Amanda Laird: Sour cream cupcakes with espresso icing

Sour cream cupcakes with espresso icing. Photo / Babiche Martens

Makes 12

100g butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground espresso
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbs sour cream
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup ground almonds
1 Tbs milk

Icing

25g softened butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar
boiling water to mix

Espresso syrup

1 short black (or 2 tsp espresso mixed with 3 Tbs boiling water)
1 Tbs caster sugar

1 Preheat oven to 190C. Cream the butter, vanilla, espresso and sugar until pale. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

2 Fold in the sour cream then the flour and almonds. Add the milk, a little more if necessary to produce a mixture that falls from the spoon.

3 Line a muffin tin with patty cases and fill. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Cool.

4 Make the icing by mixing all the ingredients together and beating with electric beaters until smooth, then ice.

5 Bring the espresso, water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Let cool before drizzling on each cupcake.