The Kitchen

Some people wondered what happened to the Birthday Cake mix mentioned on some of our product lists. That product got left out of the initial cake mix line launch because we weren't happy with the flavor. Unfortunately, product development has since been very busy with crackers and other stuff, so they haven't really re-examined it in-depth yet. It probably won't be launching for a while. We've actually taken it off the list on some new packaging we just printed up :(

Some of our gluten-sensitive customers have asked about the "No Gluten Ingredients" statement on our brownie and cinnamon cake webpages. Given that both those products have wheat starch, how can it be gluten free?

Wheat flour has two major parts: starch and protein (mostly gluten). It's possible to separate these two components, and both wheat starch and wheat gluten are available as separate ingredients. The separation process is very good, typically reducing the protein content down to 200 parts per million. Our cakes use just the wheat starch (after modifying it to turn it into a fiber source), not the gluten, and the low gluten content is further diluted by the other ingredients to below 100 ppm. Consequently, these cakes have effectively no gluten, although they are made with wheat (starch) ingredients.

We would have actually gone for a "Gluten Free" claim on the packaging, but the facility the cakes are made in was not certified as such, presenting possible legal issues with that, especially as the FDA has yet to issue any regulatory guidance on the term (though they've been promising one for ages). But for most people the gluten level (at less than 100 ppm) should be fine.

In case you're curious, the magic number is "2". That's how many times I have to hear the question before it becomes a blog post.

You can save around 4g of sugar (and 20 calories) by skipping the sugar topping packet. Really doesn't add that much to the cake, honestly :)

If you do want to add the topping on the cinnamon cake, I'd also recommend putting it on the mix after adding the water and mixing the batter, but right before it goes in the microwave. That makes for a nice caramelized effect :)

To those who have asked about samplers made of 6 boxes of the two cakes: yes, they're coming!

To those who asked about the sugar: Unfortunately, we're caught between a rock and a hard place here, as a lot of stores won't take anything with artificial sweeteners in it.

Here's a sneak peek - stay tuned ...

Since the launch of the crackers last week, we've been getting a few questions which I thought I'd address on the blog (expect them to be integrated in the website later):

What's the shelf life on the crackers?

They're good until April of 2010. The date is stamped on each individual packet and box, as well.

Where can I buy the products listed on the 10-Minute Diet Plan on the side of the box (microwave cakes & pasta)?

Those products are still in development, but coming very soon (we hope!) stay tuned to our blog or sign up for e-mail updates to be notified when they become available.

Thanks for your interest, and keep the questions coming!

And what awesome cakes they're going to be! High-fiber, low-calorie, a fraction of the Weight Watcher's Points, and (most importantly!) moist & delicious. You can find some photo's from our photo-shoot of the cakes for the box design here.