Pumpkin and maple cupcakes

For the pumpkin and maple cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.

Sift the flour with the spices, baking powder, soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl mix together the sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and maple syrup.

Gently fold in the flour mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake liners, filling ¾ of the way and bake for 18 mins or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the cream cheese frosting: In a large, clean mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth, gradually add the icing sugar and continue to cream until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla until combined.

Place 2 scoops of the frosting into a separate bowl and colour with dark green food colouring.

Place 1 scoop into another bowl and colour with black food colouring.

Colour the remainder orange. Use the orange to pipe a pumpkin design around each cupcake.

Use the green to pipe the pumpkin stalks and the black to pipe the pumpkin face.