Although vastly improved compared to a mere 5 years ago, the state of commercial vegan baked goods is still rather dismal. Unless you’re lucky enough to live near a wonderful bakery that takes enough time to think about cruelty-free sweets, the only real option is to bake for yourself. Of course I have no problem with that at all, and in fact love the challenge that this sometimes presents. For the average Joe stranded in a less veg-friendly town, however, it’s no surprise that even the most simple cakes are pretty much completely out of reach. Lacking the time or patience to fire up the oven and whip up some batter, I can easily understand how difficult it may be when a cake craving suddenly strikes. Up until recently, there was absolutely no where for a non-baking vegan with a sweet tooth to turn…
But Amy’s, makers of delicious and wholesome vegan meals, is here to change all that. Many a time have their fantastic frozen samosas and tamale pies saved me from a dismal dinner, so when I heard that they were developing a line of frozen cakes, I could hardly wait to see how these new creations would compare.
Freeing the Orange Cake from its box, I was immediately smitten. Lovingly nestled in a beautiful cardboard loaf pan, embellished with little gold flowers, this looked like something taken straight from a bakery or given as a thoughtful gift. I wouldn’t be at all ashamed to put it straight on the table, just as is.
A bit on the short side, this cake was clearly meant to be sliced thick to compensate for the lack of height. No problem by me- Each forkful had a nice heft to it, and made me feel as though I was getting more cake in each bite. Soft and tender, with an absolutely gorgeous, even crumb, it was hard to believe that this texture came from something that was recently frozen solid as a brick. Whereas the freeze/thaw process is often harmful to just about every food I can think of, this cake was miraculously unaffected.
Very delicately citrus in flavor, it had just enough orange to keep you going back for one more taste. Definitely more exciting than a plain old vanilla pound cake, but still a simple flavor overall, I can easily see this being a hit in just about any home. Tasty enough that it could be served as is, but also so versatile that just about any fruit, ice cream, or sweet topping could go nicely with it, this is one impressive yet unfussy dessert.
But what about all of you chocoholics out there? Surely you know what it’s like to crave chocolate in the middle of the night, and absolutely nothing else with suffice. Well don’t you worry, the Chocolate Cake was practically made with you in mind. Dark in color and intense in flavor, it manages to be both rich but not too heavy. Subtly sweetened, with a full-bodied, well-rounded chocolate flavor, it’s a very sophisticated take on a classic that adults will appreciate and I’m sure the kids would still enjoy.
Both flavors make for a wonderful treat to have on hand, especially when there’s just no time to bake. I just hope they don’t spoil me too much, because it will certainly be tempting to just pick up one of these frozen delights instead of turning on that hot oven in the summer!
[Written for Go Dairy Free]
Those pictures are gorgeous! I can’t believe those cakes came from a frozen box! Amy’s is always impressing me with what they can create in the kitchen, and you with the pictures that come from your camera.
I did not know that Amy’s made these! This is great to know as I miss cake! Great pics!
oh i’ve seen amy’s product online, but we don’t get them in australia. i was jealous before when i saw the variety of frozen foods they ,ade (like frozen pizza!) but now i’m practically green!
Cool, I never would have thought that they’d be good!
I’m glad you reviewed these! I saw them in the store but I didn’t think they would be any good. Now I will have to give them a try!
Thanks for the review! I probably would have been too skeptical to try frozen cake, but if you say it’s good, I’ll keep it in mind when I’m short on time.
Ahh, if only they were gluten-free!! :-(
Wow, this is cool! I didn’t know Amy’s made frozen cakes!
I wish I could find these! I’ve been wanting to try these forever…and if they get your approval we know they must be good!
I’ll have to keep an eye out for these. Thanks for the review!
They certainly don’t look like frozen cakes to me! I could have sworn they were freshly baked looking at those (gorgeous) photos!
Yum! At least you offer a cure for the cake craving these photos induce!
It’s a great option to be able to pick up a “convenience cake,” but I’d also love to hear any lessons you’ve learned about freezing home-baked goods. While I don’t mind sharing the extras at work, with only 1-2 people in my house I’ve been experimenting with freezing a variety of sweet & savory baked leftovers (samosas, calzones, cookies) for busy nights or sudden cravings. Are all cakes different, or do you have any suggestions/guidelines about what will make it out of the freezer? Thanks!
Beautiful photos, Hannah! Cake is always a good idea, really.
Glad to hear you liked them. I would be really skeptical about any frozen cake from a grocery store.
I tried that at Seattle Vegfest and it was GOOOOOODDDD!!! I have yet to find it locally in my town, but when I do I’ll be stocking up the freezer!
Thanks for the review! Amy’s has been hit or miss for me, so it’s nice to know for sure that a product works. Of course, my get-ready-for-summer diet will NOT be thanking you…
YUMMY! I really want to try these! I’m just scared I’ll eat the entire box by myself… :)
beautiful!!!
great review! these sound delicious :)
Love the play on words title (frosting and frozen!)
Thanks for the Amy’s cakes review- your photos make them look gourmet! :-)
These sound so much like the New Moon Kitchen cakes that are sold here in Canada–they are moist, dense, and intense. Now I’ll look forward to seeing Amy’s in the stores, too. :)
Great review, Hannah! It makes me want to go home and start baking loaf cakes. :)
mmmm … looks delicious! Love this paper cake wrap :-)!
I guess I need to put down my oven mitts and buy one of these cakes! It would be nice to eat something that I didn’t personally bake, especially if I’m in a hurry or having a craving :)
The cakes look amazing. I’m sure no one would ever know they were once frozen.
Like the title already!
They look amazing, and delicious.
Cheers,
elra
I have yet to see any Amy’s cakes at my grocery store, but I’m hoping for a miracle one of these days!
Ohh and, out of curiosity, how did you eat these delicious cakes? Did you just thaw them and devour or did you warm them up?
Thanks!
Your pics are great, and both cakes sound delicious…especially the orange one.
Great reviews. I would rather bake my own cakes too, but Amy’s has always delivered on other products, so I can imagine these are great too.
I’ve been curious about these!
Great review! I hope I can find something similar over here.
ARGHGHG! I LOVE Amy’s products but they only have a very few of them here in Saudi…not enough to satisfy my desire for awesome vegan food. I hope SERIOUSLY hope they will think to get some of these frozen cakes in stock, they look unbelievable! Wow, I am really happy that our vegan options are expanding, this is great news.
How exciting. Vegan options are expanding by the minute!
Wow.. it looks and sounds great! I’ve liked the Amy’s products I’ve tried so far too.. high quality and decent flavor.. and they defrost really well.
looks great! thanks for the review!
I am impressed the packaging. I have a few of those liners for baking and gifting.
I’ve loved Amy’s frozen meals. Her tamales are just killer. I can’t believe they’ve come out with frozen cakes now. How wonderful! They look totally delicious; I can’t wait to try them.
It looks pretty decent, but I can’t imagine that it could beat anything you whip up :)
I was lucky to spy these for the first time right before a Valentines Day Dessert Potluck! I bought the orange one and made a thick icing to drizzle over the top.
It was so delicious! No one had heard of it, but they got a great introduction. Having one in the freezer is going to be great for last minute functions.
Thanks for the review. :)
i wish these were wheat free too!!!! dang it! they look so good!
Thanks for the review! I’ve been wondering about these cakes.
recently tried the chocolate one, and it was so good, i’m gonna serve it for a vegan friend’s birthday!
I love Amy’s products, from the burritos to the rice bowls; i will have to give the cakes a try!
Gosh I tried the orange one and is really delicious!!
I went the other day to look for the chocolate one…but there were none :(
I know their delicious too!
they really taste like homemade cakes x)