I generally don't like to use cake mixes, but if one takes my fancy I do like to try it out and see what the results bring. I also like to support smaller independent companies because I feel can you trust the quality of their products more. Little Sins Cupcakery is located near Bedford and they sell cupcakes to local residents and businesses. They have launched these mixes to bring a taste of their cupcakes to a wider audience. They currently have four flavor options on offer - Vanilla, Red Velvet, Double Chocolate & Carrot - and they sent me all four to try out.
All of the cupcake mixes come in a cardboard tube which details on it all the ingredients contained, the recipe instructions, and the extra fresh ingredients (butter, eggs etc.) that you'll need to add. It even details nutritional information and allergy advice, altogether very informative!
Inside each tube I found cupcake cases, bags of ingredients and a recipe card which had all the buttercream options detailed. I liked how the ingredients for the cupcakes were only in one or two bags, so it made it very easy to follow the recipe. The only thing I found problems with were the cupcakes cases. In some of the tubes they were a bit squished.
All of the mixes were very straightforward to follow and I was able to make them all by hand. The vanilla mix involved putting everything in a bowl and mixing together. The carrot mix had some dried carrot in it which had to be rehydrated with boiling water. And the double chocolate mix had chocolate chips which were sprinkled onto the batter before baking. I didn't get round to trying the red velvet mix for this review and I am saving it for a party I'm having later this month.
In all the mixes I found that there was always excess mixture. With the carrot mix I managed to make 17 cupcakes, and with the chocolate I made 14. For the vanilla I just made quite big cupcakes, but it could've stretched to 14 cupcakes too I reckon. This wasn't a problem necessarily, but if you didn't have extra cupcakes cases in the house like I do it could be a waste of mixture.
I was really pleased with the results after baking the cupcakes, they all rose very well and baked evenly. As you can see above the squished cupcake cases did cause a bit of an issue, but if you're just baking these for friends or family I'm sure no one will mind! I was also impressed that the chocolate chips stayed on top of the chocolate cupcakes and didn't sink.
I decided to decorate all of the cupcakes with my own buttercream recipes, but as I mentioned before the mixes all come with recipe cards for different options. I also added a sprinkle of cinnamon on the carrot cupcakes, some sprinkles on the vanilla and some Dr Oetker chocolate hearts on the chocolate ones.
Now onto the most important bit, the taste! I enjoyed eating all of the cupcakes and I could only tell with the carrot one that it was a mix (although no one else could). I also got fantastic feedback from my colleagues and boyfriend, they had no idea it was from a packet mix and everyone was surprised when I told them. I think these mixes would be a fantastic gift to give to someone who is interested in baking, but is perhaps not very experienced. It would also be a great gift for children as the instructions are easy to follow and I think they would really enjoy making the cupcakes.
If you're interested in purchasing the mixes or learning more about Little Sins Cupcakery you can check out their Facebook page and their website.
