Review- Tesco Finest Salted Caramel Cake

Another year, another birthday, another cake - It's the only good part of ageing.. Well aside from the presents obviously.. Who doesn't like presents? No one, that's who! 

I opted for something a tad "fancier" as my celebration sponge this time round, having eyed up the £10 Tesco Finest Cakes for months*. Swaying back and forth over whether the Red Velvet option should be the one.. Or Mocha.. Or Salted Caramel.. I eventually got a grip and settled on the latter and whacked it in my trolley, prior to speeding off so I couldn't change my mind for the 100th time. 

Indulgent toffee sponge filled with chocolate frosting and covered with a salted caramel buttercream, decorated with Belgian milk chocolate chips, fudge pieces and a salted caramel drizzle.

Designed to feed 14 as well as being suitable for vegetarians, the cake certainly looked the part with a swirly frosted top and not so expertly drizzled, drizzle.. But we can live with that.

Cutting with ease into neat slices, the sponge felt plenty soft with a decent/well proportioned layer of both the two fillings.. Not to mention, smelling absolutely divine! 

Ensuring I got a massive wodge, I got stuck in and was immediately greeted by deliciously sweet, buttery tones, just as its scent suggested. Super soft and tender, the 3 sponges were pretty decent texture wise, not dry in the slightest and provided the first whiff of caramel. This was only cranked up a gear by the smooth, thickly slathered buttercream which was sweet, naturally, but no overly sickly or cloying. The middle layer of chocolate, which I found to be more akin to a set custard than frosting, delivered a strong hit of cocoa and went a long way in helping diminish any potential overdose of sugar, but I did feel it took away from the overall caramel flavour.. Well, that was until hitting the drizzled sauce upon top which oozed salted, toffee flavour and even a lingering, pleasant saline aftertaste! A final measly scattering of fudge and chocolate hardly contributed any flare but if one was lucky enough to get some on their piece, there would be no complaints! YUM.

Overall, this Tesco Finest Salted Caramel Cake is a sheer delight. It's been executed superbly, tastes mouthwateringly good and delivers on the promised and oh so important, salted caramel aspect.. Even if only the case in the sauce opposed to the buttercream! If you've got a Birthday coming up (Or just a cake!) I highly recommend you opt for one of these beauties - I am sure Mum would be thrilled with one for Mother's Day come the 26th also! It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me. 

*Not to mention the fact that I've somehow managed to exhaust all that Asda have to offer - Including last years almighty Flake Cake! 

Review- The Co-op Irresistible Gingerbread Latte Cake

Gingerbread. Latte. Cake. Hell to the yeah? Lets do this! 

I stumbled across this rather autumnal, Veggie friendly sponge when nipping into The Co-op with the intention of buying milk and nothing else - It isn't often that I can go into a shop and not saunter up the bakery aisle so why I expected any less, I do not know. I made my purchase as part of a 3 for 2 deal, although I think their cakes are priced at £2 (Ish) each usually. 

Coffee cake, filled with ginger frosting, topped with a creamy frosting and decorated with a chocolate mocha sauce and ginger crumb. 

Rather annoyingly, The Co-op don't provide any sort of base for their cakes to sit on, not even a pathetic paper liner.. So I just plonked the entire thing on table as is and hoped for the best - Can't be doing with making a plate dirty, unnecessarily! 

The sponge cut very neatly for something that was super squidgy and moist with not a single crumb out of place or the chance of the whole thing falling to pieces. Coffee was immediately recognisable although relatively mild and not likely to offend anyone. The warmth of ginger came through which complimented the aforementioned perfectly with just the right balance of sweet yet creamy and a decent ratio of frosting to cake. A crunch came from the sprinkling of biscuit crumbs to break up all the soft textures whilst adding another spicy element.. But only to be pleasantly mellowed by the the sticky mocha swirl, enhancing the original coffee tones as well as the addition of chocolate - Marvellous! 

Overall, this Gingerbread Latte Cake is exactly what it claims to be.. Spicy, coffee-y and cakey - There is nothing not to love and I highly recommend you get yourself down to The Co-op if you're a fan of any of the things I just listed! It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Review- Red Velvet Oreo vs Red Velvet Chips Ahoy

Who here likes biscuits? Who here likes Red Velvet? Who here likes both, especially when provided by Nabisco? Wave your hands in the air, like you just do not care as it's Cookie vs Cookie, Red vs Red.. Oreo vs Chips Ahoy! 

I hadn't seen either of these Biscuits here in the UK (Until this Monday which is bloody typical) but had been pining for them since a certain someones glowing reviewing of the Oreo. Luckily for me, my friends sister was jetting stateside in September and managed to nab not only the aforementioned but the Chips Ahoy version too! - Thanks Lottie! Thanks Lucy! 

Red Velvet Oreo

I couldn't not start with the biscuit which in my opinion is THE biscuit - Who doesn't like Oreos? No one, thats who. Smelling absolutely sensational upon tearing into the packet, the deep red hued sandwiches looked remarkably in good nick considering the miles they had travelled with a creme filling that was only to apparent to be far thicker than anything we get here in the UK. Taste wise, they didn't disappoint in the slightest! Crunchy on the outside with the signature Oreo, albeit slightly sweeter than "usual" cocoa flavour, the biscuit itself went perfectly with the abundance of soft, super sweet filling. A cream cheese tang was definitely noticeable, despite none actually being listed in the ingredients, which delivered the flavour that we all know and love to be that of Red Velvet. Amazing - 4.5 out of 5!

Red Velvet Chips Ahoy

Having never tried Chips Ahoy, not even our British version, I wasn't sure what to expect from the cute and dinky Cookies which unfortunately, this time, didn't fair so well in transit - Crumbs galore! Soft and chewy on the outside with a hidden pocket of something(?)*, they were just as sweet as the above but with a slightly artificial edge and lacking a real tang, even from the cream cheese flavoured chips - Not to dissimilar to the Red Velvet Pop Tarts which came close to being Red Velvet.. But not quite. After a few, I found the chemical flavour and general sugar rush all too much and called it quits whilst I could still stand - A 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Well, there you have it Folks.. It's clear to see which 'Bisco Biccie reigns almighty in my books -  Both on the Red Velvet front and in general when it comes to the quality of biscuit. Granted, the 2 are very different with the Chips Ahoy being a much softer, cookie texture but the promised flavour just isn't quite there and certainly a way off from the near perfection of the Oreo! Having said that, if you do happen to stumble across either, don't hesitate in picking yourself up a pack.. You'll only regret it! 

*Haven't the foggiest what the something is.. Frosting, perhaps? Not cream cheese, I know that much.

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- 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- M&S NEW Red Velvet Valentine's Cupcakes

It's Valentine's Day on Sunday! Ooh, ahh, ee - Exciting times! I trust you have all gotten or at least will be getting something for your loved one - Nothing conveys ones affection quite like a nice bunch of flowers, a balloon and chocolates after all! Naturally, I always gravitate towards the latter of edible gifts so thought I would get into the lovey dovey spirit of it all by buying myself the NEW Red Velvet Valentine's Cupcakes from M&S.. Since no one else is going to. Clearly. 

The red and pink, love heart decorated box of 2 cost £2 with each cake weighing in at a rather dinky 75g. I ventured all the way to the bakery section to pick these up but I have been in several stores which have a Valentine's display at the front of the shop so they won't be hard to miss!

2 chocolate and vanilla sponge cupcakes filled with milk chocolate sauce, topped with cream cheese frosting. 

The entire time from first spotting these to when I got home, I was a unsure about how little frosting there was but I think there was some sort of optical illusion going on as it transpired that once out of the box, the proportion of the two was pretty much equal! 

Cutting the sponge in half, it wasn't the light texture I had hoped for with more of a madeira feel than a soft and fluffy cake.. Although it was not dry in the slightest. Taking a bite of the creamy smelling treat, I am sad to report that Red Velvet certainly didn't hit me. There was none of the signature taste you find in such a cake with the sponge tasting more like a generic semi sort of chocolate but at the same time, not really of much at all. The centre of sauce was fairly generous given the size overall but once again, the flavour didn't live up to my expectations - It felt very much cheap with 0 in the way of rich cocoa tones. As for the frosting, there was plenty of it with a good thick texture but it was extremely sweet and could easily have passed as a buttercream as the tang just wasn't there. Very disappointing! 

Overall, these NEW Red Velvet Valentine's Cupcakes aren't great - The trio of elements aren't repulsive by any means, they just don't taste of an awful lot and all in all, are a poor excuse for their delicious namesake! I say, skip these, your lover won't appreciate them and stick with the flowers, a decent box of chocolates and the balloon.. The balloon is key, trust me! It's a 2 out of 5 today. 

Review- Lola's Cupcakes NEW Chia Seed & Blackberry

Oh look.. A Cupcake - As you can see, January's healthy eating is going splendidly. No joke, this treat from Lola's is perfectly acceptable as it contains a Superfood.. Chia Seeds! What are Chia Seeds, I hear you ask? Haven't the foggiest, I eat chocolate not Chia but Google has informed me that they're from a plant in the Mint family and are full of fibre, protein as well as being super absorbing which makes todays review of the NEW Chia Seed & Blackberry Cupcake practically sinless. 

I picked up the classic sized Cupcake from the little stand at Bluewater for £2.95. It seems their much larger stomping ground, situated in the Lower Winter Garden Dining area has been taking over by Earl of Sandwich - Some sort of famous, American hot sammie Company. I am not best pleased about this as it means I can no longer get my hands on one of Lola's epic Cupcake Milkshakes which are literally the things that dreams are made of! 

I managed to get my Cupcake home completely unscathed, without a single buff in sight - There is nothing worse than loosing half the frosting on the box! Cutting the thing in two, I was a little surprised how stodgy and almost damp it felt.. Although I don't suppose I should have been given my overall lack of experience with Chia Seeds and in turn, not having a clue what to expect! The sponge was a bit like Carrot Cake with its signature soft and squidgy feel, along with the obvious bits of the grated vegetable I could see for myself. An abundance of seeds ran throughout which weren't exactly hard but did have a bite to them as well as some chopped almonds adding further crunch. Flavour wise, this Cupcake was a bit bizarre.. It didn't taste of anything really - Not Carrot Cake, spice, seeds or nuts! I couldn't even identify what the thick topping was but decided it had to be Cream Cheese Frosting, despite not having any sort of tang, purely due to the fact it wasn't the full on sugary sweet you find with a Buttercream. The Blackberry element was also pretty redundant with its total lack of fruitiness or any sort of flavour - Rubbish! 

Overall, I can't say I am all that impressed with this NEW offering from Lola's Cupcakes.. Not to mention Chia Seeds in general! I have absolutely no idea what they were trying to achieve here.. It's like a confused Carrot Cake thats had its spice removed in exchange for some hard but not hard, bitty things, tasteless nuts and tang-less frosting to top.. And I don't one bit feel rejuvenated by my intake of a Superfood either. Perhaps I need to eat more. I don't want to eat more. Chia Seed & Blackerry Cupcake, it's a 1.5 out of 5 from me - Sorry Lola's!