Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

Preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C /180°C/350°F/Gas 4

Make the Pumpkin Spiced Latte Cupcakes: using a microwave safe mixing bowl, melt the butter in a microwave. Alternatively melt it in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Leave to cool a little whilst you collect all the remaining ingredients together.

Add the dry ingredients: flour, cornflour, pumpkin spice mix and salt. Then add the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda directly on top of the flour.

Add the remaining ingredients: sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, coffee powder, milk and yoghurt.

Beat with an electric or balloon whisk until incorporated – be careful not to over-mix. It should take 30 seconds to a minute and you may need to stop half way to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.

The batter is quite liquidy. The easiest way to transfer the cake batter to the cake cases is by pouring it. I use a mixing bowl with a spout or you could transfer to a jug. Fill each cupcake case ⅔ full, roughly 50g per cake.

Cook in a preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until cooked. They are cooked when:

– the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains

– a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean

Leave in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Coffee and Vanilla Mascarpone Frosting: put the softened butter into the bowl of your electric whisk and add half the icing sugar, the coffee powder and the salt.

Fold the icing sugar in with a spoon before whisking – this will help to stop the icing sugar clouding up and making a mess of your kitchen!

Beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

Add the remaining icing sugar and the vanilla extract.

Fold in and then beat until light and fluffy – it can take 3 – 4 minutes to get really fluffy.

Taste and if you feel it needs more coffee or salt or vanilla, add it now, and beat it in with the mascarpone cheese.

Add the mascarpone cheese and beat until mixed in thoroughly but do not over-mix.

Frost the cakes: when the cakes have completely cooled, frost them. You can either divide the frosting between the cakes and use a knife or spoon to cover the tops, or you can fill a piping bag with the cream and pipe it on the top of each cake.

Sprinkle the tops of each cake with a little Pumpkin Spice Powder.