This is a guest post from Bee, who was sent a gluten free apple cake from Sponge for the purposes of this review.
I need to talk to you all about the best (gluten free) cake on the whole of the internet. I say internet because my sort of sister-in-law made me a really nice gluten free birthday cake that was definitely as good as this one, so they have to take joint first place in the very important cake league table in my mind.
Anyway, when I was about six months pregnant I was becoming really ill after food and I soon worked out that wheat, and more specifically gluten, was the culprit. It took a couple of months of going cold turkey but it finally helped my skin breakouts, heartburn, digestive issues and a host of other crappy stuff I had been dealing with that I had just put down to pregnancy symptoms.
I optimistically thought that when I gave birth I would regain my tolerance to gluten but alas, it was not to be. I’m quite sad about it because even though I like feeling good in myself and not hideously ill, there are so many things I miss that contain wheat and other gluteny stuff. (Looking at you, Starbucks fruit toast.)
‘Free from’ alternatives have come a long way in recent years but gluten free stuff is still really hit and miss and with it often being so expensive I feel reluctant to try too many new things in case it’s a total waste of money. That’s why when Sponge offered me one of their gluten free cakes to try I jumped at the chance.
I probably actually jumped as well because I’m hungry all the time – when I’m not breastfeeding I’m pumping milk like crazy and I also just really missed a decent piece of cake.
(Sponge does all kinds of cakes btw, not just gluten free ones, so if you can eat gluten then knock yourself out. They also offer vegan options – a chocolate cake and a carrot cake. They’ve basically got cake COVERED.)
I’ll admit that I was sceptical while I waited for it to arrive. Like lots of products, Sponge claims that you “won’t notice the difference” but I’ve learnt the hard way with gluten free stuff that that doesn’t always mean what it says it does. But Sponge low-key came through for me on that promise!
It tastes EXACTLY like the real thing.
I got the apple crumble cake and it was light, fluffy, moist and the perfect cake texture. It actually got even nicer and moister as the days went on, which is rare in gluten free products – they usually dry out really quickly and are quite claggy.
I always thought that to buy a cake off the internet was a bit boujee, but the apple crumble cake was less than £15 and I got at least ten decent sized portions out of it. (It says serves eight but that would be eight massive slices.) At a cafe down the road, I’d get a less-nice piece of gluten free something for at least three quid, so it really adds up and makes a lot of sense if you think about it. They also do next day delivery if you order by 2pm, so perfect for last minute birthday plans or if you have someone coming round and you want to act as though you’ve casually made a perfect gluten free cake.
I don’t say this with many things I review, but I would genuinely buy this cake for myself again just because it was so delicious. I actually miss it. I think about it every day. The sweet crumble topping haunts my tastebuds. I dream about it at night.
[Note: when I messaged Bee to say thanks for writing this, she replied with ‘I genuinely think about that cake every day.]
If you are gluten intolerant, do one good thing for yourself and order one of these cakes. Seriously. I think it counts as a form of self care.
If you don’t fancy splashing the cash on the cake of dreams though, we have a competition for you where you can win one of these cakes for yourself! You can pick any whole, eight person cake and can go for regular old cake, or gluten or dairy free options.
To enter, first have a browse on the Sponge website at the whole cakes and leave a comment telling me which cake you’d choose. (I’m thinking Gin and Tonic cake for Mum?) Register your comment in the widget below and then complete as many of the bonus entries as possible to maximise your chances of being able to EAT CAKE FOREVER! Okay, so not forever. A few days at least though.
The competition will close at 11.59pm on August 26th and full T&Cs apply.
Good luck!
Would love to win xx
Love this as I am a single mummy
The Classic Victoria Sponge Cake looks nice.
Chocolate every time
Hope I win this
Red velvet cake. For meee! (Ok I might share.)
Lovely cakes all of them but my favourite is coffee cake
I’d love the coffee cake to enjoy with my morning latte!
Gin and Tonic cake a must
The Millionaires Cake looks amazing!
Looks Yummy! The ‘Free from’ ranged has developed so far now days!
It has to be the carrot cake for me, my husband would love the Millionaires Cake
They look delicious,
I’d choose Apple Crumble Cake for my Mum as she really loves apple cake and now she is disabled she is no longer able to bake her own
Apple crumble cake would be my choice. Apples are my favourite fruit and I love the sound of the crunchy topping.
I am Coeliac, and follow an extremely strict gluten free diet. It is fantastic to see a giveaway for gluten free cake.
I really fancy the Gin and Tonic cake but was also seriously tempted by the Lemon and Coffee cakes too. There’s a great choice!
Millionaires Cake – it sounds amazing!
The millionaires cake definitely!
Vegan Carrot Cake
I would choose lemon cake as it is my all time favourite :)
These look like such yummy cakes
Oh my goodness, these look delicious! I want one now with a cup of tea
Oh my these cakes all look delicious! I would choose the Millionaires cake oh my goodness what a lovely looking cake!!
They all sound delicious, but I’d go for the chocolate orange one.
Sticky Toffee Cake is easily my favourite sounds divine
I would love to try the Red Velvet Cake.
great giveaway thanks would choose the Chocolate Cake!
yes please yummy cake x
Strawberry swirl!
I would choose carrot cake!
rocky road
They all look amazing! I think I’d have to choose the chocolate orange cake though as chocolate orange is a real weakness of mine!
I’d choose the carrot cake! They all look amazing though x
I would choose the Chocolate orange cake I think – yummy!
I would choose a gluten free coffee cake, I adore coffee cake!
I’d choose a coffee cake, I love that it’s just coffee and not coffee and walnut, like so many are!
Oh man, so hard to choose! I think I’d go for the Rocky Road Cake.
I would choose the Gluten Free Millionaires Cake to share with my son as he has to eat gluten free. It’s not very often you come a cross a really tasty special gluten free cake so he would be delighted with this.
They all look gorgeous – but the coffee cake for me x
yummy love cakes
Apple Crumble Cake!
Of LOVE the regular Chocolate Sponge….Yummilicious! ❤
I would choose the Millionaires cake but I would like any of them.
Yum Yum
Sticky Toffee Cake!
Millionaires Cake sounds good
What a great review Bee! I’d pick the Victoria sponge as it looks So perfect.
Lemon cake for me
I love cake these look yummy
mmm cake
Millionaires Cake
I’d choose the vegan carrot cake (not overly keen on chocolate). It’s great that they offer so many gluten free options but only two vegan options? Hoping they increase that soon – a vegan apple crumble or vegan coffee would be fantastic
They all look lovely but I think it would have to be the Chocolate Cake – yum!
I just love a slice of cake with my cup of tea!!
Apple Crumble Cake.
I would go for the traditional Victoria Sponge Cake, looks yummy!
All the cakes look amazing, my favourite though would be the Lemon cake
Thank you SlummyMummy – I have a rather large weakness for CAKE never mind the Best Cake on the Internet.
Hard to choose one, but Sticky Toffee Cake
I would choose Sticky Toffee Cake
Chocolate Cake.
Oh, my, they look so delicious. I am up for the carrot cake first but quite a few others afterwards.
The lemon cake! I bet it’s super refreshing.
I’d have to go for the Rocky Road Cake.
Great giveaway
Would love to try the Carrot Cake
I’d choose the Rocky Road cake
I’d go for the apple crumble cake too. Carrot cake and lemon cake look good too though.
These cakes look so delicious. GF has come a long way, baby.
I’d go for the Coffee cake and as I am not gluten intolerant I’d have the standard one.
I love all cake but in particular Lemon drizzle
I was trying to show some initiative and originality, but it has to be the Apple Crumble Cake. There are so many delicious choices but I just can’t get past that one!
Red Velvet Cake for me
Those cakes look awfully tempting! Yum. I would may be try the Carrot cake (first!)
Hard decision but the strawberry swirl looks yum!
fab who doesn’t love cake
I would choose the Chocolate Orange, cake. Yummy!
the lemon cake :) yum yum
Yun yum I’d go for the sticky toffee came. It’s great to see such a wide selection of gluten free cake x
Apple crumble cake would be delicious!
Definitely the sharing sponge cake because there is too many to choose from!
I would go for the coffee cake. It looks amazing :)
Yes i love cake!!! My favourite type of cake has to be chocolate cake
I’d choose the Millionaires Cake. We always have cake as a treat to mark the first day of the school year.
I love a carrot cake, but I think I’d try the Red Velvet Cake
I’d love the gluten free chocolate cake x
The chocolate and orange sounds awesome!
Im torn between the coffee cake and the carrot cake!!
Choices choices, I’d love chocolate but the coffee cake sounds even more amazing
They all look absolutely amazing, but my difficult choice has narrowed down to Carrot Cake
Ooh yum! I would love to try the Bakewell Cake
Coffee cake every day! My favourite! I love all cakes!
Got to be the coffee cake
Gluten free apple crumble cake, yum!
Sticky Toffee Cake
I would choose the Victoria sponge cake. I’ve has a few flavours of cake from Sponge and they are all delicious but I do love a good Victoria Sponge and there’s is really really good.
Bakewell cake, its my favourite place and my favourite flavour combo
Since daughter is now dairy free and I am finding it a little wearing to make dairy free cakes, a vegan chocolate cake would definitely go down well
I will choose a coffee cake. If I don’t win I will definitely order one.
Yummy cake! Count me in
They all look yummy but i would choose the Carrot cake for me.
I would pick the millionaires cake but they all look delicious
Gin and Tonic cake, obv! Remind me again, when do I need to go to the Doc’s for my health check…
I would just love a victoria sponge
I can never resist a carrot cake
love a victoria sponge
I’d go for the Millionaires Cake. It looks amazing!
I would choose the Lemon Cake
I am very partial to coffee cake.
I would go for chocolate!
I love coffee cake.
I would choose the chocolate orange cake, sounds delicious!
They all look scrumptious but I’d have to choose the Bakewell Cake as I love almonds!
I would love the gin and tonic cake
Ooh these sound great, love the idea of sticky toffee!
Toss up between the apple crumble cake o4 the carrot cake
Carrot cake or chocolate cake or red velvet… this question is too hard.
They look so delicious! I’d choose the lemon cake
I love these delicious cakes
coffee cake as its my favourite
My favourite is coffee cake.
yummy chocolate cake
Cake is my guilty pleasure :D
Strawberry swirl…so pretty!
Chocolate Orange cake sounds amazing.
The Victoria Sponge Cake
The gin and tonic cake of course!
Rocky Road Cake for me :-)
Oh wow, they all look amazing but if I had to choose one it would be the chocolate cake as it is my favourite xx
Millionaires Cake combines all my favourites – chocolate, vanilla, caramel and toffee – yum!
That’s a really hard choice but I’d go for the chocolate orange cake.
I want them all, but especially the Apple Crumble cake. There are never enough apple cakes available, in my opinion.
Sticky toffee cake looks amazing but all of them look soooo delicious
I think I’d go coffee cake – my favourite!
Victoria Sponge Cake
I’ve had one of their chocolate cakes before & it was amazing! I think I’d try the Strawberry Swirl one this time.
I would choose the Victoria Sponge Cake, it looks delish
Red velvet cake!
carrot cake yum yum
Its my birthday today and I love cake – pretty please
Ooh I love coffee cake
gosh, cake! I don’t care on the flavour, it’s cake – it’s my fave thing in the world lol!! I do love Coffee cake and Chocolate cake best!
mmm cake
Vegan carrot cake
Cake is my Kryptonite my ultimate weakness.
My lot would moan but personally I’d love the Coffee Cake :)
Rocky road cake
I’d have to have the vegan chocolate cake
Coffee cake – it is my favourite and so often I can’t have it as so often people put walnuts in and I’m allergic to them. Having said that Gin & Tonic cake sounds heavenly as well – may just need to check it out.
Cake, who doesn’t love cake! Thanks for the chance
Love a cake giveaway!
I would love the Coffee Cake – it looks really yummy
oh my gosh pina colada!
corr that cake looks tasty x
I’d love to try the Apple Crumbled cake, sounds delicious.
oh I love cake. This would be a great prize
Millionaires Cake for me (closest I’ll ever get to being a millionaire!).
I would choose the chocolate cake.
Difficult to choose just one! Sticky Toffee cake I think
I would love to have the Victoria sponge cake.
coffee cake
I think I would choose the Lemon cake.
I love the Bakewell – lovely almond flavoured sponge, yummy jam, and icing to die for, not forgetting the sliced almonds on top.
The lemon cake for me
It would have to be the carrot cake for me, that’s my absolute favourite.
I’d choose the cookies and cream cake
Cookies and Cream cake
You’ve sold me on the apple crumble cake. Sounds gorgeous and I’ve never had an appley cake before. So it’d have to be a toss up between that and the coffee sponge . . . . or both.
Ooft definitely the lemon cake!
Bakewell Cake
millionaires cake yum yum
I would love to win the lemon cake – what a super prize!
Apple crumble cake would be for me.
Apple crumble cake would be my choice looks yummy
Can never say no to cake! So difficult to choose between apple crumble cake, lemon cake and bakewell!
the rocky road cake
Bakewell cake sounds great. We are glutenfree household so lovely to see such a great range.
Bakewell cake
I do love Coffee Cake
Chocolate Orange cake looks so delicious
The Bakewell Cake for me please!
Coffee cake and a cup of tea for me
Rocky Road Cake
Carrot Cake has always been a firm favourite with me.
I’d go for the Strawberry Swirl cake.
Gin and Tonic cake
Bakewell soooo many to choose!
I’ve tried their Victoria Sponge and it is AMAZING – I think I agree – I’d love to try the Gin and Tonic!!
bakewell definitly
They all look amazing but would have to be the lemon cake for me!
Look amazing!
I love cake! Can’t decide if my favourite is Red Velvet, Victoria Sponge or a Chocolate Cake!
All of them! Love the look of the coffee cake and the lemon
The strawberry swirl cake caught my eye with that gorgeous pink buttercream, so hard to choose just one though!
Looks so good
The chocolate orange one looks amaaaaazing!
So many lovely cakes, but id choose the chocolate cake.
Ooo I love all cake. Especially a Victoria sponge. Delicious.
chocolate for me
Bakewell Cake looks lovely!
Red velvet cake for me and my boys ❤
Red velvet
Yum yum to any cake but I have a weakness for bakewell so I like the look of that one or the red velvet!
Chocolate Cake for my daughters
Chocolate cake is my favourite
Chocolate cake is my fave but I’ll eat any cake! Cake mad!
Red Velvet Cake
I think I’d choose chocolate cake for my houseful if chocoholics!
the Apple Crumble Cake looks yummy
Carrot Cake
I love cake and would be happy with any one of the assortment but if I have to choose it would be the Millionaires Cake or maybe the Red Velvet Cake or Coffee Cake or the Apple Crumble Cake, they all look so nice it’s really difficult to choose I’d like to eat them all
Chocolate cake every time! I am an addict!
Rocky Road cake for my daughter!
Yummy single mummy here, would love to win to share it with my little boy
Millionaires cake- yum!
there bakewell, but i love all cake so its hard for me to choose
The Chocolate Orange Cake
So many to choose from but I think i would choose the Millionaires Cake. looks so delicious.
Apple crumble cake sounds delicious
Who wouldn’t want to win cake? count me in please
A lovely cake
mmmm we love a lemon drizzle cake in our house!
The Chocolate Orange Cake sounds wonderful!
any cake! Good luck!
I’d choose Strawberry Swirl Cake. My friend cannot eat gluten and her birthday is coming up so I would give this to her as she loves strawberries as do I.
Yum, I’d really love to try these.
Look so yummy x
Can’t beat carrot cake!