Starbucks Very Berry Coffee Cake

Although I truly love Starbucks, and believe that they offer some great products, I have a full list of criticisms for them. One of items include that Starbucks isn't very classy. It offers a great shop and a good atmosphere, but it doesn't exactly have that true coffee shop feel like they do everywhere else in the world. If you got to a coffee shop in Europe they sit you down in a nice table, take your order and bring your drink in a nice fancy glass mug. I realize most people pick up a Starbucks because they are in a hurry and they need a quick java shot. Those people can have the paper cups. Just like at a restaurant, you either eat out of their plates or take the styrofoam box to go.

I've always looked at getting a coffee as a social thing. Especially at Starbucks because it is so overpriced. I can buy almost a pound of fresh coffee at the store for the same amount that I would pay for a frappuccino at Starbucks.

So the reason I am bringing this up is because I was at the mall hanging out with my precious mom and we got a little hungry for a snack. So I picked up a Reduced Fat Very Berry Coffee Cake from the Starbucks stand for us to split. I chose this because I've never tried it before, and it looked like the most fresh item they had.

The instant they gave it to me, my complaint that I mentioned above came up in my head. I really wished they served this on a plate with forks. Or at least some paper plate or something. I am open to eating with my hands, to tell the truth I prefer to get down and dirty with my hands with baked goods, but this cake was one of the rare times when I wanted a fork and a plate.

Well, I still enjoyed it anyways. It tasted almost exactly like their blueberry muffins. I can bet my life on the fact that they took the blueberry muffin batter and added blackberries and raspberries to it. It seemed like it had more berry material than the muffin version anyways.

The cake had a heavy vanilla taste with wonderful sweet, soft crumbles decorating the top. I'm pretty sure the crumble part had nutmeg in it. It was dense, soft, moist, and fresh.

But when it got to the parts that were heavy in berry, it wasn't so pretty. The flavor was sickening. It just tasted like heated berries, which if you have ever tried, doesn't taste so good. I have experienced this before when I was baking and cooking with berries. I prefer to not use anything other than blueberries. The other berries don't work as well. This cake confirmed this fact to me.

Overall the cake had a wonderful taste and I enjoyed it, minus the extra berry parts. But in the end I would rather get the blueberry muffin. It has a much preferable taste, and no unexpected nastiness. It also easier to eat.

See's Maple Walnut

The thing about See's chocolates is that you can eat eat eat and eat more until your are sick and say, "Well at least gaining weight was worth it!"

That's is not a far fetched thought. I would commiserate over weight gain if I knew it was because of cheap fast food or something.

Now these maple walnuts are filed with creamed brown sugar, maple syrup, and English walnut pieces all covered in See's signature dark chocolate. This doesn't taste like the ordinary maple syrup in a bottle. The maple is fresh, strong, and a perfect compliment to the raw walnuts which also contrast perfectly with the extra sweet buttercream brown sugar filling.

Like the Marzipan, the filling is more crumbly than creamy. But it has more of a smooth crumble to it.

It has a truly interesting flavor.

See's Coconaut Special

Angel flake coconut held together with honey and covered with dark chocolate. Can anything sound more heavenly? I don't think it could.

Lucky for me I found four of these in my gift box. I could really get obese off of these.

Look at that filling, I'm drooling! The moment I deposited the first one in my mouth I think I heard inspirational music turn on, and I am pretty sure the lights in the room got brighter.

The filling is amazing, with chewy sweet coconut in every freakin' bite. The dark chocolate went puuuurrrfectly with the filling. I savored each bite and chewed on those coconut flakes for a long time.

If you love the person you are buying See's for, including yourself, put these in there.

See's Marzipan

See's Marzipan is filled with almond paste, honey, and powdered sugar and covered with dark chocolate. Like all of See's chocolates, the dark chocolate coating is smooth, strong and delicious. The filling of the marzipan tastes pretty fantastic, but it is not nearly as sweet as most of the other options at See's.

The filling is not exactly creamy, but more on the crumbly side. But it's still feels good in your mouth

The filling and the coating pair nicely. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't have much of an aftertaste. I would like it much more if I could savor the taste in my mouth for at least a couple minutes after it falls down my throat.