Bake Box November 2012, New Delhi

A pretty box filled with an assortment of desserts and a handwritten note. Tell me how wonderfully perfect that sounds. Say ‘hello’ to Bake Box. A team of people on a mission to get you to taste the best baked treats in your city.

So what is this Bake Box exactly? Every month a featured baker puts together a box of their signature baked goodies. The folks at Bake Box assemble the box and have it home delivered to you on a pre-decided date. Payment is always cash on delivery. The Bake Box for November featured SUgar.dust (the baker) and included dessert jars, cupcakes, teacake, a chocolate bar, biscotti and a very exciting sounding cupcake “kabab”.

The dessert jars were delicious. Cake topped with luscious frosting in small jars. The Red velvet jar was my favourite – sweet maroon cake with a hint of cocoa and covered with classic cream cheese frosting. The chocolate one was gooey and decadent, and the cake sat on a bed of rich caramel. I could tell the cake was fresh – probably made that very morning. A mousse jar was also included and it was creamy, just as mousse should be, with a distinct hint of alcohol. The carrot cinnamon cupcakes were soft, with small chunks of sweet carrot and a delicate butternut frosting. My only problem was that they were tiny. Really tiny. The cupcake “kabab” was essentially a marshmallow sandwiched between two mini cupcakes on a skewer. The cupcakes were decent – chocolate flavoured, but again tiny.  This “kabab” didn’t really impress me. The chocolate bar was similarly unimpressive. A thin bar of chocolate with some cornflakes, gems, and marshmallow bits stuck on it.The biscotti and teacake were very good. The biscotti crisp, not too sweet, and full of nuts, while the cake was flavoured delicately with orange and rosemary.

The packaging is clean, simple, and pretty. When you open the box it looks absolutely stuffed full of goodies. Apart from the desserts there is also a bookmark, a recipe card, a menu card, and discount card for your next order. All the items are individually packaged, very thoughtfully, with ribbons and pretty bits of cloth. I could tell from the flavours that good-quality ingredients were used. Some of the desserts were really delicious, particularly the Red velvet dessert jar, the biscotti, and the carrot cinnamon cupcakes.

My only problem was the portions. The dessert jars were small but substantial. But the cupcakes. Sigh. When I see cupcakes on a menu, I assume it’s something large enough to at least get two bites out of. These were not cupcakes. They were mini cupcakes. And they were tiny. I wish they were larger, because they were so good.

The idea is fantastic. Pay a fixed amount, have a box of goodies delivered home, and enjoy it without any hassles. Bake Box features a new baker every month and sometimes these are bakers who bake from home or have small businesses, so essentially we’re being introduced to hidden talent we may not have encountered otherwise.  Bake Box has nailed the concept, the packaging and (this certainly this month) the flavours.

I only wish the cupcakes were bigger.

Bake Box November 2012