Gone are the days when eating gluten-free means biting into dense, flavourless, cardboard-like food. If you don’t have Coeliac disease or if you’re not gluten intolerant, it’s likely you know someone who is. That’s why Tessa Hancock, owner of Wild & Pure (a boutique gluten-free cakery), has worked her magic to create drool-worthy gluten-free cakes that taste as good as they look so everyone can enjoy them.
People often ask me about recommendations for where to find gluten-free food in Canberra. I love it when I can help people find a certain food they haven’t been able to eat for years. So I was really excited to try Tessa’s products and learn more about her new business when she contacted me.
In 2016, Tessa was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (an autoimmune disorder) and her doctor told her that once diagnosed with one autoimmune condition, you’re at risk of developing others. Taking this advice on board and wanting to avoid developing Coeliac disease, Tessa started her new gluten-free life.
“Within months of going gluten free I noticed a range of improvements in my body ranging from clearer skin to higher energy levels but the biggest improvement was in my digestion and bloating,” she said.
However she soon discovered a downside to a gluten-free diet. It was the limited range of delectable cakes made with high-quality natural ingredients that weren’t sickly sweet, dry and dense.
“The turning point for me was when I celebrated my 30th birthday last year and there was nowhere that really jumped out at me to get my cake from. So I started doing research and experimenting in the kitchen. Months later I emerged with the my first cake which I baked for a special friend’s birthday picnic. The feedback I received from the cake just blew me away and I knew I had to bring Wild & Pure into reality for others to experience and enjoy.”
A few months ago, Tessa took the plunge and quit her public service job to work on her gluten-free cake business full time. She has even created her own gluten-free flour blend that she uses to make all of her cakes. This is one of the things that make Wild & Pure so different and unique.
“The blend consists of various gluten-free flours including buckwheat, brown rice, tapioca and a few others. It’s very different to a commercial gluten-free flour because it’s high in wholegrains and low in starches. This results in a beautiful texture, creating a wholesome, moist and scrumptious cake,” she said.
After receiving a sample box of Tessa’s sweet creations, I can confirm that she’s 100% correct. I was so surprised at how soft and flavoursome her cakes are. You would have no idea you were eating a gluten-free cake if you didn’t know and her cakes are packed with flavour.
I tried the espresso, hazelnut and dark chocolate, raspberry, coconut and dark chocolate, lemon, strawberry and poppyseed, and the enchanted Black Forest.
They were all dangerously delicious, each topped with a flavoured creamy, velvety smooth cream cheese frosting, and decorated with other decadent ingredients like homemade salted caramel sauce, homemade lemon curd, freeze-dried berries and edible flowers.
Tessa uses local and regional products when she can and sources eggs from Grassy’s Grass Fed eggs in Yass, fruit and vegetables from Wiffens, nuts from the Nut Shoppe and milk from Country Valley. During winter she also uses organic lemons and lime from her mum’s garden. The quality of ingredients used is evident and the burst of zesty, citrusy flavour in the lemon, strawberry and poppyseed cake was incredible.
She can make bite-sized cakes, baby cakes, small cakes (serving 8-10 people), large cakes (serving 22-24 people) for all occasions. She can also make large weddings cakes.
You can order online or request a quote from Tessa by visiting www.wildandpure.com.au.
This is a sponsored post but all opinions are the author’s own.
Amelia Bidgood
Amelia is the Founder and Editor of Eat Canberra and the Founder and Managing Director of Eat Canberra Food Tours. She's a qualified journalist, presenter, freelance writer and also runs a boutique communications agency working with small business owners on all things social media, content creation and marketing. She's taught cheesemaking classes, judged hospitality and tourism awards, completed the WSET Level 1 Award In Wines, loves to cook and has travelled to 23 countries. She's also passionate about mental health and has recently started studying to become a Counsellor.