Turkish Delight Cupcakes

I’m a huge fan of Turkish delight, that sweet rose scented goodness is absolutely mouth watering! I’m also a big fan of chocolate (but really who isn’t!) and with Easter just around the corner, the shops are overflowing with Easter eggs!

It was quite a few years ago and I had recently been diagnosed with SLE (Lupus) and also told not to eat gluten. My world was completely turned upside down and life became about immune suppressants and dietary changes to try and control the horror flare ups I was having. My life at that moment in time was quite bleak (filled with stacks of medications, doctors appointments, blood tests etc…) and I found myself resenting the cardboardesque ‘gluten free’ alternatives that were available at the time, as well as the ‘healthy alternatives’ my dietitian and doctors were suggesting.
It was during this time that I discovered Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Eggs, and my world just got that little bit brighter. It became my sweet, guilty pleasure (despite the sugar and dairy overload that my dietitian would clearly be against), it was the one thing during my time of food transition that kept me going!
**Coeliac UK & Coeliac NWS & ACT produce a list each year of Easter Gluten Free goodies, so if you are in doubt, check out their list and information regarding reading food labels.
Coeliac UK Easter Treats
Coeliac NWS & ACT Easter Egg List
Remember: “All products can sometimes be subject to a change…for example, a manufacturer may modify the formula or move production to a new factory. A product that was once gluten free may no longer be. Always check the label to be certain.” (Coeliac.org.au)

It was from this moment that I set out to create a cake that I could have with a cuppa with my friends and family that didn’t taste like cardboard and could be enjoyed by all, whether they were gluten free or not.
So, while this recipe is an oldie, it is certainly still a goodie and one that I whip out every Easter.

I hope you enjoy the molten, chocolatey rose goodness of these Turkish Delight Cupcakes as much as I do! Happy Baking!

TURKISH DELIGHT CUPCAKES
Ingredients:
3/4 cup gluten free flour, Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
4 tbsp sweet almond oil
1/2 cup milk
12 small gluten free milk chocolate Easter eggs (or any chocolate that is gluten free – just use one square in place of the egg)
1 batch of gluten free Turkish Delight (I use Sunnyside Hanne’s recipe for Vegan Turkish Delight OR BBC Good Food Turkish Delight, but you could use any gluten free Turkish delight you have on hand)

Chocolate Buttercream:
100g butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup milk
2 cups gluten free icing sugar
1/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder (you can add more if you want a deeper chocolate flavour)

Decoration:
**12 Cadbury Mini Eggs (only available during Easter, otherwise use 12 pieces of Turkish Delight, dusted with a mixture of gluten free icing sugar & gluten free corn flour for decoration) – if you live in the UK, Coeliac UK have listed Cadbury Mini Eggs as gluten free, however in America the eggs are produced by Hershey’s and they are not listed as gluten free. Please ensure you check your labels and ingredient lists before using these in your cooking.
Coeliac UK Easter Treats (last updated 2018)
Coeliac NWS & ACT Easter Egg List (last updated 2015)
Remember: “All products can sometimes be subject to a change…for example, a manufacturer may modify the formula or move production to a new factory. A product that was once gluten free may no longer be. Always check the label to be certain.” (Coeliac.org.au)
Gluten free icing sugar to dust over

Method:
1. Make the Turkish Delight following the instructions found on Sunnyside Hanne’s blog (You will need to do this the day before or even the week before, as it will take a couple of hours to make and a good 12 hours to set). If you don’t have that kind of time, simply purchase some gluten free Turkish delight and chop into small pieces.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a 12 pan cupcake tray with patty pans.
3. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla, sweet almond oil and milk. Mix until well combined and smooth batter is achieved.
4. Quarter fill each of the patty pans with mixture, then place one chocolate egg in the centre of each patty pan, as well as one small piece of Turkish delight, then top with extra batter.
5. Place in the oven and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 15 – 20 minutes.
6. Take out of the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool before icing.
7. While the cupcakes are cooling, combine all ingredients for the chocolate buttercream in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Use a spatula to scrape the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe small mounds of buttercream onto the top of each cooled cupcake.
8. To finish, top each iced cupcake with a Cadbury Mini Egg or piece of Turkish Delight and lightly dust with icing sugar.