As a newbie to this movement and a self-confessed cake-snob, I was intrigued to see what all the hype was about. Is it possible that you can pack all the indulgent deliciousness of cake into a healthy alternative? Surely not. There is always a trade-off when you talk healthy, and usually it's either the flavour or the texture. Mel kindly shared the following deliteful samples with me:

• Chocolate Lovers
• Choc Mint Slice
• Black Forest
• Lemon & Pistachio
• Strawberry Divine
• Caramel Blondie on Choc Brownie

Despite them being free of sugar, dairy and gluten, they are still quite indulgent and there was no way I was going to be able to get through them on my own. I tasted them over two sittings: once at home with hubby and gluten/lactose-intolerant mate and the next day in the office with two lucky colleagues. In order of favouritism.... It is called Strawberry Divine for a reason. This one was easily my favourite. All of the other tasters loved it to varying degrees as well. It looks like, and has the same composition as a slice of cheesecake - though of course it's not. The coolis on top was fluffy, fresh and bursting with the sweet zing of ripe strawberries. The filling was tangy and simple, and seems to serve as the perfect backdrop to enhance the hero of the dish - that topping! Simple nutty base - can taste walnuts! Not everyone in my gaggle of tasters agreed with me, but I absolutely loved the Lemon & Pistachio! – gorgeous pistachio crumb on top, the lemon flavour is bold and tangy. Delicious nutty base. One for full-flavoured, in your face citrus lovers. The Choc Mint Slice was as good as any other choc mint treat I've had before. This was one particular slice that hubby said had he not known, he wouldn't have had a single inkling that this anything other than a choc mint slice. Coconut central in the base! Favourite to a few of my tasters, the Caramel Blondie on Choc Brownie was pretty darn good. The "caramel" layer on top tasted like a blended dates and reminded me of boiled fruit cake batter. The Brownie base was fruity, nutty and chocolatey. This was one of the cakes that started melting quite quickly after being taken out of the fridge. The sweetest of the lot and very rich. The Chocolate Lovers is everything you'd expect it to be: rich, creamy and an almost bitter dark chocolate flavour. I'm not a cacao fan (yet), but I found this to be quite a decent alternative to any other chocolate mud cake or brownie I've ever had. No complaints. The Black Forest was not my cup of tea. That said, I have to admit I'm not a fan of Black Forest cake full-stop, so no real surprise there. It looked lovely with a lot of attention to detail in the presentation, and garnished with an on-trend goji berry. It was slightly less chocolatey than the Chocolate Lovers, and there was definite fruity flavour. The base was fabulous and the best part of the slice for me was the frozen cherries nestled inside the chocolate filling. Nom. One downside I noticed was that the cakes started to melt quite substantially after being out of the fridge for a few minutes. Not ideal in the tropics, but not the end of the world. I'd also like to say that I think there is a myth out there that cakes such as these are healthy and thus can be a guilt-free indulgence. I don't know the ingredients list, but they are definitely full of other (good) fats and high-energy items. Hence, the large tasting crew to help me get through them. All in all, I’m impressed. My wide variety tasting cohort (including the hunting/fishing/carnivorous husband) enjoyed the cakes thoroughly. I have to hand it to this lady. Mel works full-time in a 9-5 office job and works her butt off to deliver these delightful morsels to her dedicated Darwin following. You can find Mel’s cakes and slices at some of your favourite Darwin foodie spots:

• The Cool Spot
• Eva’s Café at Botanic Gardens
• Pulp Kitchen
• Finlay's Joint
• The Milk Bar
• Four Birds Cafe
• Café Del Art
• Queeny's Cafe
• Greenies in Rapid Creek

If you’d rather a whole cake to yourself (or a mixed selection), you can place an order via the facebook page, call 0409 384 316 or email [email protected]