These aren't just any muffins - they're made oaty treacle muffins, made mixed spice and treacle to give a dense and intensely delicious parkin-like sponge. And they're topped with a cinnamon and black treacle frosting that is so good, you'll be licking the spoon and then going back for more.
Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan). Mix the sugar, butter, golden syrup and black treacle in a pan over a medium heat until melted. Set aside to cool.
Place the flour, oats, ginger and mixed spice in a large bowl and mix.
Pour in the cooled syrup mixture and stir.
Add the milk and beaten egg and mix until you have a thick batter.
Pour the mixture into a well-greased 12 hole muffin tray.
Bake for 30 minutes until gently risen and firm on top.
When cool enough to remove from their tin, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Make the frosting
In a bowl, whisk the cream cheese, cinnamon, treacle and 300g of the icing sugar together until smooth.
Add the remaining icing sugar and beat again to give a thick frosting.
Use a spoon or piping bag to spread the frosting on top of each muffin, then sprinkle with your chosen topping - I used fudge pieces and a little grated dark chocolate.
Store any leftover cakes in an airtight tin to keep them fresh.