Notable Bites - Salted Dark Chocolate Cake Mix - Jan. 12, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Notable Bites
Salted Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 g.) (estimate) for baked 1/4 cake/ 4.7 oz. (133 g.) for total dry mix (4 servings)
Calories: 342 calories (estimate) in 1/4 cake mix (1 serving)
Cost: $12.00 for 1 package of mix + foil pan
Purchased from: Notable Bites, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate Baked Goods Theme Week.

This Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Nut and Soy Free, Vegan, Salted Dark Chocolate Cake Mix from Notable Bites (Mountain View, CA) came packaged in its own foil cooking pan, which was very convenient. All I needed to add was two Tablespoons of oil and 1/3 cup of non-dairy "milk" (in keeping with this being a vegan mix), and it was ready to bake.

I used 1 tablespoon of organic olive oil and 1 tablespoon of enFuso smoke-infused olive oil to give it a hint of savory flavor that I think pairs well with chocolate and salt.

After removing the cake from the oven, I sprinkled it with the tiny packet of Himalayan Pink Salt Crystal mix (included), and I enjoyed a piece of Salted Dark Chocolate Cake.

The stilll-warm cake was relatively sweet and moist. It was a bit crumbly, but I'd prefer this over a cake loaded with vegetable gums or thickeners (this cake mix contained neither). And I loved the smaller cake size, and quick time from mix to cake.

Heartland - red velvet cupcake mix - Jan. 11, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Heartland Gourmet
Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcake Mix
Good - Good ++
Weight: 2.5 oz. (estimate) for 1 finished cupcake /16 oz. (454 g.) in total box
Calories: 250 calories (estimate) for 1 finished cupcake
Cost: $2.98 (sale) for 1 box of mix
Purchased from: Burlington, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate Baked Goods Theme Week. Somehow a warm oven and kitchen in the middle of winter is very appealing. And it's hard to imagine a baked goods week without including at least one chocolate cupcake in the mix.

I eat only gluten-free items; however, I don't always have time to bake from scratch. Happily there are now several gluten-free mixes available.

This Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcake Mix from Heartland Gourmet (Lincoln, NE) offered a convenient cupcake solution. (The cream cheese frosting was not included, but the box did include a helpful recipe for it.)


These red-tinged* red velvet cupcakes had an appealing cake texture, and were moist and tasty. I cut back on the sugar a bit in the cream cheese frosting and enjoyed the whole frosted cupcake experience. If you prefer a lighter frosting, a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream on each cupcake would've worked well also.

*In some recipes I located, the red coloring in red velvet cupcakes comes from beets; artificial food coloring was used here.

Notable Bites - Peppermint Chocolate Cake - Jan. 10, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Notable Bites
Peppermint Chocolate Cake
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/4 cake (1 serving) / 5.6 oz. (158 g.) in total package of dry mix
Calories: 346 calories (estimate) in 1/4 cake
Cost: $12.00 for 1 package
Purchased from: Notable Bites table at Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day # 4 of Chocolate Baked Goods Theme Week.

It can be frustrating to buy a standard size box of cake mix when you're only cooking for one or two people. Inevitably too much cake is consumed (because you don't want to throw the rest of the cake away, do you?). Or the cake may go stale because it takes a week to finish it all.

Well, not so with today's Peppermint Chocolate Cake mix from Notable Bites (Mountain View, CA). The mix was conveniently packaged in a smaller size, and came with a small, foil cake pan, and a tiny bag of crushed peppermint candy bits.

Thank you to Wendy, founder of Notable Bites, for developing these "right-sized" mixes and gluten-free and vegan versions of these mixes. All that was required is 2 Tablespoons of oil + 1/3 cup of milk substitute. No refrigerated ingredients (egg or milk) were required.

Today's Peppermint Chocolate Cake Mix was Gluten Free, Vegan (Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Nut and Soy Free), with no preservatives, additives, or artificial flavors. The packaging suggests that the cake be consumed within 2 hours of cooking.

1-2-3 Gluten Free - Chocolate Bundt Poundcake - Jan. 9, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

1-2-3 Gluten Free, Inc.
Chocolate Bundt Poundcake Mix
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 finished piece (1/12 mix) / 38.08 oz. (2.38 lbs.) (1080 g.) in 1 box of dry cake mix
Calories: 340 calories (estimate) in 1 piece (1/12 of mix)
Cost: $5.99 for 1 box of mix
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate Baked Goods Theme Week.

The original pound cake consisted of 1 pound of flour (3 1/2 - 4 cups), 1 pound of sugar, 1 pound of butter (4 sticks), and 1 pound of eggs (10 large ones). That makes for one sinfully rich and heavy cake.

For today's Chocolate Bundt Poundcake Mix from 1-2-3 Gluten Free, Inc. (Orange, OH), I "only" used five eggs and 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of butter.

The finished chocolate cake had some classic poundcake characteristics: rich buttery denseness and slightly coarser and heavier texture than yesterday's devil's food cake from the same company. (Both cakes were gluten, nut, corn and soy free; and both were very good.)

The cake was also as moist as any sponge or bundt cake that I remember from decades ago (when I still ate gluten). The piece I enjoyed held together well with no dryness or crumbliness that used to happen with gluten-free baked goods.

I topped one small loaf with dark chocolate chips (optional), and made one without the extra chocolate. I preferred the plain version. In the future I might make a version with molasses and raisins and cook/steam it in a can -- to make something akin to a chocolate version of Boston Brown Bread (something I loved as a child).

Thank you to 1-2-3 Gluten Free founder Kim Ullner -- who has gluten-free family members -- for her successful research and delicious mixes; dedication to gluten- and allergen-free facilities; and for creating "sugar-free" (add your own sweetener) versions of these cake mixes. 

1-2-3 gluten free - Devil's food chocolate cake mix - Jan. 8, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

1-2-3 Gluten Free, Inc.
devil's food chocolate Cake Mix
(Add Your Own Sweetener)
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 3 oz. (84.9 g.) in 1 finished piece / 12.88 oz. (365 g.) in total box of dry mix
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $4.99 in total package/box
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Baked Goods Theme Week.

It takes more time to whip up a cake (vs. buying already baked goods), but it's usually worth it. This Devil's food chocolate Cake Mix from 1-2-3 Gluten Free, Inc. (Orange, OH) with butter, eggs and added buttermilk produced a great, rich devil's food cake.

I loved the fact that this boxed mix of gluten, dairy, egg and soy free ingredients came without sugar -- which is to to say, I could supply whatever sweetener or type of sugar that I wanted.

The instructions called for 2 cups of sugar. I chose to use about 1 1/2 cups of lemon lavender infused organic sugar; and I loved the outcome -- a less sweet, rich and moist chocolate cake that was devilishly good without the extra sugar. And while there are lots of frosting possibilities, this cake mix was great just by itself.

I chose to use a pan + few large cupcake sized ramekins for baking, making it easier to share (or stick with a single serving).

Wholesome Bakery - Chocolate sandwich cookies - Jan. 7, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Wholesome Bakery
Dark Chocolate Cookie Sandwich
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 2.97 oz. (83.8 g.) / 4.5 oz. (127 g.) in total package
Calories: 400 calories (guesstimate) in 2 cookies
Cost: $5.25 for 1 package/bag of 3 cookies
Purchased from: Beach Hut Cafe, San Francisco, CA

Once upon a time, long ago (in the 1900s), there was a woman who couldn't eat wheat or gluten, and she thought she'd never have any edible chocolate baked goods ever again. Thank goodness there was a happy ending to this story.

Today there are many great gluten-free cake and cookie options (recipes, mixes and finished goods).

Welcome to Day #1 of (Gluten Free) Chocolate Baked Goods Theme Week. I'm kicking off this week with a few Dark Chocolate Cookie Sandwich cookies from Wholesome Bakery (San Francisco, CA).

Made without gluten, yeast, soy, dairy, egg or trans fats...you'd think these filled sandwich cookies were made with magic. But, in fact, these were crafted with careful research into the right blend of ingredients by Mandy Harper (owner and founder of Wholesome Bakery).

The dark chocolate cookies were fresh and crunchy (without being crumbly) and they tasted great, as did the light creamy filling.

Santa Barbara Bar - Peanut Chocolate Cherry - Jan. 6, 2015

Chocolate of the Day: 

Santa Barbara Essential Foods
Peanut Chocolate Cherry bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.58 oz. (45 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 180 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 (estimate)
Purchased from: Tutor Guild Gift Shop, Ashland, OR

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate, Cherry and Nut Theme Week.

The Gluten and Soy Free, Peanut Chocolate Cherry bar from Santa Barbara Essential Foods (Santa Barbara, CA) was constructed with brown rice syrup, cherries, dark chocolate, oats, chia seeds and sesame seeds. Whey crisps (whey protein and rice flour) added extra protein.

This gluten-free and GMO free bar had a lightly sweetened, dense oat and seed bar chewiness that caused me to slow down when I was eating it (not a bad thing). The peanut and cherry bits were finely ground and their flavors were, as a result, a bit muted; however, the overall effect was very satisfying. Tiny chocolate chips were incorporated into the bar adding a hint of chocolate flavor.

Photo from: www.sbbar.co

Note: Since I purchased this bar, the company updated their packaging to include a photo of the bar on the wrapper (pictured at right).