Orange and walnut cupcakes

Ingredients

2 eggs

4 oz golden caster sugar

4 oz margarine

Zest of 1 orange, finely grated

4 oz self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

2 oz ground walnuts

For the icing

75g mascarpone

Icing sugar

Orange food colouring

Juice of half an orange

To decorate

Whole walnuts

Candied orange peel

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.  Place 12 cupcake cases in bun tins.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, margarine and orange zest until pale and fluffy (don’t worry if it looks a bit curdled, it’ll be fine when you add the flour). 
3. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and add the ground walnuts.  Fold together with a large metal spoon until well combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.
5. Bake for 20 mins or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Leave to cool in their tins for 5 mins and then carefully remove to a cooling rack.
7. To make the icing, place the mascarpone, orange juice and a drop of orange food colouring into a mixing bowl, and sift in the icing sugar, mixing until you get a smooth, thick paste. 
8. Once the cakes are completely cool, ice and decorate with a whole walnut and a sprinkle of candied orange peel.