Gluten free chocolate decadence from Munchcake

This is the first year I’ve properly got into the Great British Bake Off – it’s a kind of sweet torture every Tuesday evening, my mouth watering over the delicious looking cakes I know I can’t eat. But the world of gluten free cakes has moved on a lot since I was first diagnosed with coeliac disease. Gone are the brick-like chocolate cake bars which crumble in your mouth like sand – and a big hello to brands like Munchcake, and they’re delicious tray bake cakes.

While there are cakes-a-plenty in the free from aisles now, I struggle to find something grander for a special occasion. If it was a friend of colleagues birthday, I know I could nip out and get a reasonable cake for a party, but the gluten free offerings are limited. Ok, to be fair, I would normally bake it myself and haven’t really done much research – so correct me if I am wrong – but it seems the supermarket offerings are somewhat small and not very grand when you want to make an impression.

I didn’t know what to expect when Fiona at Munchcake messaged me and asked if I would like to sample her tray bake chocolate cake. What I did not expect, however, was the eye-popping, jaw-dropping party extravaganza that landed on my doorstep. Finally, a cake that I would be proud to serve up at any celebration!

The generous cake – RRP £20.99 delivered – was enough to share around my family, Steve, his mum and an army of hungry colleagues who I foolishly tipped off about the delivery. I was so impressed with this cake, and I wasn’t alone. They also freeze for up to three months, but unfortunately there wasn’t any left for me to test that theory…

First impressions count, and my first impression quite literally was ‘wow!!’, followed by a little jump for joy while no one was looking. Caked in lashings of chocolate frosting and decorated with chocolate flakes and buttons, this was a seriously impressive looking cake.

As I cut into the cake it was clear Munchcake didn’t skimp on the frosting – which made me fall even more in love with this piece of heaven. The sponge looked moist and it cut really easily – but the real test was in the taste.

And my God, what an amazing taste! The sponge was so light – I managed to eat a fairly hefty slice and it didn’t leave me feeling bloated at all. Everyone who had a slice couldn’t believe it was gluten free, it was just so moist and tasty! The sponge had a rich chocolate flavour and frosting was sweet without being sickly.

I was so impressed with this cake, from the size and look to the flavour and texture – it was just all amazing. At the price, I’d probably still have a go at baking a celebratory cake rather than ordering this, but if I was short on time I would definitely head straight for this company. They also do a white chocolate and raspberry, and a carrot and pecan variety as well, so who knows, I may have to order some more after all!

To find out more about Munchcake and view their other offerings, click here.