Hyperbole and a Half explains my relationship with cake pretty well
I am a badly behaved baker. I make things up as a go along (with mixed consequences), I eat raw egg cake mixture with a spoon. I burn my tongue on freshly baked cupcakes. I leave a trail of icing sugar and destruction in my wake.
I am also a secret baker. My dearest GEH not only has to put up with my cake making carnage, and my inability to get the smell of yeast out of the bread machine, but doesn’t actually like cake. He simply can’t fathom my insatiable daily need for a dose of warm, sweet soft, crumbly cake in any incarnation. This has forced me underground – whipping up speedy batches of muffins before scoffing half and freezing the rest to scoff tomorrow or slipping in to Hummingbird on the way back from the gym. (But I don’t have a problem because I’m admitting to it, right? Right?!)
Add carrots, eggs and margarine? What is in this?!
Despite this I am something of a baking purist and have never considered using a cake mix, but come to think of it, trying to work out what 225g of ‘flour mix A’ means in terms of tapioca starch on your iPhone with sticky fingers (yes, you, Phil Vickery) is a bit of a pain in the GF butt. And actually, this could be the perfect way to furtively fuel my vice.
So thankyou to family member who bought me this mix to try at a food fayre. With two carrots going soft in the fridge and a glut of eggs I whipped these little babies up in less than 30 minutes (before the GEH got home- none the wiser ;)). Naturally I ignored the instructions by using butter instead of margarine and making mini cupcakes instead of one big one (all the better to freeze for later) but the result is pretty damn tasty.
They didn’t rise much, and I wasn’t quite sure what is in the ‘carrot cake mix’ if you have to add carrots (!), but overall I’m impressed. The mix made surprisingly light, moist, not too sweet cakes with nice crisp tops. The flavour has a nice spice from the cinnamon and buckwheat. I don’t like my cake too sweet so didn’t need frosting (how healthy am I?!)
Carrot cakes are 1 of your 5 a day right?
Bizarrely the packet made 23 mini cupcakes instead of 24 (I didn’t eat that much mix, I promise!). Between starting this review/confession and now we’re down to 20… It must be a good verdict!
Update: 19… It’s a good job I went to circuit class!
GF Nomability: 8/10
The Coeliactivist 
mmm sounds good, I’ll have to try it. Do you mind me asking where you bought it from and approx how much it was? GF stuff is always sooo expensive. But like you I am a sucker for a cake and a cuppa …. anytime!
Someone bought it for me I’m afraid, but I see they sell online for £2.49 http://www.glebe-farm-shop.co.uk/shopping_gluten_free_cake_mixes.php
I don’t think that’s too bad for a batch of cakes – I agree GF stuff is way too expensive! This cartoon amused me on that front: http://www.howardtheceleriac.com/comics/101
At £2.49 I’d say that’s pretty good value. Hilarious cartoon, made me laugh! Just why is GF food so full of sugar? It’s like the manufacturers can’t come up with other ways of flavouring food.