Review- M&S NEW Baked Doughnut Mix

As some of you may already know.. I am big on baking. Massive in fact. I take no greater pleasure in life than whipping up something from scratch.. So when my Sparks* offers came through this fortnight and one was "20% off Home Baking Kits", I felt nothing but personally offended. How dare M&S force such sacrilege upon me? Who do they think they are? 

Well actually, I should probably eat my words as when having a quick peruse around my local store, I stumbled across this vegetarian friendly, NEW Baked Doughnut Mix which I figured would kill several birds with one stone - 1. Utilise my offer 2. Get potentially yummy Doughnuts 3. Bit alternative thus good for the bloggy. And just like that, I was convinced and hotfooted it to the till where I paid £2 (£2.50 without the 20% off). 

Inside the box was the doughnut mix itself, a bag of caster sugar and 3 sachets of raspberry jam with all one needing to bring to the party being, 90ml of warm milk, 50g melted unsalted butter and a lined baking tray.

So filled with the joys of spring, I cracked on and measured out my milk before giving it a quick zap in the microwave until it felt tepid.

I added it to the doughnut mix, in a large bowl as instructed and mixed to form a dough, prior to giving a good knead on the table for about 5 minutes, until it felt smooth. 

Plopping the dough ball back into the bowl, I proceeded to cover it with clingfilm and left to prove for an hour, or as the instructions stated, until doubled in size. 

Well.. As I often find with anything that is meant to rise, my dough didn't exactly expand much despite being left for longer than an hour and having been sat in a warm spot. So, that's brilliant. 

Following the next step of briefly kneading said dough and cutting into 6 equal (Semi equal) size pieces, I "gently" rolled each into a ball and placed them onto a not so lined (I forgot) baking tray, evenly spaced apart. A further 45 minute prove or once again, until doubled in size, whilst being covered and then they would finally be ready for the oven.. Thank the lord. 

In the mean time, aside from doing a jig around the kitchen, a "waiting dance" if you will, I melted the 50g of unsalted butter in a little tumbler - It was certainly sunny in appearance! 

At least the rise was more apparent this time.. Sort of.. Ish. I brushed approximately a third of the above, melted butter onto the balls and whacked them in a preheated 190ºc Fan oven for the recommended 6 minutes.

Out they came and a second coating applied before going back in for a further 6 minutes or.. Wait for it.. Until golden brown! Who saw that one coming? M&S love a vague "until" option. 

I left the little nubbins to cool by the window and got my jam ready..

There was no way I was going to faff around with making a small hole in the top of each doughnut and filling with half a sachet of raspberry jam - How was that ever going to work? Is one meant to spoon it in? It would have to be a really diddy spoon? Who has one of those? Stupid bloody M&S. I chose to utilise the use of a syringe.. Meant for my pet fluffy.. My needs are greater than hers. Soz. 

Tadaaaaa! 6, jam squirted, raspberry doughnuts that had been brushed with the final third of butter and rolled in the caster sugar. 

So what did they taste like? Good question after what felt like an eternity in the making! Unfortunately.. I can't say that the doughnuts produced were anything other than totally boring. Taste wise, the dough itself wasn't one thing or another - Not particularly sweet when eaten alone or possessing the flavour akin to any doughnut, baked or fried, that I've ever had. The jam centre was nice enough in being fruity and supplying pleasant raspberry tones with the sprinkling of sugar on the outside really heightening the overall sweetness - It also provided a crunchy contrast in the texture to the "soft" bun. 

Crikey. What a palaver. Not so surprisingly, this NEW Baked Doughnut Mix just isn't a winner for me. It takes far to much effort, for the end results to be nothing short of lack lustre. One could literally just buy a part-baked roll, slather it in butter, bake it off, roll it in sugar and then consume it with jam.. It would be no different, taste or quality wise. Now, someone go and buy me some proper doughnuts, the need is dire. - It's an exhausted, 2 out of 5 from me.

*Find out about the M&S Loyalty Card here - The offers can be anything from food to clothes to homeware and definitely worth having! 

Snackmas Day 23- M&S Sherry Trifle Roulade

Trifle. It's a Christmas classic ..And one in which admittedly, I am not all that keen on. Having never been one for cream in general, it isn't a dessert that I ever gravitate towards but throw meringue into the mix and I am as game as the next person! Our penultimate review and a twist on tradition - Sherry Trifle Roulade. 

Stumbling across the 520g, serves 6 vegetarian friendly pud in M&S's frozen section, I was disappointed to see how little care had been taken with the boxes - There was at least a dozen in the freezer but the majority were bashed in to the point of being more of an Eton Mess than a rolled Roulade! Opting for the mostly unscathed dessert on top of the pile, I skipped my merry way to the till and handed over a very reasonable £4. 

Meringue with roasted almonds, filled with a cream and sherry custard (45%), raspberries (4.5%), raspberry jam (2.5%) and flaked almonds. 

As suggested, I let the Roulade defrost at room temperature for 3 hours.. But didn't end up eating it immediately as recommended, hence the slice's rather sorry appearance - What a rebel. 

Taking a forkful, it was immediately apparent that this was going to be one very soft and sloppy pud - Just look at it! Light and crisp was the main feel of the meringue which provided a crunch and a chew along with good amount of sweetness. Bucket loads of rich, creamy tones from the whipped cream was the next thing to hit as well as a slightly weird, perhaps boozy but mainly unknown flavour that I can only put down to the Sherry.. Although not like any Sherry I've had previously! Pockets of raspberry were few and far between but did bring a nice fruitiness to the mix in the odd mouthful. As for the almonds on top.. I hated them and felt they were too hard whereas MSW enjoyed the further contrast in textures - Neither of us appreciated the strange aftertaste however! 

Overall, this Sherry Trifle Roulade isn't much of a winner, I'm afraid. I am still confused now over the Sherry aspect, I can't taste custard whatsoever, a lot more raspberry needs to be included for it to have any real flavour and generally, it ain't nothing like any Trifle, I've ever had - Good or bad! Nice work on the meringue though M&S, I give credit where credits due - It's a 2.5 out of 5 from me. 

Review- Asda NEW Boo! The Ghost Cake

BOO!! ..I scared you, didn't I? No? Alright but I can't be the only one to prefer the cuter side of all things Halloween opposed to the sheer terror of Killer Clowns and other hideously disturbing "tricks" - Where is the fun in any of that when you can just stay home, safe and sound whilst eating adorable, crowd pleasing cakes? I know what I'll be doing. 

Asda also seem to know what's good for us in having 2 NEW Celebration Cakes in their spooky bakery - A Petrifying Pumpkin to smash into if you're not quite content on passing up on the Halloween tomfoolery completely and this, Boo! The Ghost, priced at £5 and designed to serve 12 including the Vegetarians. You're welcome Vegetarians. 

Look at little Boo with his golf ball-esque figure! If he doesn't make your heart warm and fuzzy rather than palpitate in a fright, I don't know what will.

The story of Boo. A tale to behold.

Terrifyingly tasty! Our scrummy Madeira sponge is packed with frosting and plum and raspberry jam, all topped with a cloak of spook-ilicious fondant icing. 

The cake cut beautifully with a sharp knife, slicing through the soft layers to produce neat wedges which could have been the recommended 12 given the chance as it was certainly robust enough! Starting with the sponge, texture wise it was the semi dry and bendy type you tend to find with most supermarket bought cakes but it did taste pleasant enough with vanilla tones coming through. Sandwich in the centre was a rather measly slathering of frosting and jam which although did add sweetness a long with a generic fruity flavour, wasn't anywhere near enough for the quantity of sponge present.. Especially when the thick fondant icing on the outside was another relatively dry element, not to mention sweet and nothing but! 

Overall and despite my proportion complaints, this NEW Boo! The Ghost Cake isn't all that bad or offensive and certainly won't disappoint a crowd of sugar ravenous kiddos. Whack in a second layer of fillings and even the adults might be tempted.. Rather than being left to eat the abundance of icing on the board which could plague a whole army of zombies with diabetes. Have a lovely Halloween weekend all! It's a 3 out of 5 from me. 

Want a few more Treats? Check out Monster Munchies over at NibsnScribs to really get in the spirit! 

Review- Krispy Kreme NEW Powdered Blueberry

It's that time again - I can't believe it has been 2 weeks but it's a farewell to the Glaze Kreme and a "it was nice whilst it lasted", to make room for the NEW Powdered Blueberry in town and gracing all your Tesco Cabinets and KK stores from today!

Delicious Wild Blueberry filling, dusted with the perfect sprinkle of powdered sugar. 

This is the doughnut that actually "won" Krispy Kreme's Throwback campaign which we all "voted" in.. Despite all the options now making an appearance over the coming weeks - Sneaky but I am happy nevertheless! Priced at £1.75, this KK comes in cheaper than some of the other LE doughy delights.. Especially when you only get charged £1.45 at the till - Tesco boy, I thank you!

The doughnut cut well down the middle to reveal the deep purple, not to mention most generous, centre filling. Smelling relatively like blueberry, I took a bite and was pleased to find the dough itself was of the better quality that KK produce in being light, fluffy and no stodge. Taste wise, the blueberry did come through but I am sure it was mixed with something else.. Raspberry perhaps? - I am pretty sure it wasn't solely its namesake. As the flavour developed it became borderline medicinal with MSW claiming it to be uncanny to Blackcurrant Tunes (Do such a thing even still exist?) with quite a bit of sweetness mixed in. Topping the lot was of course, the dusting of icing sugar which was nice enough but a glaze would have been better even if very same-y to the rest of KK's range! 

Overall, I am a bit torn by this Powdered Blueberry.. I was so rooting for it but I can't help but feel at the end of the day, it's nothing special. Do let me know your thoughts if and when you try it - Perhaps Blueberry fanatics will go mad for it? I am really not to sure.. It is around until the 3rd of October anyways, until the Cruller takes over! It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Hop on over to NibsnScribs to read her review of this jammy jammy!

Review- M&S NEW British Bramley Apple Crumble Cake

I have news. Big news. Everyone hold their breath.. A M&S Simply Food is being built approximately 0.8 miles up the road from me! I don't know when it is to be open but I can barely contain my excitement - Just think, I will no longer have to "trek" the current 7 miles to get my fix.. I will be able to go on a whim, multiple times a day and waste all my money on all the snacks! The green eye monster in all of you best be rearing it's glorious head right now. 

Talking of all things green and making for a super smooth transition, this rather Kermit-esque and somewhat elusive, British Bramley Apple Crumble Cake is todays review! It's since June that I have been taunted with the label on the shelf of the 450g, Veggie friendly baked delight with what seemed like no chance of it ever coming in stock! Thankfully, as of last week it eventually did and I promptly bought myself one for £2.75. 

Moist apple cake made with Bramley apple pieces with a buttercream and apple jam filling, topped with an oat crumble. 

The cake looked scrumptious and cut into slices well, with minimal mess despite the general stickiness and crumbly top. I would say however, if like my household you don't do things by halves, you are more likely to serve 4 instead of the recommended 6! 

Boy, did the cake deliver in terms of being apple-y! - The scent was what I can only assume an orchard would smell like and was generally, most inviting! Texture wise, it was a bit of a funny old mish-mash.. The base was soft and squidgy thanks to being loaded with big apple chunks which contrasted completely to the much denser top half of a madeira type sponge - Both were very pleasant but it did feel as though 2 random cakes had just been sandwiched together! Sweet and creamy buttercream was in the centre along with a slick of jam which added a further undeniable zing of fruity apple whilst keeping things extra moist. The crumble on top was plentiful and a nice touch but I found the oats to be really quite solid in places and in turn, all to easy to get stuck in ones teeth - Not make or break but I suspect some might mind! 

Well, this NEW British Bramley Apple Crumble Cake was certainly worth the wait.. The apple aspect is fantastic with M&S striking the perfect balance between tart and sweet whilst not being artificial in the slightest - I can only describe it as a real treat! Yes, the texture of 2 different cakes threw me at first but it didn't make it any less appealing or enjoyable overall and I, without a shadow of a doubt will be buying another.. Even if a tooth is lost in the process! It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Review- M&S Eton Mess Tartlets

After 3 savoury reviews in a row, I feel it's about time we go back to sweet.. M&S Eton Mess Tartlets! These were purchased off the back of the legendary Banoffee's which featured at the beginning of last month - I figured that since those were so spectacular, a berry version had to be too! 

The bright magenta box of 6 were once again included in the 2 for £4 offer along with a whole host of cakey treats.. But rather sneakily the total weight is 150g and not the 195g seen previously - I can only assume this is down to the difference in toppings.. No dried banana chips here!

All butter pastry cases filled with British raspberry jam, topped with raspberry coulis buttercream, meringue and freeze dried raspberry and blackberry pieces. 

I do like the look of these little tarts - They're just the right size, bright in colour and would look lovely laid out if you were putting on a summer spread! 

A knife cut through the layers of pastry, jam and buttercream with ease - I do however think the latter here was softer than that seen with the Banoffee.. It did appear to be fluffier! Taking a bite, the pastry proved to be up to the usual high quality with a short texture and buttery taste. Above this was a real kick of almost tart fruitiness from a jam come compote which was full of raspberry flavour along with pips for authenticity! The buttercream layer was lightly whipped, sticky and full of further berry tones with an obvious load of sweet thrown in to help mellow the "sharp".. Although given the sprinkling of freeze-dried fruits on top, it did still have a edge to it! As for the meringue.. There was zilch! - Not even a lonesome bit lurking. 

Overall, these Eton Mess Tartlets aren't to shabby at all but are certainly for the fruit go-ers who don't mind a bit of a tang - Yes, they are sweet but not sugary sweet and nothing like the Banoffee. Also marks have to be deducted for the total absence of meringue.. You can't really call a product Eton Mess if it doesn't have any meringue! I hope you're listening M&S - It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Review- Kettle Chips NEW Chef's Signature Burrata Mozzarella & Sweet Chilli Jam

So it seems that Kettle Chips Chef's Signature range is expanding - No, it still isn't the "boring" Salt & Vinegar flavour that was unduly lacking in September with the Yorkshire Wensleydale & Cox Apple Chutney.. But instead, Burrata Mozzarella & Sweet Chilli Jam! 

Hand cooked potato chips with Burrata Mozzarella and Sweet Chilli Jam seasoning. 

I picked up the 150g resealable although not recyclable, bag in Sainsbury's where they are currently on offer for £1. The real question is.. What's a Burrata? I hadn't the foggiest so off to the Interweb I went and learnt that it's a fresh Italian cheese made from Mozzarella and cream with a soft and squidgy centre - Every day's a school day! Also for anyone who may not know, Stokes, the company in partnership and providing the Chilli Jam in this case, are from my home away from home - Suffolk! They make a whole host of yummy sauces, chutneys, jams and much, much more and are definitely worth looking into if you fancy something a bit different. 

I had to heavily crank up the brightness of todays picture.. No word of a lie, it was like looking through a Smurf. Thankfully, the off-red seasoning was still plain to see with each crisp being generously coated. The Crisps smelt amazing - Slightly greasy, very potato-ey with a smokey sort of scent. Crunching my way through, the texture was also spot in being thin and fresh with a flavour to match. I wasn't sure just how spicy they were going to be but boy, did they pack a punch! - Even MSW who loves a bit of heat ended up spluttering over one! A sweetness lingered after the initial Chilli and although no Mozzarella (Or cheese in general) taste was distinguishable, perhaps it did assist in mellowing the aforementioned. Tasty and more-ish! 

Overall, these Burrata Mozzarella & Sweet Chilli Jam Crisps from Kettle Chips are a cracking addition to Chef's Signature! - The quality is undoubtably reflected in the decent flavour and more importantly, consistency throughout the bag. It would have been nice to have had more of a cheese flavour to balance out some of the spice for amateurs like me but they went down a treat with my taste testers so no real complaints here! It's a 4 out of 5 from me.. Us? MSW and BSW.  

Review- Krispy Kreme NEW Lotus Billionaire and Lotus White Choc & Raspberry

Monday was what I like to call, KK Day - That special start to the week, only occurring once in a while* where the almighty Krispy Kreme release their NEW Doughnuts. This time the offerings weren't so "ingenious" but an extension to the already existing and bloomin' marvellous Lotus Caramelised Biscoff.. We've got Lotus Billionaire and Lotus White Choc & Raspberry! 

I didn't actually have any intention to buy into this duo given that the Original Biscoff should never, ever be messed with.. But MSW came home with them and I wasn't about to say no. Priced at the usual £1.90 a pop, the Doughnuts were noticeable smaller than other KK which seems a bit cheeky to me! - I'll definitely be keeping my eye on the Tesco Cabinets to see if this shrinkage discrepancy can be seen throughout the range or whether ours were just duffs. 

Lotus Billionaire

Filled with rich salted caramel, hand dipped in Lotus Biscoff spread & topped with dark chocolate shavings, Lotus Biscoff crumb and a sprinkle of gold dust. 

I appeared to have all shavings and very little dust on my Billionaire - It practically took over the dinky Doughnut.. Never mind that though, look at the golden puddle of a filling! Starting with the dough itself.. I can't fault it - Soft and supple with the signature flavour, there was nothing not to love. The oozing, runny, sticky caramel was also sheer perfection in being buttery, toffee like and the all important SALTED! I expected nothing but the usual, mediocre stuff but I was point blank wrong! - It was just the right amount of saline to compliment the sweet and went superbly with the spread topping along with crumb which naturally, tasted identical to the Original Lotus Doughnut. As for the dark chocolate shavings, they too delivered in terms of rich cocoa tones and were by far the best I've experienced from KK who's chocolate more often than not, leaves quite a bit to be desired. It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Lotus White Choc & Raspberry

A raspberry jam & kreme filling infused with Lotus Biscoff, dipped in white chocolate and topped with Biscoff crumb, white chocolate and raspberry pieces. 

Onto the fruity option which naturally, I had extremely high hopes for after the shocker of a brilliant, Billionaire. Similarly to above, both the texture was spot on along with the flavour as well as a packed filling. Biting through the fluffy dough, the white chocolate topping cracked and ended up everywhere but tasted lovely and sweet and creamy - Not many raspberry pieces though which was a a shame! The whipped Kreme centre which was combined with a well proportioned blob of thick jam was super creamy, fruity and together, uncanny in taste to Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream! The Biscoff crumbs on top were just enough to give a whiff of Lotus without ruining what was essentially already exemplary. Another 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Wow. Some serious game uppage from Krispy Kreme has just occured here.. These NEW Lotus Billionaire and Lotus White Choc & Raspberry have to be the best release since the Original Lotus Caramelised Biscoff! - I don't know why I ever doubted them and more importantly, why they weren't the Christmas Doughnuts.. They would have been ideal! My only qualm is the questionable size but other than that, I can find very little fault and can see myself easily consuming dozens before they disappear.. They just need to be part of the permanent range really! Don't you dare let down the team and fall from grace, KK.. We're** watching you. 

*Sometimes weeks, sometimes months, sometimes forever and a day. 

**"We're" being myself and the NibsnScribs - Go read her review! She's snazzy!

Review- Mr Kipling NEW Cupcakes: Angel, Cherry Bakewell and Apple Pie

NEW Mr Kipling products? Yes! Everyone's childhood favourite treat supplier has recently and very quietly I might add, released 3 NEW Cupcakes into the world.. Well actually they've only made it as far as Tesco given that they are exclusive to the store but times are exciting nevertheless with Angel, Cherry Bakewell and Apple Pie!

As I was never not going to get the full set, I picked up the trio of 68g each, Cupcakes for £1 a pop, in the Cake aisle where they were situated with all the other Mr Kipling products. Now, I don't know if the company think we are dense or if they are just so use to selling multipacks but it states both on the front and back of the box that there is "1 Cupcake" inside.. Just incase you were thinking the dinky cube was a Tardis and would contain more than a single portion. Naturally. 

Popping the Cupcakes out, I was pleased to see the use of plastic hinged pots to prevent any squishing action and loss of frosting - There is nothing worse than losing half of your topping! 

Angel

Pink and yellow vanilla flavoured sponge with a raspberry jam filling (9%), topped with a decorated pink and yellow buttercream frosting (47%). 

Erm.. Someone's nicked my jam. 

Found it! I tried my upmost to cut the little cake directly down the centre so unless I was totally off.. I'd say the sponges weren't equal and the jam was most definitely hiding in the right half! I also thought it smelt of banana initially (It didn't) so a real mish mash of first impressions! Starting with the sponge, it was light enough although not exactly the same in texture or taste to a Angel Cake loaf, with a sweet fruity sort of flavour even before hitting the jam. The off centre blob of the dark red sticky stuff was as expected, very sweet with a sort of Tutti Fruity flavour rather than raspberry - I enjoyed it whatever it was! Vanilla-y and extremely thick sums up the frosting on top which left indentations when bitten.. It certainly wasn't a soft and pillow-y buttercream that's for sure! It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me! 

Cherry Bakewell

Almond flavour sponge with a raspberry jam filling (9%), topped with almond flavour buttercream frosting (44%), decorated with half a glacè cherry (3%) and a dusting of fruit powder. 

Huzzah - The jam wasn't hidding from me in this Cupcake and was much more of a generous blob than above. Texture wise, the sponge was soft, tender and essentially, like any other mass produced cake - Not exactly moist but is what it is. The almond aspect really shone and was plenty potent for something of the size - Having tasted the cake and the frosting seperately, I can confirm that both elements had the Bakewell flavour which wasn't artificial in the slightest. Once again, the jam wasn't identifiable as being cherry flavour but it was tart and counteracted the sweetness from the creamy mound it lay beneath. I have a feeling the percentage of buttercream is off in the description as even by eye, you can see there is more than the Angel version - It's a good job it wasn't throat burningly sweet and tasted amazing! A 4 out of 5. 

Apple Pie

Apple flavour sponge with a Bramley apple filling (11%) topped with a buttercream frosting (27%), Bramley apple sauce (14%) and soft crumble pieces (3%). 

Last up is the Apple Cupcake which I am happy to admit to not cutting straight - I did try my best! Similar to the first delight, the amount of filling wasn't all that abundant but was forgivable given the extra sauce on top. Super fruity apple hit immediately when taking a bite and it really was uncanny to that of the jarred stuff. This went well with the vanilla sponge although I found it to be slightly drier than the Bakewell for whatever reason. As seen throughout, the buttercream was super dense, smooth, creamy and delicious with a nice subtle crunch from the crumble, sprinkled on top.. I do however think it would have been nicer to have a Cream Cheese frosting instead but perhaps I was just sick of buttercream by this point - It does happen, believe it or not. It's another 3.5 out of 5 from me!

Overall, these NEW Cupcakes by Mr Kipling aren't bad additions to the range - They are far cheaper than a "gourmet" Cupcake and will perfectly suffice for when you need something sweet. No, the sponge itself won't change your world and the buttercream might clag you up a bit but they are worth a whirl, especially if baking isn't your thing.. Yes, I am a broken record and yes, that was a dig at non-bakers - Release the Mr/Mrs Kipling within! ..Or just go to Tesco. Fine. Whatever. Is anyone even still here?

Review- Costa Coffee Bakewell Tart

Yesterday, MSW and I went on a little lunchtime date to Costa. We use to do this a lot but haven't treated ourselves to such a thing since purchasing the almighty Nespresso machine back in December - Although we do miss the trips out, we can't complain from a financial point of view.. The Coffee shop doesn't call themselves, COST-a for nothing after all - I could quite easily spend £20+ in there a week! 

All butter pastry, filled with Morello Cherry jam and topped with almond and fondant. 

Ignoring everything I said above, after the purchase of 2 Cappuccinos and 2 Sausage & Onion Toasties, we just couldn't refuse a Bakewell Tart each. Now, I've checked with the Mumsy as she was the one to go up to order (As well as the one to lose the receipt) and she reckons these were priced at £2.20 to eat in and £1.80 to go.. Whether there is any truth in those figures is anyones guess. 

The Tart really was as cute as a button - It almost seemed a shame to ruin its satisfyingly perfect, circular appearance and bright red cherry centre. Cutting it with a knife, it took some effort to break through the crisp pastry shell hence why it isn't all that straight and the cherry has gone for a bit of a pearler.. No matter though, on to the tasting! The extremely crunchy outer with its short texture was buttery as should be and a substantial casing to the softer frangipane like filling within. A real fruity kick came from the more than generous layer of jam which although I wouldn't have identified as being cherry, it was still blooming tasty and naturally, went well with the almond flavour. The finishing and my personal favourite part was the thick topping of a set yet still soft, super sweet icing which we all know is key to any Bakewell Tart and in this case was superb. Not to forget the cherry on top.. Well, it was the cherry on top! 

Overall, this Costa Bakewell Tart is delicious and so much better than I imagined - It's really all down to MSW as she was the one to champion the thing and practically force it down me. I highly recommend you pick yourself up one the next time you go in for your Coffee fix.. I won't tell anyone if you don't. It's a 4 out of 5 from me! 

Review- Mr Kipling NEW Fabulous Fancy Cake

Cor, the return of the Giant French Fancy.. This is something I've been waiting for what seems like forever for! The Big Pink French Fancy Cake from a few years back was a thing that dreams are made of - I was devastated to see it go. Thankfully, Mr Kipling has got his head screwed on and recently released this rather more modestly sized, Fabulous Fancy Cake. 

As soon as I knew this thing had hit the shops, I rushed on down to Tesco to pick one up for £5 - Never mind the fact I had literally just got back from my Holiday!

Golden sponge with a layer of raspberry jam and a vanilla flavour filling, finished with a soft mallow topping and covered with decorated pink fondant icing. 

I was so excited to see that this cake was exactly the same as its mini equivalent, paper case and all! I peeled back the edges and the icing crumbled slightly just as it would with the original. A knife cut through the sponge easily to reveal the layers and mallowy top - I am not sure how you would get the suggested 8, 62g portions out of the cake with everyone having some of the centre though! 

I made sure my slice had plenty of mallow.. For a fair test, obviously. The sponge itself was a lot like a standard Madeira Birthday Cake, light with a soft and squidgy feel yet solid enough to not fall apart. A good fruitiness came from the Raspberry jam layer which was a pleasant surprise as more often than not, companies use the cheap wishy washy stuff - I would have liked a little more to go with the smooth vanilla-y filling, though. The outside icing was the exact same that you find on a normal French Fancy and as expected, was super sweet with a sugary crunch before dissolving on the tongue. A blob of sweet and pillowy marshmallow was the perfect topping to the cake but once again, I wish Mr Kipling hadn't of scrimped - It was exactly like the inside of a Tunnock's Teacake which just so happen to be one of my favourites although the amount here wouldn't be enough in anyones world! 

Overall, I am in Limbo over this NEW Fabulous Fancy Cake.. I did enjoy it but the proportions all seem a little off. Its a lot like the previous Big Pink French Fancy Birthday Cake which had mounds and mounds of mallow to the point where it was almost to much whereas this time they've done the opposite and there isn't enough by any stretch of the imagination - A happy medium needs to be reached! That aside, if you like super sweet, vanilla-y marshmallow, cakey goodness, you can't go wrong with this.. Just don't expect it to feed 8 people, generously! Its a 4 out of 5 from me.