The Bottom Line
Organic spice purveyor, Simply Organics has come out with a line of USDA organic / Fair Trade Certified gluten-free mixes. Great news for people who want to avoid exposure to chemicals and genetically modified organisms while eating gluten-free!
Gluten-Free Cocoa Cayenne Cupcake Mix is fast, easy and economical to prepare - all you have to add are 2 eggs, water and 1 tablespoon of butter. The cupcakes are slightly dry but flavorful. The cayenne is an interesting taste combination with cocoa, adding a nice little kick without overpowering the cupcakes.
Pros
- USDA organic ingredients / Fair Trade Certified Product
- Easy to prepare
- Cost saving mix - save money over buying bakery gluten-free cupcakes
- Vegan alternative recipe on package
- Unusual flavor combination
Cons
- Slightly dry texture
- Baked cupcakes do not look like photo on packaging
Description
- Simply Organic Gluten-Free Cocoa Cayenne Cupcake Mix with USDA organic ingredients / Fair Trade Certified.
- One 10.6 ounce box makes 12 cupcakes.
- Add eggs, water and butter. For vegan version, add egg replacement powder, water and dairy-free butter.
- Basic recipe per serving - 110 calories, 0 g total fat, 21 g carbohydrates, 12 g sugar, 1 g protein, 230 mg sodium.
Guide Review - Review of Simply Organic Gluten-Free Cocoa Cayenne Cupcake Mix
It's great to see more organic gluten-free mixes entering the market. Simply Organics has introduced a line of 7 gluten-free, organic, Fair Trade mixes:
- Banana Bread Mix
- Carrot Cake Mix
- Chai Spice Scone Mix
- Cocoa Biscotti Mix
- Cocoa Brownie Mix
- Cocoa Cayenne Cupcake Mix
- Pancake and Waffle Mix
Simply Organics Gluten-Free Cocoa Cayenne Cupcake Mix contains organic Fair Trade Certified cane sugar, organic brown rice flour, organic Fair Trade Certified Dutch Cocoa, baking soda, xanthan gum, organic cayenne, sea salt, monocalcium phosphate and organic cornstarch.
The box has 3 recipes printed on it: basic directions for the cupcakes, an alternative vegan recipe and a "bonus" recipe for No-Bake Cookies.
I followed the basic directions on the box (not the alternative vegan recipe) and found the cupcakes were slightly dry. I used a standard, 12 count cupcake pan as called for, and also found that the cupcakes did not rise as high or look as good as the photo on the product packaging. I used all of the batter and filled each cupcake paper liner approximately 3/4 full. Baked in a preheated oven, the cupcakes did not rise above the top edge of the paper cupcake liners. I was disappointed that they did not look as nice as the package photo.
I frosted the cupcakes with Gluten and Dairy Free Vanilla Confectioner's Frosting which improved the slightly dry texture of the unfrosted cupcakes.
Overall, the recipe is so fast and easy to make, it's more economical than buying bakery gluten-free cupcakes and you can use a variety of frosting flavors to add interest to a good, although not great gluten-free cupcake made with organic ingredients.
