Festive Decorated Cakes

For the cupcakes: heat the oven to 160C, 325F, gas 3. Place paper cases in a 12 hole muffin tin.

Warm the honey, sugar, butter and milk until the sugar dissolves and allow to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, spices and cocoa together and stir into the cooled honey mixture. Stir in the eggs and fold in the chopped almonds.

Spoon into the paper cases. and bake for 25 minutes. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes then cool on a wire rack.

for the frosting: for the frosting: Put all the ingredients except the vanilla into a heatproof bowl over a pan of lightly boiling water. Whisk for 7-8 minutes until the frosting thickens and forms firm peaks. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Beat until thick and spoon a little onto each muffin.

To decorate: take a little (about 50 g) of the marzipan and knead in a little red food colouring. Roll into tiny balls for the 'berries'.

Knead green food colouring into the remaining marzipan. Roll the green marzipan out thinly on a surfaced dusted with confectioners' sugar. Cut out 24 holly leaves and mark the veins with a cocktail stick.