REVIEW: Blue Bell Red Velvet Cake

The concept of red velvet cake ice cream had been something of a fad this past summer, but one that I enjoyed immensely. Almost every company had rolled out some type of red velvet based flavor and no two had been the same. Blue Bunny's had been too light with an odd texture and featured an unnatural, metallic coloring. Ben & Jerry's had rolled out a flavor that still ranks among my favorites. Front Porch incorporated a strong sense of chocolate in their version. New Orleans Ice Cream Company had put their own unique spin on the classic cake. Then the people from Kroger rolled out their own Private Selections creation and stole the show. A few weeks ago one of our readers, Kenneth, submitted a reader review of Blue Bell's addition to the party. Seeing as how their Red Velvet Cake isn't involved on any of the limited edition lists from Blue Bell, I'm not sure where this had been hiding, but the decision to bring this pint home was a simple one. Described as luscious red velvet cake ice cream with pieces of red velvet cake and a cream cheese icing swirl, I discard the gold-rimmed lid quickly.

The first layer looks strikingly similar to what I found underneath the top of Red Velvet Cake from Ben & Jerry's, but this pint has committed the cardinal sin of smaller containers, the dreaded not-quite-full fill. The 200 calories per serving this flavor contains makes up for the missing portion. The light-colored ice cream was dense and didn't melt down quickly despite not being a super-premium, but the overly mild taste was a disappointment. The red velvet cake bases that have incorporated a high amount of cream cheese flavoring seem to score higher than those who remain cautious, but luckily, Blue Bell has included a cream cheese icing swirl to make up for the lack of excitement in their base. The icing adds a much needed burst of sweetness and authentic  taste of red velvet cake, but more would have been better. Only adding a slight textural change, this wasn't nearly as thick as some other swirls found in Blue Bell flavors. But the fate of every red velvet cake ice cream comes down to the hunks of cake hiding inside.

Utilizing the same approach as New Orleans Ice Cream Company of putting both small and large pieces of cake inside, Blue Bell's blood red chunks bring about anticipation and aesthetics. The larger, gum-ball-sized pieces are the perfect companion to the red velvet base and cream cheese icing. These soft and chewy spheres have a dense consistency that takes multiple bites to break down, finally incorporating the chocolate component that had previously been missing. Front Porch's Scarlett Red Velvet and New Orleans Ice Cream Company's Red Velvet Cake had both excelled because of the amount of cocoa they stuffed inside their cake, and this is comparable. Although the chunks of cake bring this flavor to it's full potential, the lackluster performance of the base and swirl can't propel Blue Bell's version above many others.

Where I Found It: Super Wal-Mart
Grade: B