Biscotta, gluten free cakes
Posted: June 4, 2024 Updated: June 5, 2024
It’s time for you to read about Biscotta a one-woman business bringing superb gluten free cakes to lucky customers in Melbourne.
It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed a business or a venue. I’m not sure why, perhaps because I tend to go to the same places and the same businesses 😅.
However, it’s really important that coeliacs and gluten free folk do as much as they can to support small businesses.
After all, if we don’t look after them they can’t look after us.
Biscotta, run by avid baker Helen, has been around since 2018, starting out with… biscuits! I ran translate on Biscòtta and it’s Corsican for cookie. By the way, did you know my name, Keksi, means cookie in Finnish?
It was actually quite fun having a scroll through Biscotta’s Instagram feed, amazingly the wagon wheels (yes, gluten free wagon wheels) were there from the start. They look just the same today!
Market success
It is absolutely clear that Biscotta is a successful gluten free baker. You can see it from the huge number of loyal customers queueing up first thing when the market opens. And if you’re a bit slow getting out of the house like I am most mornings, you may have noticed they’re often sold out by late morning.
Of course I’m never mad when it’s sold out because it means that the business is going well and that is exactly what I want. It means they will still be there when I come back next month 😊.
The bakes
Everything Helen bakes is of such a high standard both in terms of ingredients (organic eggs and butter) and presentation.
On top of that, all of the flavours and the combinations are absolutely on point. You can see that so much thought and consideration goes into every bake she makes.
If you’ve ever watched her stories on Instagram, you’ll also see the iterations when she’s practising a new recipe or flavour.
It definitely gets me excited when I know the market is coming up that weekend 😁
Here’s just a few of the favourites I’ve had in the last 12 months.
Custard tart
It has a super thin sweet short crust pastry that’s generously filled with silky custard and finished with a dusting of nutmeg.
Passion fruit sponge
This one is apparently the most popular and having tried it, it doesn’t surprise me at all. Two pieces of delicate gluten free sponge sandwiched together with cream and passion fruit curd. It’s finished with passion fruit icing and a seasonal berry.
It’s absolutely delightful and I don’t share it with my husband 😂
Chocolate wagon wheel
This chocolate wagon wheel was a bonus extra in my Mother’s Day box this year. It is so good.
Two rich cocoa biscuits with a middle of homemade marshmallow and raspberry jam. It’s half dipped in thin crisp chocolate and decorated with freeze-dried raspberries. It is easily better than the original.
Savoury pastries
Everyone does a gluten free sweet treat, but how many bakers can you name that do savoury? A few?
Okay, how about gluten free filo pastry?
More recently, Biscotta has started baking some savoury options including spanakopita and cheese pie.
If you haven’t tried spanakopita before, it’s a Greek dish using filo pastry filled with spinach and cheese. Warmed up in the oven / air fryer it’s a crispy, cheesy delight.
Time versus costs
I was trying to find a way to weave this into the review somehow. Often when I’m queueing up for Biscotta I’ll hear at least one person say “Why hasn’t she got someone else to help her out?”
Well…
Both markets that Biscotta attends are held on a Sunday. By law staff are required to be paid at 1.5x the normal rate. Markets typically run 8am to at least midday so there’s four hours to pay.
Food and hospitality, including baking, have a low margin. If you have to pay staff to help you, this takes away from your profits and in some cases can wipe them out entirely.
And before somebody says (often in the queue!) “Why don’t they get their kid, or their cousin to help out?”
Let’s think of the ethics there. You wouldn’t ask your plumber to work for free and you shouldn’t ask your family to work for free (or bloggers for that matter, but that’s another story 😂).
So my advice if there’s a queue? Take a friend and have a proper catch up. Buy a coffee and enjoy it in the sunshine of the queue. Or like I did last time, catch up on the 50+ Facebook notifications I had 😅.
Where to find Biscotta and their gluten free cakes
Biscotta attends two markets in Melbourne which are both held once per month. Take a look at their Facebook pages to see when the next market will be held.
Essendon farmers market, Lincoln road.
Heathmont farmer’s market, Great Ryrie Primary School.
While you’re at it, follow Biscotta on Instagram and Facebook for updates. By the way, Helen’s stories posts in the lead up to markets show all her baking, it’s delicious viewing 😋.
If you’re interested in more completely gluten free bakeries, you can see my guide to Sydney’s GF baking scene.