It was a manager’s special at my local grocery store that drove my roommate to purchase three boxes of Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Gluten Free Dreams Chocolate Cake. And it was a stretch of 10 days at home that convinced me it was time to give it a try. Lack of dessert is never a good thing in my household as I am a firm believer that dessert should always accompany a meal.
What I loved about this cake mix was that not only is it gluten-free and wheat free, but it also contained no peanuts, no soy, no eggs, and no dairy. Any possible food allergy was pretty much covered by what was not in this cake mix. And that was reassuring in and of itself. The oven was preheating, so…it was time to get mixing.
I added the cake mix to the water, vegetable oil, and gluten-free vanilla and mixed it up. I was a bit concerned at first, as when mixed, it didn’t have a thick consistency that normally accompanies a cake mix. It seemed runnier than it should have been. I ended up double-checking the measurements on the box…but I had done it right.
Pouring it into the cake pan, I smoothed it out and said a prayer to the baking gods before slipping it into the hot oven. My roommate, per custom, was then invited to lick the batter bowl (which I felt okay about this time as there was no raw egg in it!), which she did, saying that it tasted really good. So…that was reassuring. If the batter was edible…
Into the oven for 25 minutes…and I only stole one peek the entire baking time. That’s a new record for me. When it was done, I pulled it out and set it down on a rack to cool. On first glance, it looked like a rich, dark chocolate cake. Already I was feeling better about life. I let it cool for about 20 minutes before I decided I had to have a slice of it.
The cake box serving size is 8 slices from a round cake. I didn’t own a round cake pan, so I baked mine up in a square one. When I cut it, I got 16 squares from it…perfect sizes for a slice of cake anyway. Woohoo! More nights with a dessert.
Now, I’ve never been a frosting person. It’s something with the sugars and how sweet they are that I’ve never liked. So, I didn’t frost this cake. I decided instead to do something else with it. As I was unprepared the first night, I simply melted down some dark chocolate and drizzled it over the top. Serving it to my roommate first, she was done and had licked the plate clean by the time I finished with mine. Her constant comments of “Mmmm…” and “Oh…my…MMMMMM….” were definitely good signs!
And when I had my cake ready to sample, I couldn’t agree with her more. It was moist and rich. The chocolate was sweet and paired really well with the dark chocolate I drizzled over it. The texture was not dense, but very soft. As I said, this was a moist cake. And it was certainly setting the bar high for all other gluten-free cakes I attempt to make from a mix. It was everything like the cake I used to eat…if not better. Not to mention, this mix has a very low fat content with each serving. Only 0.5 grams. So, the only sinful thing about it was how amazing it tasted.
The next night I went to prepare it, I had swung by the grocery store, so in addition to drizzling it with melted dark chocolate, I scooped up a bit of Cool Whip light and topped it all off with fresh strawberries. The pairing took an already amazing product and amped it up. Sweet, refreshing, rich, decedent. Yes…it was as good, if not better, as something that would be ordered in a restaurant.
If you are in need of a cake fix…or have an upcoming celebration to bake for, I highly recommend using Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Gluten Free Dreams Chocolate Cake Mix. I was highly impressed with their product, and continue to be wowed each time I prepare dessert this week. High flavor. Rich. Moist. Delicious. Gluten-free sweet dreams, indeed!
The Celiathlete 