All The Free’s From Chocolate Cake Recipe

It’s time for another Free From recipe!

As most of you regular Severn Wishes readers will know, my son was born with a number of allergies. I love to cook and baking is something that I am gradually getting better at. I wanted to make up a recipe that was easy and that I could use with what I usually find in my baking cupboard. But not only that, it had to taste like proper chocolate cake. There’s nothing worse than it not resembling what you know and love!

This moist and soft chocolate cake recipe is egg free and dairy free. You could even change the flour to make it gluten free too if you like. I made it normally first, and then with gluten free baking flour when my sister (she’s coeliac) visited us, and both times it still baked as a soft sponge. Delicious! A great treat if you’re doing Veganuary this year! Why not make this Vegan delight at the end of the month? Give you a treat to look forward to!

This cake serves 10 people, you only want a small slice as it’s rich!
Time to Prepare, Make and Bake is… 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Preheat your Oven to a Temperature of 180’c or 360’F
You will need baking parchment to line your 8″ Tin
You shall need a Jug for the Sauce, one Large Bowl and one Small
You will also need a Sieve, a Spoon and a Whisk
And finally a Cooling Rack

Ingredients

For the Cake:

175g Flour – I used plain or a mixture of Plain and Raising, or use GF
200g Caster Sugar
50g Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract – You could use Mint Flavouring instead
240ml Tepid Water
120ml Vegetable Oil

For the Sauce to pour on top:

4 to 6 Tablespoons of Tepid Water
2 Tablespoons of Golden Syrup or Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons of Cocoa Powder
130g of Icing Sugar

Sabrina’s Free From Chocolate Cake

Method – Making the Cake

Step 1. Sift the Flour, Cocoa Powder, Caster Sugar and Baking Soda together in a large bowl. Make sure you mix them together thoroughly to combine.

Step 2. In a small bowl mix oil, water and vanilla together and stir until mixed.

Step 3. Gradually stir your wet mix bowl into the dry ingredients. Once you have combined them use a whisk or hand processor in order to make the mixture smooth. Mix until all the liquid is combined with the dry mixture.

Step 4. Pour your smooth mixture into the lined cake tin and shake gently from side to side to make it even inside.

Step 5. Bake in the Centre of your Preheated Oven, between 26 and 32 minutes depending upon oven type. Keep an eye on your cake so that it doesn’t over bake, use a knife of skewer in the centre, when it comes out clean it’s baked.

Step 6. Once cooked gently transfer the cake to a rack so that it can cool. You don’t want to pour on your sauce until it is cooled. Make sure the cake is completely cool before serving, you don’t want your sauce running off!

Method – Making the Sauce

Step 1. Sift the cocoa powder and icing sugar together in a bowl. Mix with a spoon until combined and a brown colour over all.

Step 2. Pour the syrup of your choice and the water into the bowl, make sure you stir it immediately and keep stirring until the ingredients resemble a smooth consistency. Start with 4 Tablespoons of water, if it’s not resembling a sauce that is pour-able then you can add more, one spoonful at a time until it’s how you want it to be. It can vary on the size of the spoon you use for example. TIP: Always better to start with less water and add it gradually, if it’s too wet to start with then you’re going to be measuring out more sugar which is a consistency much more difficult to get right.

Step 3. Cover this sauce until your cake is cooled and ready to serve, cut your cake slices, plate them up and then pour the sauce on to each piece. It’s easy to make more sauce if you need it and only takes a matter of minutes!



Thank you for coming to Severn Wishes today to read this recipe blog post. I hope you have enjoyed it. Can you please leave me a comment on this post if you try the recipe, and let me know what you think!

Have a great week!

Sabrina

January 2020 Treatbox Reveal

Hello There! Happy New Year!

Welcome to the January 2020 Treatbox Reveal and Review.

So inside the Treatbox the sticker reads “Warning, Opening this Package will result in Happiness” and there are also two pieces of paper.

The first one reads “Happy New Year” and tells us that Zoe is making some changes to these monthly boxes, to make them about Positivity and “Looking After Yourself”.
She has chosen to remove the leaflet about the products and that also means that we no longer get the Calendar Print. Zoe says if we have her Treatbox Newsletter then we could download one. But I didn’t notice that available on my email and it’s now 10th January so is there much point? I don’t have a printer, so I wouldn’t be able to use the calendar unless I used it digitally. I liked having the calendar to write on so I will miss this aspect of the box… it used to go on my fridge…


The second paper says “January” and outlines that this box will be about Positivity and ways we can introduce more of that into our daily lives. The card tells about ways in which we could do that at home. In short, Start the day on a Positive, Focus on what is Good and finally Set Short Term Goals. These are all good points, I almost wish the back of the card had a positive quote or a pretty picture on the back of it too though!

This box has a dark navy tissue paper wrapping up all this month’s treats inside. Inside the January box you shall find…

Organised Chaos Mini Notepad
A “Keep Going” Treatbox Pin

Vitamasques Evening Goggle Eye Mask – Repair and Relax
Sweet Tooth Pack of 2 Air Fresheners – Apple and Very Berry
Sweet Tooth “Pretty Little Thing” Speech Bubble Ring Dish
Willow & Rose “Smile” White Keyring Leather Charm

My Honest Opinion

So I get that Zoe wants to revamp the boxes and that’s great, although it is a shame the calendar is no longer included. I love the positivity that she wants to spread. However if this is going to be a face or eye mask every time then I can’t see me keeping up my subscription. We also have yet another ring dish, those who are regular subscribers will probably have about seven of these now. I gave two away recently I had never used. You don’t need a lot of these things, otherwise they just clutter your home unnecessarily. The air fresheners are also not my cup of tea, they are the sort of thing you get for free when you have your car cleaned! I believe that is the poor item this month.


I will end on a positive however, the pin is fantastic! It’s just what I needed to hear at the moment, the “Keep Going” quote resonated with me this month and I like its rainbow design as well. The keyring charm thing is also nice and of good quality, and reads “Smile”. It will make a nice bag charm, I may put it on my changing backpack to remind me to smile even if I’m changing a nappy ha! ha! The notepad is useful but I can guarantee I have enough note books and pads now to last me around ten years, and I regularly make lists!


A mixed bunch for this newly designed monthly box, so I will see what the next two are like. My birthday is in March so I will subscribe until then as a gift to myself, then I think I will reevaluate.

Are you thinking of ordering a TreatBox for yourself or for a gift for someone?
Then you can find Treatbox subscriptions and build your own box at their 
website

Check out my previous Treatbox unboxing posts in this unique category of mine called ‘Treatbox’ it is specifically for these box reviews and reveals – Severn Wishes Treatbox.

Don’t forget you can follow my social media such as Instagram for more Treatbox photos and updates throughout the month including me using items! @SevernSabrina

Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes, have a great January!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Argos Tester Review of the Casio Keyboard, Stand and Headphones Bundle

Being an Argos Tester I often get sent items for the purpose of a review. In December I was offered an item under the category of Entertainment. This post is of a product I have been supplied in order to review and test it.

During the latest Entertainment campaign I was offered an electronic keyboard.
I jumped at the chance to review and test something musical because it’s been years since I have had the opportunity to play anything such as this.

The Casio CT-S100AD Keyboard and Bundle Supplied.

Product Name: Casio CT-S100AD Keyboard, Stand & Headphones Bundle
Product Information: A Keyboard Ideal For Beginners.
New Slim Line Full Size 61 Key Keyboard.
Integrated Carrying Handle & compatible Stand & Headphones set.
This keyboard can connect to computers via a USB port.
There are 122 sounds, 61 rhythms & 60 songs already saved.
It has a Built-In Metronome.
2 Speakers with Clear Sound.
255 Level Tempo Control.
Grand Piano feature which has 32 note polyphony.
Chorus and Sound Effects kits included.
Speaker & Headphone Jack for additional sound or for quiet learning.
When Batteries are used it has 16 hours of use, it requires 6 AA Batteries (not included).
Mains AC Adapter is included for use on mains electricity.
Keyboard Weight 3.3 kg.
The stand is easily erected with the use of an Allan key which is supplied.

Manufacturing Quality 5/5
Overall Design 5/5
Unique Features 5/5
Compatibility 5/5
Sound Quality 5/5


Overall this Keyboard has great features, the keys are soft and easy to press, the addition of the stand and headphones mean that you can learn quietly in your own time and without disturbing others.
I really liked how the keyboard has so many features like the added songs, sounds, instrument themes and various rhythms.
This type of instrument is fun for people of all ages to have a go, and for those who wish to learn it allows you to start at the beginning and work your way up.
The Mains adapter and the keyboards lightweight design is also great.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn or wants to mess around and create some fun music of their own.
My young son was rather intrigued when sounds came out while he was pressing the keys, I’m sure he will take more interest in it as he grows up.

✩ Argos Website Link ✩
Casio Keyboard Bundles

✩ My Argos Tester Review✩

This Casio keyboard is filled with great features like being slim line & has its own carry handle. It has soft gentle keys that are easy to use and ideal for beginners. A great bundle that includes the stand & headphones so you can learn without disturbing anyone. I really liked the feel of the keys & how easy the controls were to navigate. There are great features like built in songs & rhythms too. Being able to connect to a PC is a fab feature & its stand & headphones make the package complete.

  

Thank you for visiting Severn Wishes today, I hope you have enjoyed this review. If you have any other questions about the product then please leave me a comment or click on the links above to visit the Argos website.

✩ Sabrina ✩