I Tried The New Seasonal Item From Trader Joe's That Everyone Is Obsessing Over — Here Are My Honest Thoughts

Yahoo

2 days ago

There's nothing like a new Trader Joe's item to get people mobilized. Earlier this year, lines were wrapping around stores with people waiting for their chance at a coveted $3 mini tote bag.
TJ's shoppers are famously big fans of their various mini sheet cakes, too, whether it's the carrot flavor, pumpkin, or the most recent summer debut: strawberry! The 18-ounce mini sheet cakes come in at $5.99 (sounds like a deal to me), and as a big fan of strawberry cake, I was stoked to get my hands on one for a taste test.
For the record, I was previously a professional baker and pastry chef, so I'm giving you a review of the cake from my POV. Maybe a little snobby, but I do still eat McDonald's and other junk food, y'all. I'm hoping this cake delivers, considering the hype!
People have been sharing the new strawberry cake all over social media with generally decent reviews. From excitement at finding them in the store to conducting personal taste tests, there's no shortage of feedback. I found mostly positive reviews, with a few people commenting on the cake being "too sweet" and not deeply strawberry-flavored. You can't please everyone!
TikTok user Brooke Taryn loves the cake and says she could eat the entire thing on her own, even though she's "not really a cake person." She initially had some trouble finding the cake in stock, and after finally finding it on her third trip to Trader Joe's, she conducted a taste test immediately after in the parking lot. Highly recommended, according to Brooke!
On the flip side, one of the most "negative" (while not really being too harsh) reviews I found was from TikTok user @biancasmartini, where she shared her honest and down-to-earth opinion. The cake? Not very potent in the strawberry department. The frosting? Very sweet with a cream cheese flavor at the end. Bianca rated the cake a 6.5/10 and suggested chilling it in the fridge for a better experience. Thank you for keeping it real, Bianca.
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I walked into my West Hollywood Trader Joe's and was immediately greeted with a special display of the Strawberry Mini Sheet Cakes. There was even a cute little sign with a happy strawberry with the classic TJ's handwritten style: "A flavorful cake with strawberry cream frosting!"
I really love their signs, and there was actually a sign artist in the store while I was shopping — so cool! I saw at least eight cakes on display, but I'm sure there were more in the back.
If I'm being honest, the cake looks a little underwhelming to the eye. I know, I know – they have to keep things simple to make it cost-effective/be able to mass produce items. But I would've loved to see some little strawberry sprinkles on top, or at least pink frosting. Who doesn't love a really pink cake?
When I think of strawberry cake, I think of the brightly colored box mix versions from my childhood. Nobody can forget that sweet smell! I will say upon opening the box, I think you can tell it's strawberry cake, but it's not a very intense scent.
I dug my fork into the corner of the sheet cake, and it felt super soft! The first taste that hit my palate was SUGAR. Not much strawberry going on, in my opinion.
I really couldn't taste strawberry in the cake, but it did come through more in the frosting. The Trader Joe's website describes it like this: "What's different here is the inclusion of organic Strawberry preserves in the cake, which provide serious Strawberry flavor. On top is a thick, rich, cream cheese frosting that includes Strawberry purée, upping the Strawberry quotient yet again."
So where is the strawberry?! I hate to say this, but this cake just made me crave the box mix version really badly. I think this could be a cute little treat to bring over to a friend's house for dessert, or to enjoy with a strong cup of coffee, but personally, I probably wouldn't purchase this cake again. Don't hate me!
I give this mini sheet cake 3 out of 5 stars, or a 5/10. I think if you're going to call something strawberry cake, it needs to be really strawberry. This left me longing for more.
Imagine getting a pumpkin spice cake with weak pumpkin spice flavor! I also have to say that it had a slight aftertaste that I can only describe as "cleaning product." My one redeeming quality for this cake was that it's super moist (most likely because it's an oil-based cake), and the frosting was super soft, although way too sweet.
The little box discloses that the cake is six servings and each is 320 calories...What?! That's a tiny little piece packing a lot of sugar and little flavor. If you've tried this cake, please let me know if I'm wrong!
Have you tried the Trader Joe's Strawberry Mini Sheet Cake? Let us know what you think!
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