To be honest, they had me at the Top Gun cupcakes. What could be more awesome than combining Top Gun and cupcakes? (Perhaps combining cocktails and cupcakes – which these guys also do). Well according to my colleagues, combining Christmas and cupcakes.

The only thing that had put me off ordering cupcakes from the Rebel Bakery before was the slightly high delivery charges; so when they contacted me asking if the gluten-eating colleagues would like to try their new range, I had a little moral wobble (I don’t usually accept tasters for the blog), but then was coerced into it by the folks at work “well we’ll be reviewing them, so there won’t be a bias!”. Oh ok then. Little did I know that I would spend Thursday sandwiched between two Christmas fanatics – when they heard that the cupcakes would be ‘festive’ themed, there was an abundance of high-pitched excitement followed by a day of anticipatory Christmas tunes, while Scrooge here got on with the conference calls.

Anyway, after the kind of deliberation over the box of cakes that is normally reserved for boxes of posh chocolates, over to them:

Scott & Maria: Strawberry Snowman
Everyone loved the look of the snowmen with “wee carrot noses”, but they were actually the last to go from the box, as the thick icing looked a little impenetrable. It was however hiding buttercream and a “fab element of surprise” from the strawberry filling. Top marks for cake texture but “sickly sweet from the icing overload”.
GF Nomability: 7/10

Fee & Hoz: Brandy Angels
“These are gluten free?” said Hoz, uncharacteristically breaking away from some kind of executive meeting to give her verdict. “Beautifully made, with the most fabulous taste”. I think Fee concurred as the little angel wings seemed to result in some kind of epiphany, especially when she got to the Nutella centre: “genuinely life-changing”. Dears, it’s just a cupcake!
GF Nomability: 20/10 – seriously guys, they’ll think I’m making this up!

Graeme & Annie: Mint Candy Canes
I thought Graeme was going to collapse when he ate these: “Oh god, I think I might go gluten-free”. Good then, Graeme? “fantastic cake to icing ratio, and the mint wasn’t overpowering”. Annie added that “the candy cane really made it”. All in all a “truly well thought out” cupcake.
GF Nomability: 8.5/10

Steph & Teddy: Holly Cupcakes
Teddy seemed suspicious, but he’s not a man to turn down cake. He promptly disappeared and we never heard from him again. Either it was too good to share, or he has an undiagnosed deathly intolerance to cinnamon butter cream and apple sauce. I think on the other hand it made Steph’s difficult day. She declared them “brilliant” and awarded a mark of…
GF Nomability: 11/10