Gluten-free at Starbucks

The Gluten-free cake arrived at my local Starbucks (look here) for an initial look at it. I happened to go to Starbucks this morning and was surprised to find it, so I decided to try one. I was unhappy at first, because they had one unwrapped in the case, along with the other gluten-filled pastries (cross-contamination). I asked if they had one still wrapped and they did. Here is my review of it.

Having had gluten-free baked goods already, I was ready for it to be dry, dense, overly sweet, and have a funny aftertaste. Pleasantly I was wrong.

I found it to be very moist, almost too much. It was a little dense and the combination had me worried that it would become mushy in the mouth. It never did, but it will take some getting used to to "trust it".

It was not too sweet. I found that part to be very pleasant. The orange flavor was not overpowering, although I would not have minded that. The almond flavor was also not very strong, which would have been a deal breaker for me. I love almonds, but I hate almond flavoring.

The taste was great and there was no strange aftertaste. That's the biggest problem I've had with gluten-free pastries so far. It sounds strange, but I really enjoyed it not being there.

The shape really makes you think of a muffin, but the texture is all wrong for that. It is more cake like, but a dense cake. Almost like the types of cakes that are soaked in some liquid (I've never had a rum cake, but this is the texture I would imagine one to be). For a cupcake, and especially for a muffin, it was very dense.

Importantly, I would like this even if I did not have an intolerance to gluten.

If you are meeting a friend for coffee or picking up something quick for breakfast, this is a great addition to what Celiacs can choose. Just don't let them give you the open one in the case. Those of you that don't have gluten problems will like it too. I would like to see more companies think about the gluten intolerant, so give it a try. If you like it, support it by buying one occasionally and may be we'll see more of it.