Toffee apple crumble cupcakes

For the filling, add the apples to a saucepan along with the sugar, water, mixed spice and cornflour. Stir well and cook over a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Turn the temperature down and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes until the apples are soft, then leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3. For the crumble, in a bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Chop up the butter and mix between your fingers until a fine breadcrumb appearance. Spread onto a baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes. Leave to cool.

For the cupcakes, cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, syrup and treacle and mix again until combined. Lastly, add the flours and mix for 30 seconds into a smooth batter.

Scoop the mixture into a 12-hole cupcake tray lined with cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until light and golden in colour and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool.

For the buttercream, mix the butter for five minutes until pale, light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and cinnamon and beat again for another five minutes. Add the vanilla and boiling water and mix until all combined and the correct consistency has been reached.

Using a corer or a teaspoon, scoop out a little of the cupcake and fill the hole with the apple filling. Pop the cake scoop back on top.

Add the buttercream to a piping bag with a 1E nozzle and pipe two circles on top of the cupcakes. Finish off with a little caramel sauce, if desired, the apple filling and crumble topping.