A Tasty Bit(e) Of A Tarte (Dr Oetker - Tarte au Chocolat)

Member Name: Teena2003

Product:	Dr Oetker - Tarte au Chocolat
Date:	11/05/09 (58 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: complete cake mix, only needs eggs and butter, tastes great

Disadvantages: quite expensive, never enough for everyone

I can cook, I'm a pretty good cook but I don't really like it that much. However, what do like is baking. I find it therapeutic after a stressful day at work. I often bake just for the heck of it.

Under normal circumstances I would bake from scratch, either use well established recipes I know off by heart or open my trusted hand written cook book from my school years to find a new inspiration.

However, sometimes I just want to let of steam and not want to go through all the weighing out ingredients. That's when I find that cake mixes from the supermarkets come in handy.

I grew up in Germany, only a short drive away from where Dr Oetker are based in Bielefeld, which was on many occasions the destination of school trips to visit the factory and watch the chefs in the kitchens do their work, try new things and take home a goodie bag with lots of lovely samples to eat. I also happen to have a number of their cooking books at home (well, my mother bought them over time and every time I am in Germany some of them just happen to hide in my luggage and make it all the way back to London).


=== Who or What are Dr Oetker? ===

Dr August Oetker, a young pharmacist, founded the company in 1891 after experimenting with powders and potions only to find the perfect mix for baking powder that can be stored over time, stayed taste neutral and ensured prefect results every time it was used. It was, and still is, sold under the name 'Backin'. Over 100 years later, the company has grown into a global business and despite starting small with baking ingredients, has diversified into a number of areas, including frozen pizzas, deserts, yoghurts as well as a whole range of cookery books covering everything from small snacks to three course dinners and more.


=== Tarte au Chocolat ===

As I said earlier, I do like baking from scratch but there are times when I like something quick and simple. That's when I open my cupboard and pick a Dr Oetker cake mix (which for the longest time I had to bring back to England from my trips to Germany as they are unavailable here, most of them still are.)

Over the past few months three cake mixes have been heavily advertised on TV. They are part of the 'French Patisserie' range and I have to say that I tried all three, the Tarte au Citron, Tarte aux Amandes and of course Tarte au Chocolat. The latter is subject of this review.

The actual cake mix can be found in most supermarkets at a price of around £2.30 or thereabouts, depending on the promotions they are currently offer.

The box is quite appealing with a finished cake being part of the main picture on the front of the box. But it does not give too much away. All it shows is a piece of chocolate cake. Further information on the front of the box explains that you still need to add 125g of butter and 3 eggs, the time it takes to prepare and bake the cake and how many servings there are (in this case, 8 servings).

The back of the box has pictures illustrating the route to take while making the cake, as well as instruction on time in the oven and the temperature required (200ºC/Gas mark 4 or 180ºC for fan assisted ovens.)

The instructions on how to make the cake are printed in detail on the back of the box. Altogether it is a very easy process: preheat oven, unfold the include parchment, size and grease it, line the bottom of baking tin, combine cake mix with 125g melted butter (I use margarine and don't bother melting it but use it at room temperature) and 3 eggs - it does not tell you what size eggs but I have used both medium and large eggs and it does not seem to make any difference.

Using my trusty mixer, it only takes me a couple of minutes to mix everything into a lovely frothy mix. I use a 24cm (10") cake tin for my cakes, either the rigid sandwich tin or the new silicone baking tins. The results are almost identical, the silicone tins do not require greasing as they can be turned upside down and the cake simply 'peeled' out of the tin.

There are instructions for cakes in different size tins and the given baking times of 18-22min for baking tins the size of 25cm or 10" are correct. To check if the cake is ready, simply poke a knife into the middle of the cake and if there is no cake mix left, the cake is done. Otherwise, leave it in the over but check on a minute by minute basis.

Once done, remove the cake from the oven, leave to stand for a few minutes, turn the cake out onto a plate and wait until cooled down.


=== Tasting the fruit of your labour ===

So, after all this work, how does a cake mix with a little bit of fresh ingredients actually taste?

The top of the cake is slightly crusty and crumbly so when you cut it, it will crumble. I decided to serve the first of the Tarte of Chocolat when I had friends round for coffee one afternoon. The opinion was very positive, nobody knew it was a cake mix and everyone commented on how moist the cake was. I can confirm that each piece of cake is very squishy and moist. The cake smells very much of chocolate and then there is the taste of the cake.

Tasting is a pleasure, the cake is very moist, almost wet and the taste of chocolate goes all through it. Not only that, there cake contains chocolate bits in the cake that makes it tastes even more chocolaty (if here is such a word). You can taste dark chocolate bits in the cake that is so moist, it just melts on your tongue. The taste experience is marvellous and divine. It smells and tastes like a million pounds and very much of expensive chocolate and you would not know it actually came from a cake mix.

Cake I do not use at home, feeding to friends, I take into work the next day to distribute to colleagues. The opinion is entirely in favour of the cake and everyone is praising my baking skills. One of my colleagues even asked me for the recipe for the cake so that she and her daughter can bake it. If that isn't a recommendation, what is?

I love Dr Oetker's Tarte au Chocolat cake mix. It only takes around 30 minutes from start to finish, a perfect last minute desert or tea cake when you suddenly have guest. It tastes great and not like a packet mix at all. I can whole heartedly recommend it for yourself, your family and friends.

It's easy, it's tasty, what else do you want?

©Tempus_Fugit/Teena2003

Summary: moist and soft chocolate cake that tastes like home