Layers of lemon and rose cake, a subtle rose buttercream & chunks of Turkish Delight and rose petals to garnish. This Turkish Delight Cake is a beautiful celebration cake.
Today’s post is all about cake. I’ve baked a lot of cake in the last month and can confirm that this Turkish Delight Cake was my favourite. It has the flavours of rose and lemon in the layers of cake, a subtle rose icing and is topped with small chunks of Turkish Delight & edible rose petals. It’s enough to satisfy the sweet tooth of a child but not so sweet it would offend more mature taste-buds.
March is my busy month for baking celebration cakes. My girls have their birthdays just 8 days apart and both usually end up having their party on a day that is not their birthday. That’s 2 cakes each: one for their party, one for their actual birthday. That makes me either a total sucker (√) or a big softie who cannot bear the thought of not baking a cake for them on their actual birthdays (√√).
Either way, by the time the candles on that 4th cake have been blown out, you can guarantee that I’m normally looking slightly green at the thought of putting another pile of themed birthday cake (usually covered in garish coloured icing) onto my plate.
To appreciate where I’m coming from, imagine the following cakes – all of which I have baked for my daughters over the last few years:
- a teddy bear (cute, but get in quick to secure a Rolo eye)
- a treasure island (complete with hidden treasure)
- a train (full of sweets)
- a fairy house (slightly wonky roof)
- a roller skate (yes, really)
- numbers 5, 6 and 7 (easy, I’m telling you)
This year both girls decided on a piñata cake for one of their cakes. Yes, those cakes that you top with piles of sweets, then cover with a perfectly molded chocolate dome for your child to thwack with something heavy. I do sometimes wonder if they just like to challenge me. However, I agreed (sighing inwardly at the task that lay ahead).
Milly got her cake exactly as specified. A week later, feeling confident, I decided to stash the cake and dome for Hannah’s party safely in the lounge, planning to decorate the dome with M&Ms later on. I gave the girls strict instructions not to bounce that jetball they were playing with anywhere near them. I think you can guess the rest… A few minutes later, one very sorry little sister confessed that she’d had a ‘slight accident’ with the chocolate dome and a certain ball…. Laugh? Cry?
This tale does have a happy ending, I promise.
Expecting to find the entire dome shattered, I took a look. By some miracle the ball had gone straight through, leaving a large - as in 5cm diameter - hole. But the dome was still standing. Hoorah. What luck. Erm….
After getting Hannah to see the funny side, which took all of 5 seconds, I set about hiding that hole with the aid of a Tunnocks snowball (nose), two mini Jammie Dodgers (eyes) and some decidedly dubious red gel icing (mouth). Han was more than thrilled – M&Ms and a cheeky face.
Anyway, back to today's cake. Fortunately for me, Hannah - who the 4th & final cake of my annual cake-athon is destined for - has, for the last 2 years let me surprise her with proper cakes for her actual birthday. Last year I made the most enormous caramel apple layer cake imaginable. It contained not one scrap of icing, just caramel on the scale of a volcanic eruption. It was marvellous.
This year I made something much more personal, based on her middle name, Rose, and the fact that she’s still young, so therefore likes sweets, pink and all things pretty. The Turkish Delight Cake (aka Lemon and Rose Layer Cake).
I was going to give you a recipe for making your own Turkish Delight, but truth be told, it went horribly wrong. Not even a snowball could fix it. I did, however, learn that Turkish Delight is veggie friendly. It's made using starch and sugar, not gelatin as I had always assumed. However, I do heartily recommend popping down to the supermarket to buy some. Unless, of course, you have Turkish Delight making down to a fine art.
Browse my entire collection of cake recipes for more enchanting layer cakes. Want a few ideas? How about a Chocolate & Vanilla Malted Milkshake Cake or a Mint Choc Chip Cake? Both are quite magical.
Turkish Delight Cake
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- 280 g/ 11/4cups Butter – very soft
- 375 g/ 12/3cups Caster sugar
- 5 tbsp Milk
- 5 large eggs
- 375 g/ 3 cups Plain (all-purpose) flour
- 3 tsp Baking powder
- ¾ tsp Rosewater (see notes)
- Yellow & pink food colouring gels
- Zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tbsp juice
For the icing:
- 225 g/ 1cup butter – very soft
- 150 g/ ⅔cup Mascarpone cheese
- 600 g/ 4 ¾ cups icing (confectioners) sugar
- 1 - 1 ½ tsp Rosewater (add to taste)
- Pink food colouring gel
To decorate (optional):
- Edible rose petals
- Turkish delight
Instructions
For the cakes:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 325°F/ GM3. Grease and line three 20.5cm (8 inch) sandwich tins with baking paper
- In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together with electric beaters until pale and fluffy
- Add the milk and 1 egg. Beat well. Add the rest of the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition
- Sift together the flour and baking powder, then fold it into the cake mixture using a large metal spoon
- Take ⅓ of the mixture out and place it in a separate, smaller bowl. To this add the rosewater and a small dab of the pink colouring gel - you are after a subtle pink, not cerise, so go slow and steady. Gently mix to combine thoroughly, then spoon into one of the baking tins, gently spreading it out to the sides
- To the remaining ⅔ of the cake batter, add the lemon juice & zest and a bit of yellow colouring gel. Again, fold these ingredients through to incorporate evenly. Divide this mixture between the 2 remaining tins
- Bake for around 30-35 minutes until the cakes are springy and beginning to come away from the sides of the tins. Allow the cakes to cool for 2 minutes, then carefully take them out of the tins and cool completely on a wire rack
Decorating the cake:
- If you are using Turkish Delight to top your cake, you will need to chop the large chunks into smaller ones using a sharp knife - those pictured here are approximately ¾cm cubed. Dust the chopped pieces in the powder from the box (or an equal mix of icing sugar and cornflour)
- Make the icing by beating together all of the ingredients for the icing. Aim for a very delicate pink (this is definitely a time you should be patient and add the colouring gel in small dabs until you attain a colour you are happy with)
- Starting with a layer of lemon cake, add a large scoop of icing and spread out to create a slim layer across the cake. Top with the rose cake and add a similar about of icing. Finally, add the top layer of lemon cake
- Use the remaining icing to cover the outside of the cake. I find that coating the cake in a thin layer all over helps to seal in the crumbs. Once you have done this, add an extra layer of icing to create a thicker layer that covers the cake entirely. Once you are satisfied, you can add a pattern if you want to. This time I used the back of a dessert spoon to lift the icing in places to give a rugged appearance
- If you are eating the cake immediately, you can add the Turkish Delight and rose petals straight away. However, if you will be eating it later, store the iced cake in the fridge. Do not add the decorations at this stage. Take the cake out of the fridge 2-3 hours before eating to come back up to room temperature. Add the decorations just before serving
rebecca stevens-wood
hi , i hope this thread is still open i am looking forward to making this for my mom this year for mothers day however i am just after your opinion to be honest. i would like to bake this cake however i have found turkish delight icing sugar would i be able to create a drip cake on this cake using turkish delight icing please?
your input would be greatly appreciated thank you x
Jane Saunders
Gosh, that's a new one on me. However, doesn't it sound delicious. This cake is a sponge cake, so it would withstand Glacé icing in place of the buttercream. When mixing the icing sugar with water just ensure the icing is not mixed too thin since it would just soak into the cake. I hope you enjoy it.
Annie
Hi! I love this recipe! Just what I am looking for for my fiancé's birthday as he loves Turkish delight!! I was wondering however, as we live together it's of course a bit hard to make this in secret and I really want to surprise him! Could this cake be made on a Sunday to be eaten on a Tuesday evening? So to be baked and iced and everything 48 hours in advance? If so how would i store the cake until then? Many thanks for the recipe the cake looks fantastic! Annie x
Jane Saunders
Hi Annie. I'm so pleased you like this cake - it's very special. I'd love to tell you that it would be fine a few days after baking, but I have a few reservations. It will definitely not be as fresh - with no preservatives, homebakes do tend to be at their best within the first 1-2 days of baking. I'd say 48 hours later would just about be ok, but it will definitely not be as moist as it would be if eaten earlier and you'll need to eat it up quickly over the next couple of days.
Regarding storage, since there is soft cheese in the frosting, you'll need to chill the frosted cake in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving. Also, do not put the final decorations on (edible rose petals, Turkish Delight) until it has come back to room temperature, otherwise the cool temperatures will get to them.
I hope I haven't put you off. Surprises are so tricky to keep that way sometimes, but worth the effort. Could you borrow a neighbour's kitchen?
Annie
Thanks so much for the reply! Xx
Christina | Christina's Cucina
This cake is absolutely stunning, Jane! LOVE it! Shared on my FB page!
Jane Saunders
Thankyou Christina!
Eden Passante
Love the decorations and the colorful layers! SO fun!
Jane Saunders
Thankyou so much, Eden
Sammie
Wow what an amazing cake. I love the way you write your blog and cannot understand why I've missed it. No more I shall sign up for emails of your new posts. My hubby loves Turkish delight yet as his birthday is Jan 1st baking a cake isn't always practical with post Christmas chocolate/sweets overload still around. I can make this as we always have Turkish delight leftover and cover it in yellow rather than pink! Thank you for a great post and recipe. Sammie
Jane Saunders
Hi Sammie, thankyou so much. You've made my day. I think you are onto a winner using up the leftover Turkish Delight from Christmas - your husband will be thrilled to get a special cake made by you too. I sometimes wish our leftovers would magically disappear so I can get back to baking 😉
Meghan | Fox and Briar
Jane, this cake is just so gorgeous! Also I think you do get mom of the year for making so many cakes for your girls. It's something they will always remember fondly, I'm sure! Loving the turkish delight flavors here too, so creative and SO PRETTY!
Franklin Orosco
Hello - Belated congratulations on your birthday!
What a gorgeous cake. Your photos really show it at its best, and reading the ingredients, it seems like it would have a delicate taste. What an interesting combination - lemon and rose! That is what I though the first time I saw the recipe for basil mint cake in the blog called Chasing Delicious.
I am an American, but I have been living in Istanbul for the last 7 years, and I have never seen such a creative idea - to top a cake with lokum, the word locals use for Turkish delight. I would like to bake this as you have described it, but I have no idea where to find edible roses or flowers of any kind. I will appeal to those who follow a local Facebook page - Cook`s Corner for Ex-pats in Turkey. Wish me luck!
It was very kind of you to share this, recipe and superb photos.
Jane Saunders
Thankyou so much for your comments. I hope you do get to enjoy this cake in all it's glory. If you struggle to get hold of any edible rose petals you could just add a little extra Turkish Delight (yum) - a mix of pink shades or a splash of yellow would look lovely. I like the sound of the basil & mint cake - I'm on my way to check it out now!
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
Ahhh such a beautiful cake! Love the colors in here 🙂 I'm sure it's delicious too!
Jane Saunders
Thankyou June. I wouldn't say 'no' to another slice 🙂
Sabrina
Is this a recipe from the country Turkey? I am trying to find a recipe for one of my employee's birthday. Thank you!
Jane Saunders
Hi Sabrina, I'm afraid it's not a Turkish recipe, it is based on the common flavours of Turkish Delight, rose and lemon. However, since it is decorated with Turkish Delight maybe it could pass if all else fails.... Good luck on your search.
LoveCompassionateLee
Happy Belated Birthday to Milly & Hannah! Glad to hear there was a happy ending (cause I know how upsetting that experience could've turned out). This Turkish Delight Layer cake is the essence of Spring: it is light, features soft colors, a beautiful petals. I would love to enjoy a slice right now.
Happy Monday, Jane 🙂
Jane Saunders
Thank you so much. This particular birthday year will be one for them to remember!