The sweet potatoes make the cakes a lovely deep orange colour and make sure they are moist, blood oranges give a light pink icing and squeals of joy as you cut into the deep crimson flesh.

Ingredients: makes 12-16 cupcakes

120g soft butter

200g light brown soft sugar

1 large sweet potato, cooked and mashed*

2 large eggs

225g self raising flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon mixed spice

pinch of ground nutmeg

50g chopped walnuts (omit for people with nut allergies)

½ teaspoon vanilla

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

200g fondant icing sugar and juice and finely grated zest of 1-2 oranges

You will need… weighing scales  2 x medium mixing bowls   measuring jug   wooden spoon   grater  round bladed knife   cupcake cases   muffin tin    cooling rack   an adult

How to make sweet potato and orange cupcakes .WASH YOUR HANDS

1.   Ask an adult to preheat the oven on to 180c / Gas Mark 4.

2.   Cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy, add the mashed sweet potatoes and beat.

3.   Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat with a fork, add to the mixture.  Sieve in the flour and spices, fold into the mixture to mix, add the walnuts, vanilla and orange zest and gently mix.

4.   Spoon the mixture between the cupcake cases, the mixture should come halfway up the sides of the cake cases, if you have more mixture then use a second muffin tray.  This will depend on the size of the sweet potato used.

5.   Ask an adult to put the tray into the oven.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch – cool on cooling rack.

6.   Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl, add sufficient juice to mix to a stiff paste then ice the cakes.

• To cook the sweet potatoes either bake in the oven in their skins for 40 minutes, split and scoop out the flesh or steam, DO NOT boil the potatoes as they soak up a lot of water and you will end up with a really soggy mix that that may not rise properly.