Cupcakes are a favourite of many a child. These wonderful mouthfuls of loveliness are so versatile as can be flavoured with anything and everything.

G&T cupcakes are for grown-up children as the soft sponge and creamy buttercream are flavoured with gin and tonic and then topped with crunchy dragées and hundreds and thousands.

Depending on the gin used, the flavour can be quite different. Gin is a blend of grain-based malt wine and a neutral spirit infused with juniper but many distillers add varying ingredients to give a distinct taste. Opihr gin is flavoured with exotic botanicals; cubeb berries from Malaysia, coriander from Morocco and cardamom from India and provides a spicy kick whereas Tanqueray is flavoured with grapefruit, orange, lime and chamomile flowers and imparts floral notes.

Confectionery-coated pieces have been made since the beginning of the 13th century. French dragées (sugar pearls) appeared at weddings and christenings from the 16th century and were also found on the tables of princes as they are said to increase fertility.

Hundreds and thousands have been around since the beginning of the 20th century. Originally chocolate in colour, they were named hagelslag (hailstones) by their inventor, a Dutch confectioner, Erven H de Joung and intended as a simple topping for bread and butter. By the 1930s they had travelled across the pond to New England and started their climb to rainbow fame as decoration for cakes and ice cream.