Sponge Cake – The Review Studio

Egg Free Cake Box – Red Velvet Dubai Chocolate Cake

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Winter, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

With Christmas just around the corner, the shops are full of festive treats. While there will always be a place for a traditional Christmas cake or pudding, it’s rather lovely to discover something a little different – and this Red Velvet Dubai Chocolate Cake from Egg Free Cake Box is just that.

The cake is a beautifully light and moist red velvet sponge, generously layered with a silky pistachio cream and Egg Free Cake Box’s signature Dubai mix, which brings a gentle nuttiness and a pleasing sweetness. The sides are neatly finished with classic red velvet crumbs there’s also the option to personalise your cake; ours simply read “Enjoy”, but you can choose your own message when ordering.

On top of the cake is delicate creamy piping, adorned with a light sprinkle of suter pheni and crunchy pistachio pieces, while fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries add a cheerful splash of colour. It’s decorative without being fussy and my husband especially enjoyed the lighter topping as he finds cakes full of buttercream much too sweet.

I must confess I hadn’t come across Egg Free Cake Box before, so I was surprised to discover several shops within a short distance of home. With over 250 locations nationwide, their impressive Click & Collect service means you can order a cake and collect it within just an hour – perfect for last-minute get togethers. The company started back in 2008 with a single shop in East London and has grown steadily, always placing an emphasis on quality ingredients and careful craftsmanship.

All of their cakes are completely egg free, reflecting the founders’ strict lacto-vegetarian diet. When I was eating the cake I really couldn’t tell that it was egg free – there’s certainly no compromise when it comes to flavour or texture – which also makes these cakes a reassuring choice for parties where egg allergies may be a concern.

Our cake was delivered by a man in a car and it was well packaged in a large cake box. When I opened the box, it looked even more delicious than I’d hoped! The red velvet sponge had a lovely depth of flavour and wasn’t too sweet, while the pistachio and Dubai cream brought a luxurious nuttiness that worked incredibly well and make the cake incredibly moreish!

While it’s at its best within 24 hours, we popped it in the fridge for an extra day and the sponge stayed beautifully light and soft and was just as tasty as it was on the first day.

This is the sort of cake that would sit proudly on a Christmas Day table, perfect for sharing with family, and it makes a cracking alternative to the usual Christmas pudding – or a very good excuse to have both. We all thought it was absolutely delicious and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Egg Free Cake Box. With my birthday landing at the end of December, I can already tell you where my cake will be coming from this year.

RRP from £32.99 for a 6” cake

Lola’s Cupcakes Easter Postal Cake

chocolate, Easter, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Spring, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Easter’s just around the corner and the shops are absolutely bursting with all sorts of seasonal treats. As well as the classic chocolate eggs there are loads of gorgeous Easter goodies too and this week, we got to try something really special, a chocolate Easter Cake from Lola’s Cupcakes. If you’re after a beautiful centrepiece for your Easter table, then this is the one. And don’t worry if you’re not near one of their London stores as they’ll deliver it straight to your door if you’re in the UK.

The cake itself is a luscious double chocolate sponge – lovely and light – layered with a generous helping of smooth chocolate fudge buttercream. The top is covered in a pretty pale yellow buttercream with glossy chocolate ganache, topped with mini eggs and a scattering of colourful sprinkles. There’s even space for a personalised message. We went with the classic “Happy Easter”, but you can choose your own wording.

It’s always a bit of a worry when ordering cakes online, but this one was packaged so beautifully – snug in a sturdy box, with cool blocks and a thermal liner to keep everything just right during its journey. When it arrived, it looked as fresh as if it had just come out of the bakery that morning. Once opened the cake should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container and whilst it is best eaten within 48 hours any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for another 2 days – although I can guarantee there’s no chance of that happening in our house!!! I was also pleased to find that the thermal packaging and ice packs can be sent back to Lola’s for reuse and there’s a prepaid label so there’s no cost either.

As for the taste – as a self confessed chocoholic it was absolutely perfect. The sponge was moist and airy, with a rich chocolate flavour and the buttercream was wonderfully smooth and rich. The decoration is charming without being over the top – appealing to children but with a lovely touch of elegance for the grown-ups too.

We all thoroughly enjoyed it, and there wasn’t a crumb left by the end of the day! If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift or something special to share with family and friends, I wholeheartedly recommend Lola’s Cupcakes. Their cakes are handmade daily with care and quality ingredients, and it really does show.

The Easter Postal Cake is available for delivery until the 21st of April, so do pop over to their website if you fancy treating yourself – or someone you love – this Easter.

RRP £29 available here

Lola’s Cupcakes Father’s Day Cupcakes

eco friendly, Family Life, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Him

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

What Dad wouldn’t be happy with cake on Father’s Day – especially when they look as cool as these Father’s Day Cupcakes from Lola’s Cupcakes. Available in boxes of 12 or 24, each box contains a colourful mix of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes all decorated with stars, mini pearls and sprinkles and the vanilla cakes also have a snazzy ‘Dad’, ‘Super’ or ‘Hero’ decoration too.

Sometimes impressive looking cakes can be a little disappointing when you bite into them but not Lola’s Cupcakes – they are full of flavour and incredibly moreish – especially the chocolate ones! The sponge cakes have a lovely thick layer of vanilla or chocolate buttercream and when you bite into them you discover a light and fluffy sponge that is nice and moist. The brightly coloured cakes are incredibly eye catching and I guarantee they won’t last long on Father’s Day!!!

The cakes can be collected from one of Lola’s Cupcakes London stores or make it easy for yourself by having them delivered, either to your door or even your Dad’s, with Lola’s nationwide delivery service. The cakes are available to preorder from 29^th May and will be in stores and ready for delivery from 12^th June.

As we don’t live in London, we were able to test the delivery service and I was really impressed with both the service and packaging. The cakes were in a cardboard presentation box with each cake having a cardboard sleeve and lid to protect it in transit. The cakes were incredibly well packaged in a solid cardboard box with a cool block and thermal liner to ensure the cakes arrived in perfect condition. Once opened the cakes should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container and they are best eaten within 48 hours. They didn’t last that long in our house, but it is good to know that they can be kept in the fridge for another 2 days.

I was also very pleased to discover that the thermal liner and ice pack can be returned to Lola’s Cupcakes using the prepaid label. They then clean them before reusing, what a great idea and much better for the environment too.

Lola’s Cupcakes make all their cakes fresh by hand each day from scratch, using only high quality ingredients so if you want to treat your Dad I would take a look now! As well as the cupcakes they also have Father’s Day brownies as well as larger cakes to choose from and there is also a vegan and gluten free option so no one needs to miss out on these delicious treats.

I would most definitely recommend Lola’s Cupcakes as a Father’s Day gift, especially if your Dad lives further away and you can’t deliver his gift in person this year.

To order the Father’s Day cupcakes (or any other kind cakes) head on over to their website here

RRP from £22 available until the 16^th June

St Michel Choco Snacks

Children, chocolate, Family Life, Home, Lunchbox Fillers, snacks, Summer

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

The St Michel Muffin, Waffle, Burger and Donut Choco snacks have recently been launched in the UK and we were sent a sample of each to try for this summer.

Made completely free from palm oil with no preservatives, interestingly they are made with cage-free eggs, giving a better life to the hens. St Michel is France’s premiere cake and biscuit brand, in business since 1905 and very proud of how they select the best quality ingredients.

Each box has 6 individually wrapped cakes, each one weighing around 30 grams each. Each variety has a different shape and use of the chocolate, so you’ll soon have a preference as to whether you like your chocolate in the middle (Choco Burger) or a Choco Donut, dipped in chocolate instead. The Choco Muffins are just as tasty and probably more suited to adults wanting a snack in the office or on the go and the Choco Waffles make a fun treat for anyone.

They’re made in France with French ingredients including French wheat with each sponge cake in a different shape or formation and topped or filled with smooth chocolate. They certainly have that chocolate-y taste which gives you the sweet hit when you need it. The sponges are feather light and contain sunflower oil instead of palm oil to not only save the palm oil forests but the sunflower gives a different hit to the texture of the sponge. The chocolate, which is made of hazelnut paste, is deliciously decadent and just what you would imagine from French patisseries. Just keep them less than 25 degrees centigrade otherwise you’ll end up with a sticky mess this summer!

St Michel Choco snacks are a fabulous snack idea for anyone who loves cake, needs a snack or wants something with a bit more goodness than sweets during the day. Perfect for chocolate lovers too.

Available from £2.00 at Tesco, Waitrose and online at Ocado: https://www.ocado.com/products/st-michel-doomino-chocolate-584037011

Lola’s Cupcakes Valentine’s Postal Cake

Birthday Gifts, chocolate, Easter, Father's Day, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Love is in the air and The Review Studio team have been spoilt rotten by our loved ones today. As well as the usual chocolates and flowers we’ve had a very special delivery from Lola’s Cupcakes who make the most amazing cakes. Their stores are mainly in London, but they do offer a nationwide delivery service, meaning everyone can enjoy their delicious bakes.

When sending cakes through the post they need to be well packaged to ensure they arrive in perfect condition and I was really impressed with the care that goes into the packaging. The cake sits in a carboard box with a protective layer of cardboard on the top and there is a cool block and thermal liner to ensure they arrive in tip top condition. Once opened the cake should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container and is best eaten within 48 hours. It can be kept in the fridge for another 2 days – ours didn’t last that long!! The thermal liner and ice pack can also be returned to Lola’s Cupcakes and they will be cleaned and reused which is a great idea and to make it even easier there is a prepaid label so it doesn’t cost you a penny.

So, onto the important bit – the cake – the Valentine’s Postal Cake not only looks amazing but tastes fantastic too. The delicious chocolate sponge is beautifully decorated with pink vanilla buttercream with “Happy Valentines” iced in the middle. It won’t come as a surprise to hear that it is adorned with hearts – a couple even have “Love” written on them and there are plenty of Valentines sprinkles and a few rose petals to complete the Valentines theme. The cake has a nice thick layer of pink buttercream sandwiched between the two moist chocolate sponges and once we had cut into it, we discovered that the cake was light and fluffy, nice and chocolatey and incredibly tasty.

We were all really impressed with this cake, it has travelled a few hundred miles yet still looks like it has just been picked up fresh from the bakery. Lola’s Cupcakes make all their cakes daily by hand and from scratch, using only the very best ingredients and have a fantastic selection of cakes, cupcakes and brownies available on their website. The cakes make lovely gifts so next time you need a birthday, anniversary, get well soon, Mother’s Day, Easter or even a “Just Because” gift for a loved one then Lola’s Cupcakes is the place to go and I guarantee they will be well received by the recipient!

Small (serves 8) £25

Large (serves 14) £40

Lola’s Cupcakes Halloween Naked Nationwide Cake

Autumn, Children, Family Life, Food & Drink, Halloween

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

It’s almost October and the shops are pulling out all the stops with an incredible array of Halloween themed products. As well as the traditional costumes, decorations and accessories there is a huge selection of Halloween themed food and drink available which is perfect for parties. Obviously, you can’t have a party without cake (well not in our house) so our little witches and ghouls have been testing some terrifyingly tasty Halloween treats (with a little help from us of course!!)

We’ve decided that the Halloween Naked Nationwide Cake from Lola’s Cupcakes will make a fantastic centrepiece at any Halloween party and if you don’t live near one of their London stores don’t worry, as they can be posted anywhere in the UK. The delicious vanilla sponge with orange and mauve buttercream icing is topped with bright orange pumpkins, spooky sprinkles, sugarpaste ghosts and bats with “Happy Halloween” piped on the top. The moist sponge cake has a nice thick layer of mauve buttercream and the sponge is really light and fluffy. The cake is tastefully decorated so it is appealing to children yet sophisticated enough for adults too!

It’s always a worry ordering cakes online, but this cake was incredibly well packaged in a cardboard box with cool blocks and a thermal liner to ensure it arrived in perfect condition. Once opened the cake should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container and whilst it is best eaten within 48 hours if but you do have any left it can be kept in the fridge for another 2 days – although I can guarantee there wasn’t much chance of that happening in our house!!! I was also pleased to discover that the thermal liner and ice pack can be returned to Lola’s Cupcakes for them to clean and reuse, they even include a prepaid label so this doesn’t cost you anything.

Overall, I was really impressed with this cake, it not only looks impressive it tastes amazing too, the sponge is nice and light which makes it rather moreish, and the combination of the buttercream filling and the sponge was absolutely delicious.

Lola’s Cupcakes make all their cakes fresh by hand each day from scratch, using only high quality ingredients so if you want to treat your ghosts, ghouls and witches this Halloween I would take a look now! The first day of delivery for this cake is the 24^th October and the last is just in time for Halloween on the 31^st October.

The company has a variety of delicious treats on their website and after with a few celebrations coming up it won’t be long before I’m ordering some more….

RRP £42.50

Sponge Coronation Pinata Cake

coronation, Food & Drink, Gluten Free

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own

With the whole country looking forward to the Coronation on the 6^th May we’re planning a fantastic long weekend of celebrations. With a street party, a family party and a community event in our village it’s certainly going to be a fun packed weekend and one we’ll remember for a very long time! The Union Jack bunting is ready to go up and we’re going with a red, white and blue theme for both decorations and food.

If like us, you’re looking for a patriotic touch for the food, then you need to look at Sponge – the online cake company – they have the perfect showstopper cake for any coronation celebration. The Coronation Pinata chocolate cake looks just like any normal chocolate cake, but this rich and indulgent chocolate sponge cake is hiding a patriotic surprise in the middle! Four layers of delicious chocolate sponge are sandwiched together with chocolate buttercream and when you cut into it you will discover red, white and blue chocolate beans and edible golden crowns. The cake is covered with flakes of chocolate and is lovely hot or cold with a pouring of cream or ice cream. It is light and fluffy and the chocolate beans were a hit with both children and adults. It would make a lovely centrepiece on the table of any Coronation party and is perfect to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

The cakes from Sponge are incredibly well packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with bio-degradable film so there is no need to worry about it getting squashed in transit. Once opened the cake should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container and any leftovers can be frozen – although there’s not much chance of that at my house!!!

Sponge caters for all types of dietary requirements, and the Pinata Chocolate cake is also available as a gluten free cake. They make all their cakes from scratch, using only high-quality ingredients and they deliver all over the UK.

There is still time to order one of Sponge’s show-stopping pinata cakes – so what are you waiting for???

RRP £26.50 (serves 8)