This month Charlotte Lindsay, our Baking Expert & Content Creator has rounded up and photographed some of the best cakes and dessert kits available online. Charlotte is a truly creative individual, who thrives whilst styling both food and fashion shoots.
During the 1st lockdown, she created a cake and healthy bake company called Dirty N Sweet which she launched in London at the end of 2020. Her passion for baked goods ranges from selling her creations to writing recipes and reviewing the best sweet hot spots places to eat in London has to offer….
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Charlotte Lindsay
You may ask why it’s worth investing in a dessert kit when you’re able to order ready to eat? With the help of the experts, creating your own baked goods will not only stimulate your mind and allow you to get creative, but the therapeutic experience will immerse you away from the everyday…not only will you make the best cakes, you’ll feel the added sense of accomplishment: something we all need right now!
Here in London, there are many places to find the best cakes online. With our article at the helm, get ready to satisfy a sweet tooth, and since lockdown, many now offer dessert kits that will do so…thrown in with the added element of fun! From cookies and cannoli, babkas, brownies and decadently filled doughnuts; you can pretty much order anything to your home: all prepped and ready for the oven!
Best Cakes Alert: Doughnut Time
Doughnut Time describe their doughnuts as ‘wild, they’re wacky and they look great on the ‘gram.’ Should you breeze by their Soho store, the smell from within will not only entice you but it will leave you hooked.
Vegan Favourites DIY Kit: £22 – 4 Doughnuts
Doughnut Time has a fantastic selection of DIY dessert kits, from their ‘Biscoff Survival Kit’ to the ‘Mr. Fizz Vegan Kit’, you are truly spoilt for choice. I believe their vegan doughnuts are a spectacular option. Loaded with flavour, fragrance, and fabulousness, and just like the classics, if you opt for the vegan alternative, I can ensure you are not missing out!
I had the pleasure of creating the at-home ‘Vegan Favourites DIY Kit’. The kit consisted of two ‘Sia Later’ and two ‘Ice Ice Bae Bae’ deconstructed doughnuts, that by following the step-by-step foolproof instructions, led me to produce their moreish doughnuts myself at home.
With a soft sponge, each are both light and fluffy: the key features I look for in the perfect doughnut. I particularly enjoyed the ‘Sia Later’ red velvet creation. With sweet buttercream frosting, it is paired with a subtle tangy taste and crisp texture of the freeze-dried raspberries, making it something special.
This kit is the only option for your doughnut lovin’, sweet-toothed friends. Not only is the decorating process fun and a social experience, but also concludes with an Instagram-worthy moment!
www.doughnuttime.co.uk
IG: @doughnuttime_uk
An the award for the best cakes goes too….Doughlicious
Doughlicious is totally up my street. Their gourmet, organic, preservative and additive-free cookie dough are quite frankly, second to none. 100% gluten-free, made from a mix of naturally gluten-free flours, with dairy-free, organic and vegan options also available: the hard part is choosing which flavour to opt for!
The good news is that you can try as many flavours as you wish, and it couldn’t be easier to order online or simply pick up a box… or five. Available at many different locations, Doughlicious is the convenient option for whenever you may get a spontaneous cookie craving.
Don’t settle for anything but the best cakes. Head down to Whole Foods, Planet Organic, M&S or Waitrose for this gut, allergen, and flavour friendly cookie dough.
£3.99 – £4.69 for six cookies:
I cannot express the joy I had baking these unique and luxurious flavours. From ‘Matcha & White Chocolate’ to ‘Vegan Double Chocolate’, ‘Raspberry White Chocolate’ and ‘Red Velvet & White Chocolate’. My favourite however is the ‘Organic Chunky Oat Chocolate Chip’.
Although these may not be your typical dessert kit, I felt they needed a special mention. These small flavour bombs are quick to bake at between 12-15 minutes, (depending on the flavour and how you like your cookie!) Simply space them out on your baking tray and wait eagerly before enjoying fresh out of the oven.
The combination of ‘Matcha & White Chocolate’ is magical, however, the ‘Organic Chunky Oat Chocolate Chip’ mix takes the biscuit for me. This cookie has a breakfast vibe, and pairs perfectly with a bowl of fresh fruit, dressed in yoghurt with a crumbled cookie on top.
The range of flavours at Doughlicious is fantastic, there is an element of luxury and creativity to their products, yet at an affordable price.
The organic and naturally gluten-free unique selling point is something rather special and I was impressed by the beetroot and carrot natural food dye. These cookies are one of the most nutritious and delicious cookies out there – whether you bake them chewy, crisp, or crunchy, I can promise you there won’t be a crumb left!
www.doughlicious.co.uk
IG: @doughlicious_dough
Shuk – Their absolute Best Cakes
Translating as the street market in Hebrew is ‘Shuk’ – the Tel Aviv street food stall that brings the heart of Tel Aviv to bustling Borough Market, (and now to your kitchen). From Spiced Brisket Pita to Bountiful Babka’s, this is a one-stop hot spot for both your sweet and savoury needs with a moreish menu to enjoy the best cakes.
Date & Pistachio Babka kit: £20 – 1 Babka
I am a self-proclaimed pistachio addict, so as soon as I saw their ‘Date & Pistachio Babka’ kit, my heart instantaneously skipped a beat – and it is safe to say that this Tel Aviv creation left me speechless.
Nutty, sweet and crisp on top with a doughy centre, enhanced with dark chocolate chunks that add a slightly bitter twist to the sweet date paste and oat crumble: you would be ‘nuts’ not to try this kit. This kit is the perfect weekend brunch treat.
Not only is it stimulating, (working with dough isn’t always the easiest, especially if you have naturally warm hands) and an enjoyable experience, but it is truly satisfying to see the beautiful outcome. I enjoyed alongside fresh coconut yoghurt, blackberries and sweet passionfruit – which was truly the perfect special Sunday brunch addition to add to the centre of the table.
www.shuklondon.com
IG: @shuklondon
Best Cakes made from Butter – you Butter Believe It
Butter Believe It is what I describe as a dessert staple. The brand first established itself in Jordan, before moving to London and bringing their dreamy dessert flavours with them!
From carefully curated cookies to luxurious layer cakes, Butter Believe It truly brings the ‘Wow’ factor to the table… and I cannot forget to mention their clever product names, ‘My Butter Half’, ‘Simply The Zest’ ‘In My Peelings’. If the names alone make you smile, wait until you taste their creations…
The Pioneer Baking Kit: £19 – 1
2 large cookies or 48 minis
The Pioneer Baking Kit left me speechless. Let’s be honest, who wants a cookie that has a stingy amount of choc chips, no one… right? Well, I don’t think I have ever had a cookie with as many chocolate chips in, and it was delicious.
There is something both comforting and nostalgic about the sweet smell of cookies that pours out of the oven, with those 13 minutes of baking time seeming like hours.
Personally, the scent of baking plays a huge role in the overall impact the product has on me, and let’s just say – my neighbours were also able to enjoy this dreamy aroma too. I enjoyed these cookies slightly chewy, dipped in warm foamed oat milk: a child-like experience that was both comforting and downright delicious. This chocolate chip cookie kit is the perfect activity to do with kids, very easy to bake and even easier to consume.
www.butterbelieveit.co.uk
IG: @butterbelieveit
So, what are you waiting for? It is time to take a bite into a decadent doughnut, test your baking skills with a taste of Tel Aviv, and walk through a choc chip wonderland: all in your very own kitchen!
Baking Writer & Content Creator
