients together. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases.

Bake in preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes or until cooked. Allow to cool before adding the icing

Cream cheese icing:

Dissolve the coffee powder in the vanilla essence. Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla/coffee mixture. Either pipe of spoon on the icing then decorate with the additional walnuts and chocolate.

- © Fairfax NZ News