Tesco Cupcakes: Chocolate fudge

Product name: Tesco Cupcakes: Chocolate fudge
Purchase details: £1.40 for a pack of two cupcakes or three for two (Tesco)
Calories: 293 per cupcake
Country of origin: UK

So it’s time to review the last of the cupcakes I picked up as part of Tesco’s three for two offer. As much as I love chocolate fudge cake, I normally would have chosen a seemingly more interesting variety, but I’d seen these Tesco Cupcakes: Chocolate fudge on A Review a Day a couple of weeks earlier and they looked and sounded divine!

These new ‘chocolate flavoured sponge cakes filled with chocolate sauce, topped with chocolate fudge flavour frosting and a chocolate decoration’ once again came in a simple but effective plastic box that, this time, featured a purple cardboard sleeve. The frosting that accounted for 39% of each cake was quite basic in appearance but was topped with attractive, marbled chocolate shards. I think these were both meant to be triangular in shape but one of mine had broken! I was particularly pleased when I turned one over to find they were predominantly made of white chocolate. Inside the cake, the dark chocolate-containing sauce (11%) had been deeply injected and looked lovely and stiff.

As soon as I opened the box, a delicious chocolate cake scent wafted up to my nostrils. The sponge tasted like any decent chocolate cake with a good cocoa flavour and moist, soft texture. The thick sauce added a gooey feel and a slight bitterness that, interestingly, had an element of creaminess too. The buttercream was also great – I could taste both the cocoa powder and the butter and there was a slight graininess from the icing sugar without feeling too bitty. The brittle chocolate fragment topped off this bundle of squidgy amazingness nicely with a little extra sweet and creamy flavour.

As far as chocolate fudge cakes go, I didn’t find this cupcake quite as rich as the full-on dessert, although this may partly have been down to the smaller portion size. The cake itself was also a little drier, although not in a negative way. It was definitely a good decision to purchase this fabulous product. I think I might even try my remaining cupcake warm...mmmmmm.

Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 8/10
Taste: 8.5/10
Texture: 8/10
Overall score: 8.13/10

Marks & Spencer Best of British Baking: Toffee fudge & Belgian chocolate hot cross buns

Product name: Marks & Spencer Best of British Baking: Toffee fudge & Belgian chocolate hot cross buns
Purchase details: Two packs of four buns for £2.50 (Marks & Spencer Simply Food)
Calories: 207 per 68g bun
Country of origin: UK 

I’ve been wanting to try a more exciting hot cross bun for a while but I’m from a more traditional family who just don’t do things like that at Easter. Imagine my delight, then, when I found this packet of new Marks & Spencer Best of British Baking: Toffee fudge & Belgian chocolate hot cross buns in the freezer! I know these were purchased on a multibuy offer but, since I didn’t get them myself, I don’t know how much they would have cost for a single pack. 

These hot cross buns contained 8% ‘dark Belgian chocolate chips’ and 17% fudge and toffee pieces. They were presented on a cardboard tray in a simple clear plastic wrapper which allowed their standard appearance to be viewed clearly. Whilst these looked like ordinary hot cross buns, though, the dark bits were the chocolate chips rather than raisins. The buns’ outer appearance was mid-brown with a sticky-looking gloss and, inside, they were like brown bread rolls that had been flecked with chocolate.

The buns were sticky and moist to the touch and had a cinnamon cake scent that was strengthened when heated. There weren’t actually any serving instructions on the packaging and, whilst I enjoy microwaved hot cross buns, I know a lot of people toast them, so I decided to try them both ways. I also wasn’t sure whether or not to add butter (they already contained 2% unsalted butter and I expected the chocolate and fudge to be luxurious enough!) so I had each bun ‘half and half’. (This additional butter obviously wasn’t included in the above calorie count but I wasn’t worried about that on this occasion!)

I found it difficult to fit a bun’s halves into my toaster but their doughy texture did mean I could squish them in – they did get a bit stuck when I tried to remove them again though! I toasted them on the second lowest setting which resulted in a slightly burnt chocolate smell and, I thought, a hint of sweet raisins. However, I think this may have been my brain making a connection with the presence of cinnamon. The chocolate pieces looked a little burnt rather than melted but I could see where the toffee and fudge pieces had become molten.

The plain toasted half bun had remained surprisingly doughy and moist but had an added crisp too. Its flavour was familiar and not dissimilar to standard hot cross buns but there was an extra sweetness that was more like brioche. I definitely could have eaten a whole bun like this but I just had to go the whole hog in the name of research! The only downside was that I didn’t find either the chocolate or toffee fudge flavours were very noticeable as distinct elements.

On spreading the other half of the toasted bun with unsalted butter, its surface felt a little crispy, like actual toast. The butter melted in quickly and, understandably, added an extra level of flavour to the bun. However, this seemed to go beyond the butter itself, and actually brought the dark chocolate’s flavour out a little more – possible due to providing a greater contrast for the slight bitterness.

I microwaved my other bun on full power for 20 seconds. This made the chocolate look a lot more melted than burnt (you can see the mess it made on the plate!) and the dough just tore apart. This texture was just as enjoyable in the mouth – it was so soft and doughy that it stuck to the roof of the mouth beautifully. I still didn’t find the toffee fudge’s presence to be obvious but I did find the chocolate’s flavour more noticeable in this format. The bun was very sweet but this chocolate added a welcome undertone.

The butter melted in even more quickly on the microwaved bun and this was my favourite method of consumption. The texture was truly incredible. It was the same as the plain microwaved half, really, but it was just that little bit more special due to the butter making it slightly more dense. The chocolate’s flavour remained relatively subtle but it did add an enjoyable warmth too.

One thing I really don’t like about standard hot cross buns is the presence of mixed peel so the absence of this in these buns was an added bonus. Aside from that, these hot cross buns were very pleasant in their own right. The flavours weren’t as powerful as I’d expected (particularly the toffee and fudge pieces) but the separate elements presumably added to the overall warming sweetness on offer.

I probably enjoyed these more than normal hot cross buns but I know this was down to personal preference (more so than normal). My Dad also tried one of these buns and didn’t really enjoy it at all. He felt it lacked the spicier flavours that are present in the traditional version and, since this variety did taste very similar to brioche, he felt he may as well have been eating one of those instead. However, I would argue that the superb texture provided by these buns made them superior to brioche!

Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 7.5/10
Taste: 8/10
Texture: 10/10
Overall score: 8.13/10

Cadbury Milk Tray

Product name: Cadbury Milk Tray
Calories: 495 per 100g
Country of origin: UK 

I received this 200g box of Cadbury Milk Tray as part of a Christmas present and I think it may actually be the first time I’ve had one of my own! 

This ‘assortment of chocolates’ by Mondelez came in a Cadbury purple box with a pink border which strongly suggested it was for a female target market. There were photographs of eight different ‘sweet, smooth, fruity’ and ‘nutty’ chocolates around the outside of the packaging, but there were actually 10 varieties inside, all coated in milk chocolate that contained a minimum of 14% milk solids, and producing a collectively fruity smell. 

Since the chocolate itself was the same for each chocolate, I won’t go into detail when reviewing each one, so just remember that it was very sweet! 

Caramel softy

The Caramel softy was presented as a stripy heart and was described as ‘milk chocolate matched with its caramel sweetheart’. 

It had a slightly sweetened aroma and the caramel centre was a golden colour. It was very much like a Dairy Milk: Caramel that had been made with inferior chocolate. As a result, it was sweeter and a little bit too sickly, although I did enjoy its soft caramel. 

Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 6.5/10
Texture: 7/10 

Overall score: 6.88/10 

Hazelnut swirl
I can’t describe the shape of this ‘whole roasted hazelnut in a whirl of milk chocolate’ as anything other than the ‘swirl’ mentioned in its name!

As the variety I’d probably go for if I were just eating one of the chocolates, I enjoyed the solidity of the chocolate, combined with the crunchy centre, and it had a great nutty taste.

The chocolate looked smooth throughout and there was a pleasant hazelnut aroma too. 

Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 7.5/10
Texture: 8.5/10 

Overall score: 7.5/10 

Fudge duet

This ‘vanilla flavour fudge covered with milk chocolate’ was oblong in shape and covered in white chocolate stripes. It had a slight caramel scent with some milkiness, from the chocolate, thrown in too.

After my recent positive experience with the Cadbury Fudge, I was pleased that this chocolate was very similar – it even had the same two-tone inner appearance. The only real difference was that the texture was a little less grainy and, as a result, didn’t feel as sugary. 

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 8/10 

Overall score: 7.25/10 

Exotic delight
There was only one ‘aromatic’ Exotic delight chocolate in the box (there were two of everything else) but, as someone who doesn’t really like Turkish delight, I was pleased about this.

This chocolate was square-shaped and featured a sun-like design on top. Beneath the thick chocolate shell was a dark jelly which produced a sweet Turkish delight aroma.

The centre felt like a bouncy gel with a strong and typical Turkish delight flavour. Thankfully, for me, the chocolate distracted from this, so it didn’t taste as unpleasant as I feared it might have done.

The texture was my least favourite part of the Exotic delight but I think this was typical of the sweet and, therefore, down to personal preference rather than a fault on Cadbury’s part. 

Appearance: 6/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 6/10
Texture: 5.5/10 

Overall score: 6/10 

Orange truffle
I was really looking forward to this ‘milk chocolate truffle with an intense orange twist’ since it was a variation from the usual orange crèmes that are the more usual offering in boxes of chocolates.

Shaped like a pretty realistic (albeit chocolate!) orange segment, there was a slightly tangy smell that was evident through the chocolate, but I did feel let down by the weakness of this.

The Orange truffle was pretty solid and, although the centre was slightly softer than the outer chocolate, this wasn’t by much. The appearance of the truffle had made it look like it contained crispy bits but this wasn’t the case. However, it wasn’t entirely smooth either.

The chocolate had quite a strong cocoa taste with an orange kick that followed afterwards. This orange flavour tasted more realistic than I’d expected it to but it also wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped – it certainly wasn’t as good as a Terry's Chocolate Orange or as ‘intense’ as it had been described. 

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 7/10 

Overall score: 7/10 

Perfect praline
As the only praline chocolate in the box, I expected this one to be my favourite.

It was presented as a circular ‘chocolate gem’ with an inner section that looked a bit like a nut in a shell. The praline itself contained visible flecks of hazelnut which, unfortunately, didn’t provide a scent.

The filling had seemed stiff and dense when cutting the chocolate open as it had stuck to the knife but, in the mouth, it was a lot softer and smoother. The nuts provided a crispy texture but, due to their tiny size, they felt more like sugar granules than nuts – I definitely prefer smoother pralines.

As for the flavour, this was nutty but, unfortunately, it was also too sweet. However, there was coffee-like aspect to it as well which I quite enjoyed. 

Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 6/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 7/10 

Overall score: 6.75/10 

Caramel charm
I wasn’t really looking forward to the Caramel charm as it was described as ‘chewy’ which is a feature I’m not a fan of in a caramel – I think they should be runny!

It was presented as a square ‘trinket’ with white chocolate stripes and its centre was smooth and fudge-coloured in appearance.

The caramel had a mild scent and was very stiff so, therefore, hard to bite into. I must admit that I struggled with the texture but it did, at least, taste ok. That said, it wasn’t as flavourful or buttery as the Chomp bar, although there did seem to be a slight salty element in this case. 

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 6.5/10
Texture: 5.5/10 

Overall score: 6.5/10 

Nutty heart
The Nutty heart was, unsurprisingly, heart-shaped, and featured the letters ‘MT’ for ‘Milk Tray’.

It was described as a ‘whole roasted hazelnut smothered in a caramel and milk chocolate’. The first one I had (the one that I’ve based my score on) tasted very nutty and this toned down the sweetness from the chocolate and caramel. However, I did still find it a bit too sweet. The caramel was viscous (I usually find the type used for this sort of chocolate is a lot runnier) whilst the nut was pleasantly crunchy.

So why didn’t the same apply for the second Nutty heart in the box (the one my photo is of)? Well, have you noticed how you can’t see the hazelnut through the golden caramel? That’s because there wasn’t one!

Nuts (or lack of them) aside, this chocolate was very similar in appearance to the Caramel softy, although the caramel itself wasn’t as runny. 

Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 6.5/10
Texture: 7/10 

Overall score: 6.75/10

Strawberry sundae
The Strawberry sundae was shaped like a strawberry and contained a slightly pink runny goo in the centre which was slightly darker on top.

This ‘fondant creme’ was also supposed to taste of vanilla but, to be honest, I didn’t really think it tasted of either. It was very sweet, with a slight tartness, but it mainly made me think of medicine.

Surprisingly, its aroma wasn’t strong – it was just slightly sweetened. As for the texture, this consisted of chunky chocolate with an almost liquid centre. 

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 6/10
Texture: 6.5/10 

Overall score: 6.63/10 

Surprise parcel
I genuinely was surprised (but mainly excited!) when I saw that this gift-shaped chocolate contained ‘a white chocolate truffle’. This smooth, white centre contrasted nicely with its milk chocolate shell.

The Surprise parcel had a barely detectable, albeit sweet, aroma, and I found it actually tasted more nutty than white chocolatey. However, it was still very sweet.

The chocolate was very chunky and quite hard but the smoother centre provided a cooling sensation which resulted in a very enjoyable texture. 

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 6/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 7.5/10 

Overall score: 7/10

I found the Cadbury Milk Tray to be a bit of a mixed bag (well, box!) but it was certainly more positive than negative. What I particularly liked about the product was the notion of all the coatings being the same (milk chocolate) since there was no disappointment of realising that my favourite filling was coated in a type of chocolate I wasn’t as keen on (dark!).

Appearance: 7.15/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 6.7/10
Texture: 6.95/10
Overall score: 6.83/10