These cupcakes are inspired by the traditional Hot Cross Buns eaten on Good Friday. I’ve replaced yeasted dough with a spiced vegan and gluten-free cupcake mixture, currants with Nakd’s Cocoa Orange bars and the crosses on top are made from a marzipan style icing instead of the traditional pastry topping. So these may be far from traditional but are still the perfect treat to enjoy on and around Good Friday!

Yield: 12 Nākd “Hot Cross Bun” Cupcakes Print Gluten-free & Vegan “Hot Cross Bun” cupcakes using chunks of Nakd Cocoa Orange bars in place of dried fruit. Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Ingredients 275 g Gluten-free plain flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground mixed spice

1 ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder

160 ml dairy-free milk

240 ml maple syrup or agave nectar

80 ml olive oil or melted coconut oil

¼ tsp cider vinegar

2 Nakd Cocoa Orange bars, chopped into chunks Maripan icing: 50 g ground almonds

2 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Enough dairy-free milk to make a paste Instructions Preheat the oven to 180c and line a muffin tin. Mix together the flour, spices and baking powder in one bowl. In another bowl, mix together the milk, sweetener, oil and cider vinegar. The combine the two until well combined. Stir in the Cocoa Orange bar chunks and then evenly spoon the mixture into the muffin tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Leave to cool. Meanwhile make the icing by mixing together the ground almonds, sweetener and vanilla. Add a small amount of milk at a time until you have a thick icing-like mixture. Transfer it into a piping bag and draw crosses onto the tops of each cupcake.