Gluten Free Mix: Sof'ella Chocolate Cake Mix - Product Review #73

Gluten Free Mix: Sof'ella Chocolate Cake Mix

PRODUCT NAME:                    Sof'ella Chocolate Cake Mix

BRAND:                                   Sof'ella Gourmet Natural Foods

COST:                                     $5.10

SIZE:                                       1lb 1oz

COST PER OZ:                         $0.30/oz

CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE:       NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        N/A

ORGANIC:                                NO

CERTIFICATION AGENCY:        N/A

VEGAN:                                   OPTIONAL

GLUTEN FREE FACILITY:         UNKNOWN

LOCATION OF FACILITY:         California

*These statements are based on the information printed on the product packaging. We cannot verify the accuracy of this information. For verification of the statements above, please contact the manufacturer.

REVIEW:
Today, the baking process began with some difficult decisions. Namely, when you have a box of cake batter, do you make cupcakes? A layered 9-inch round? Do rectangles taste as good as circles?

Secondly, what kind of frosting goes best with chocolate cake? Cream cheese? Vanilla? Do I incorporate fruit? At once, I am inspired and overwhelmed with the possibilities this little box of Sof'ella chocolate cake mix offers.

There was a perplexing lack of frosting, or even frosting recommendations on or in the box. They reference you to their Web site for more products and recipes, but don't mention frosting specifically. Luckily, when I checked out the recipes page, the following directions were found to ease my anxiety:

Gluten Free Chocolate Frosting

• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/3 c. Dutch (alkalized) cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (NOTE: Vanilla extract sometimes contains gluten so pay attention to the label)
• Pinch of salt
• 2 sticks (or 16 tablespoons) of unsalted, room temperature butter
• 1-2 tablespoons of water (Depending on desired consistency)

"In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the cocoa, vanilla, [sugar] and salt and beat until smooth. Add water until you've reached a desired consistency."

I take this to be a sign and opt for this classic butter cream on a one-layered round.

The actual baking process is a total cinch. Cream the butter for a minute, add the eggs and mix, then pour Sof'ella's mix in along with a bit of warm water. You should have a thick, beautiful, dark batter. It was a bit sticky, so make sure you have your spatula handy for scraping the sides. In order to handle the batter more easily, you can always spread a little butter on your spatula or spoon to make it non-stick. Pour your batter into the preferred pan, and bake for the amount of time specified on the box.

Now, here's where things can get a little tricky. When dealing with gluten free flours and nontraditional thickening agents, the fear is that you'll either under-bake or over-bake and end up with a hockey puck. Because the consistency of this particular cake is so fragile, you can't really depend on the 'ol toothpick in the middle method for ensuring doneness. It might come out clean, even if the cake needs five more minutes. Also, depending on altitude, you may need to add 25°F to the recommended temperature. Check out www.sofellafoods.com for high altitude baking tips.

I happened to under bake mine a tad, fearing the hockey puck scenario, but the final product was still mighty tasty and super moist.

I hate to mention nutritional facts when we're dealing with chocolate cake here, but without frosting, this cake contains almost two sticks of butter, two eggs, and 23 grams of sugar in 1/12 of a piece. With frosting, we're talking another two sticks of butter and two cups of powdered sugar. I'm not messing around when I say this cake is intense. But I like that in a cake.

In terms of overall value, the mix itself is $5.10. Factoring in the nearly two sticks of butter and two eggs in the batter, along with frosting components, I spent an additional $10, making this at least a $15 cake. So, although the process was easy, and as the final product is a fresh, homemade cake, I momentarily question its value against, say, store bought cake. However, there is something to be said about filling the house with the unbeatable smell of baking chocolate – not to mention the love that goes into homemade baked goods.

In which case, I highly recommend this cake. Perhaps top it with a dusting of powdered sugar and some fresh berries for a lighter experience.

Taste: The taste of the cake by itself is extremely rich. I know why a serving size is 1/12 of the cake – that's all it takes. I almost want to say that it didn't need such a sweet, buttery frosting because the cake itself was so moist and rich. One small piece definitely satiated any and all chocolate cravings I had.

Labeling: Labeling is aesthetically pleasing, with an amazing photo of a layered cake and some cupcakes in the background covered in frosting. Huge, easy to read directions cover the back, and nutritional facts take up one entire side.

Packaging: Box with a plastic bag inside to hold the mix. I have personally deemed the box a tad unnecessary, as it seemed they were having a hard time filling up all that real estate with type and photos.

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RATING:
Texture:         4
Taste:             5
Value:            4
OVERALL:      4.3

Reviewed 021411 by Mallory L.