French toast cupcakes
When I first invented these cakes my family simply couldn’t get enough of them. They really do taste like the French toast they are named after. I think they look cute with light brown icing and miniature gingerbread men sprinkled on top. Makes 12.

170 g/6 oz plain flour

For the icing
110 g/4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
110 g/4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
450 g/1 lb icing sugar, sifted 1⁄4 tsp cinnamon brown food colouring
(optional) sprinkles to decorate1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole non- stick muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together, then add the melted butter. Mix the vanilla, maple syrup and milk in a separate bowl or jug.
4. Now stir the flour mixture into the sugar, eggs and butter, followed by the milk mixture. Beat until everything is well combined.
5. Divide the mixture between the paper cases so that each is about three-quarters full. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Check with a skewer – it should come out clean if the cakes are cooked. Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
6. Meanwhile, make the icing. Using an electric whisk, mix the butter and cream cheese. Add the icing sugar, a third at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the cinnamon with the last of the icing sugar. Add a dot or two of food colouring if you like.
7. Using a piping bag with a straight- edged nozzle, pipe icing onto the cakes, working from the outside into a peak in the centre. Decorate with sprinkles – I like to use gingerbread men.

One area of cooking that I'm a complete novice in, however, is baking sweet items: cakes, cookies, cupcakes, that sort of thing. I tried making some biscuits a few months ago which ending up being a semi-disaster, with dough that wouldn't stick together and too long a time in the oven.

But in an attempt to review the new book Eat Me: The Stupendous, Self-Raising World of Cupcakes & Bakes According to Cookie Girl (see my earlier post on the book: New book by Notting Hill's Cookie Girl) I thought that there would be no better way than to actually try one of the recipes - regardless of my beginner status in baking desserts.

Flicking through the beautiful book, a number of recipes caught my eye - from the straightforward French Vanilla cupcakes (which are actually recommended as a good place to start) to the exotic, such as Margarita cupcakes (the ingredients of which do actually include tequila, triple sec and salt) and Bollywood cupcakes, to the traditional, such as pastel macaroons and butterscotch cookies. (I'll definitely be giving those Margarita cupcakes a whirl one day!)

But it was the French Toast cupcakes that I decided to give a go - partially because they didn't seem too tricky, partially because I seemed to already have most of the ingredients - and especially because I'm a big fan of French toast.

Following the recipe was very straightforward and I found all the steps just right for someone at my level - it felt a bit like someone was holding my hand, much need for a cake-baking novice such as myself! And after a bit of whisking, sifting, stirring and mixing, plus 20 minutes baking time in the oven, a batch of perfect cupcakes materialised.

At this point, all that was left was to decorate the cakes. Here's where I failed slightly - not because I couldn't adequately decorate, more that my local supermarket failed to supply with appropriate cupcake making items. (Note: the book has a useful guide to where you can buy better cake decoration supplies.) So I had to make do with a rather sickly sweet pink food colouring for the icing, together with some rather basic chocolate sprinkles. And this is what I ended up with:

They may not look especially pretty (or be anywhere near as beautiful as those depicted in the book), but they tasted absolutely delicious! And yes, as I'm sure you're asking, they did actually taste of French toast. A big thumbs up from me and all those I fed the cupcakes to in the taste test.

Overall, Eat Me is a lovely book featuring some truly delicious cupcake recipes. For any baking beginners (such as me) there's a section on baking basics, and all recipes are easy to follow. As I've said in my earlier post, this book is also delightful to read in its own right with its wonderful introductions to each section and its beautiful photographs. Give it a try - with the cupcakes and cookies you end up making, you won't be disappointed!

Stay tuned as I'll be posting the recipe of the French toast cookies I attempted in a couple of days.

The six-course tasting menu has been created by Peter Gordon and Michael McGrath of Providores restaurant, whilst Jared Brown, the Sipsmith Master Distiller, has devised six special spirits to accompany each course - such as a very intriguing Wasabi vodka.

Sipsmith is an independent spirits company co-founded by Sam Galsworth and Fairfax Hall in 2009. The company creates batches of a few hundred bottles distilled using a bespoke copper-pot - Prudence (pictured above) - which you'll be able to see at each night, hence the name of the event, Providores & Prudence. Sipsmith has the pleasure of being the first company for 200 years to be granted license for a copper-pot distillery in London.

Marylebone Village-based restaurant Providores opened in 2001 by Peter Gordon and Michael McGrath, and has won a number of awards and rave reviews over the years with its innovative and exciting fusion food.

Tickets cost £90 per head, including all food and spirits. There are only 90 places on offer, so be sure to book soon to avoid disappointment - Thursday 18th March has already sold out.

Thursday 18th, Friday 19th and Saturday 20th March

Sipsmith Distillery

7.30pm for 8pm

27 Nasmyth St

W6 0HA

To book, please call 020 8741 2034.

The restaurant is also offering a special deal for any ticket holders of The Gate cinema on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th February - three courses for the price of two. Make sure you reserve quoting the promotion "the Gate cinema Valentine's offer", and that you bring along your ticket stub when you come to the restaurant.