Maple Syrup Cupcakes

Maple syrup gives a delicate toffee flavour to cupcakes and buttercream icing, and if your child likes nuts you can use pecans or walnuts in the recipe. We have found some clever maple-leaf cutters and have used them to decorate these cakes with leaves made from ready-to-roll fondant icing but any leaf shapes coloured in orange, yellow and brown would look pretty. Simple halved or chopped nuts make a quick alternative.