Free from sugar, gluten, wheat and eggs, with 80% less net carbohydrates and with a ‘great taste and texture’ according to the packet; I couldn’t wait to try Sukrin’s Free-From cake mix. I’m not usually one to use a ready-made mix, preferring to make my own healthy goodies from scratch, but I was intrigued to see how this would turn out.
Not wanting to simply make it according to packet instructions (although I’m sure the end result is just as good), I had a few ideas of additions for the mix, including apple and cinnamon, chocolate and cherry or pear and ginger. However, coffee and walnut was the winner in this case, with a cheeky appearance of some amaretto to make it that little more indulgent (while still being relatively healthy).
What’s great about this mix is that it’s simple to use, adding only some water, a little oil and 3 eggs (or egg replacer), and made with Sukrin Granulated zero calorie sugar alternative, helping to create a moist, full-flavour cake but without the carbohydrate levels to match. Containing no artificial colours or preservatives, I was pleased to see the ingredients list was pretty ‘clean’ – sesame and cornflour, fibre, pea protein, potato starch, raising agent and a few other elements to give it the ‘cake’ effect.
Here’s what I did when making the mix up to create THIS bad boy:
Coffee, Amaretto & Walnut Cake
Additions –
- 2 tsp Beanies Amaretto Coffee, made up with 1 tbsp boiling water
- Dash of amaretto
- 2 tbsp Almond Skinny Syrup*
- 75g walnut pieces
*Note: I substituted 2 tbsp of the oil to go in the mix with the syrup
Topping –
- 1 tbsp Beanies Amaretto Coffee, made up with 2 tbsp boiling water
- 2 tbsp natural sweetener
- 1-2 tbsp cornflour
- Almond extract
Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to make a paste. Heat the coffee liquid in a small pan until almost boiling, then turn the heat down and add the cornflour mixture, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the sweetener and a dash of almond extract. Now you’re ready to drizzle this over!
So, what was the verdict?
THIS BEAUTIFUL CREATION. Oh my. The batter was very runny and liquidy when I poured it into my cake tin, and I was unsure if it would need ages to bake; however, 40 minutes later I was greeted with a golden and risen result, filling the kitchen with wonderful sweet aromas.
Once the cake had cooled, I was impressed with the texture and look…even more so when I had a bite once it had been decorated and photographed. Just the right amount of sweetness without being too overpowering, tasty, moist and a wonderfully indulgent sponge.
The coffee, amaretto and walnuts really added that extra punch to what I would say is a substantial, easy to use mix. For those short of time or an amateur to baking, this is a fantastic option and makes a great base for all sorts of flavour combinations. Well done Sukrin for creating it!
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