I tend to get a little wary of ice creams that contain cake pieces. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve seen plenty of companies pull it off in a very good way. But I’ve also seen my fair share of cake mix-in disasters, where the cake itself comes out dense and dry as the result of having been packed into a frozen encasement for months on end. In fact, a few months ago, I did a review of Turkey Hill’s Limited Edition Raspberry Shortcake where I ran into that very issue. The shortcake just didn’t do it for me and actually wound up detracting from an otherwise fantastic flavor.
It’s no wonder, then, that I decided to proceed with somewhat curbed expectations when I saw Turkey Hill’s Whoopie Pie flavor hit my supermarket shelves. Under normal circumstances, I probably would’ve passed on this particular offering, but there’s something about the words “limited edition” that motivate me to try flavors I’d otherwise most likely avoid. (Way to go, marketing folks.) So after seeing Whoopie Pie in my grocer’s freezer for a couple of weeks, I finally decided to fork over the three dollars and give it a whirl.
The flavor is described as “chocolate ice cream with whoopie pie pieces and creamy filling swirl.” When I first peeled back the lid, I was pleased to see some pie pieces already peeking through. And all it took was a tiny dip of the spoon to reveal the aforementioned white, marshmallow-colored swirl. The base of the ice cream is what I’d call a solid, tasty, classic chocolate. It’s not super rich, and it doesn’t smack you over the head with that intense chocolate flavor. It does, however, serve as a nice starting point for a flavor where the mix-ins are clearly designed to be the stars of the show.
So let’s talk about those mix-ins, starting with the swirl. Well, it looks like marshmallow, and I know it’s supposed to be whoopie pie filling, but to me, it doesn’t have a whole lot of taste. Part of the issue is that the chocolate base, though not overwhelming on its own, essentially overpowers it. And while it doesn’t detract from the overall flavor, it also doesn’t do much to jazz it up.
But while the swirl ended up being a bit of a disappointment, the whoopie pie pieces were the exact opposite: a pleasantly tasty surprise. Forget about being dry, bland, and overly chewy; these whoopie pie pieces are the best thing to come out of this ice cream. They’re soft and wonderfully cakey, and they’re very well-integrated throughout the carton. And because they’re a nice rich chocolate, they do a great job of amping up the more subtle flavor of the base. So there you have it: The one element I feared with regard to this ice cream was the aspect I wound up enjoying the most. And despite the lackluster swirl, given the price point and reasonable caloric value, I’d say this flavor is worth checking out.
Where Mo Found It: ShopRite
Mo's Grade: C
