Steve's Review of Blue Bell Mardi Gras King Cake (Seasonal, Gulf Coast Exclusive)

Wow! Mardi Gras season down here in Cajun country doesn't start until January 6th, but I was pleased to pass by my local Walmart and notice that Blue Bell has gotten a jump start on those festivities by releasing Mardi Gras King Cake, a flavor exclusive to the Gulf Coast region, stretching from the Florida panhandle to east Texas. Blue Bell says that this is a Cinnamon ice cream with pastry pieces, candy sparkles, and a cream cheese swirl, which by my reckoning hits the major King Cake ingredients, and since I always enjoy a good King Cake, I plunged the spoon in eagerly.

This ice cream is pretty delicious! The best part is the base, which tastes like the same rich cinnamon concoction that works so well in their Gingerbread House flavor. Also noteworthy are the pieces of pastry, which are really round chunks of cake. While these do not have the consistency and taste of classic King Cake pastry, their cinnamon spiciness is welcome, they are provided in generous quantity, and combine very nicely with the thick green cream cheese sauce that winds its way throughout. Unlike in some Blue Bell flavors, the candy pieces are substantial, they add taste and are not just window dressing, but they do have the aesthetic effect of reminding you that this is a "King Cake" offering.

Overall, the combination of the cinnamon base, pastry/cake pieces, and cream cheese sauce adds up to a very satisfying treat. I was initially unsure how cinnamon ice cream might combine with cream cheese, but the impact on the taste buds is pleasurable. I rate this flavor a half-notch below the top level but still, this is well-worth grabbing if you live in Mardi Gras territory in the deep south.

Where Steve Found It: Walmart
Steve's Grade: A

REVIEW: Mayfield Birthday Cake

In an attempt to branch out to some other brands, I reviewed a carton of Mayfield's Snickerdoodle a few weeks back. Recently I ran across some pint-sized portions available at a super-low price, so I decided to sample a flavor that I wouldn't normally purchase if it were in a larger container. My first experience had been pleasant enough to convince me to try their version of Birthday Cake ice cream, sugar cookie flavored ice cream with a big blue icing swirl and colored butter cream flecks. The only other sugar cookie base ice cream I've had the pleasure of experiencing acted as the foundation inside Christmas Cookies from Blue Bell, so hopefully Mayfield's version can have close to the same effect.

The fact that Birthday Cake only contains 150 calories per serving could be reason for concern, especially considering the weightlessness of the pint despite being full inside. Judging by look and calorie count, this seems to be of similar quality to that of Blue Bunny's Birthday Party. Yet again, the lack of actual birthday cake pieces which Blue Bell and Turkey Hill managed to include, would have been worth the influx in calories. With the top removed, the first layer is manilla-tinted, with hints of the thick blue icing swirl and multicolored butter cream flecks showing through to the top. Unfortunately, as I began to gather some of the beige base onto my spoon, I found the sugar cookie flavored ice cream had an unusual crumbly texture, usually consistent with low-quality ice cream.

The overly-sweetened base tended to have an artificial flavoring that had a bit of a cake batter taste, but finishes with a taste closer to it's intentions of sugar cookies. Although I was satisfied with the consistency found in Snickerdoodle, the base used in Birthday Cake just wasn't as smooth as I was hoping. Mayfield attempted to make up for this fact by adding a large amount of the icing and sprinkles. Very similar to the swirl and flecks used in Blue Bunny's Birthday Party, the butter cream sprinkles add a bit of texture, along with a burst of additional sugar. But the best, and sweetest part of this pint, comes in the form of the thick, bright blue icing careening throughout this container. The taste is identical to authentic icing you'd find on a birthday cake, but fails to impersonate the actual texture. The end result can't quite manage to overcome it's brother from Blue Bunny, or any other birthday cake flavor for that matter.

Where I Found It: Ingles Markets
Grade: F

REVIEW: Blue Bell Gingerbread House (Holiday Favorite Limited Edition)

While most companies have barely rolled out their Fall and Thanksgiving flavors, Blue Bell has wasted no time getting straight into the Christmas Spirit. After reading the description of this gold-rimmed beauty above, it seems like I've saved the last of Blue Bell's holiday favorite's flavors for last. Having previously reviewed Christmas Cookies, Pumpkin Pecan Spice and Peppermint, this half gallon of Gingerbread House combines cinnamon ice cream with gingerbread pieces, festive sprinkles, miniature marshmallows and a vanilla icing swirl together to create this succulent sounding selection. Besides the festive sprinkles that are also found in their Christmas Cookies flavor, this will be my first experience with nearly all of the components included inside this gingerbread based ice cream.

210 calories per serving seems like a small price to pay for the plethora of goodies packed inside this carton. After lifting off the lid, I'm left looking at a first layer that looks nearly identical to that of Christmas Cookies, perhaps only a slightly darker shade of beige as a result of the cinnamon base. This is one of the rare occurrences where a flavor shows it's entire hand from the beginning. The cinnamon ice cream is riddled with red and green sprinkles, loaded with small white pillows of marshmallows and not so effectively hidden hunks of real gingerbread. Much like their other seasonal selections, this is right in line with the consistency of previous Blue Bell flavors I've had.

As I begin to fill my bowl to the brim, my excitement waxes, while my patience wanes. I throw the scoop aside and grab a spoon to secure some of the cinnamon base. The thick and flavorful foundation is overly sweet, but incorporates just enough cinnamon spice to balance out the sugar. Seeing as how the base is so bombarded with other ingredients, it's really hard to taste only the cinnamon. The red and green sprinkles make their way into nearly every bite, adding a slight crunch that gives way to the subtle flavor of the Christmas colored candies, all while enhancing the aesthetics. The visible vanilla icing swirl adds even more texture and is certainly reminiscent of the piped icing lining gingerbread houses during the holidays.

Marshmallows are usually incorporated into ice cream in the form of a swirl, but after having a few of these, I'm willing to jump ship to the authentic mallow cylinders found in this container. Adding the unique, squishy texture that only marshmallows possess, these fluffy mix-ins set the stage for the highlight of the carton. As you can see from the pictures, every serving is loaded with a ton of gingerbread. These pieces bring back memories of the soft, chewy cookies found in Christmas Cookies. The unmistakable flavor of gingerbread is the perfect addition to all the sugar and cinnamon.

Don't expect to find stale, month old gingerbread house leftovers inside this one. These pieces taste fresh out of the oven, even retaining their pliability despite sitting in a half gallon of frozen ice cream. Although these pieces are larger than any of the other mix-ins and there's a decent amount of spice incorporated, the gingerbread only adds to the sweetness. My insatiable sweet tooth was highly impressed. So much so that Gingerbread House shot ahead of Dessert Trio in the Blue Bell rankings.

Where I Found It: Publix Super Markets
Grade: A

READER REVIEW: Elliot's Review of Oberweis Birthday Cake

We were excited to find a couple flavors of Oberweis we'd been eager to try, including Birthday Cake, on sale last week at a local grocery. Living with a cake and icing connoisseur, I accepted the fact that I was second in line to try this flavor and eagerly awaited our resident expert's opinion.

Oberweis is a regional brand based out of the Chicago area that has been around for 99 years. Oberweis describes their ice cream as "produced with fresh milk and cream delivered from the family-owned dairy farms that produce exclusively for Oberweis Dairy. Oberweis Ice Cream is Made with a minimum of 18% Butterfat making it a much richer product than many of the so-called super premium national brands". Some purveyors tout artisan techniques, all "natural" ingredients, even fair trade practices. Well, Oberweis is proud to say that if their base had any more fat it would churn into butter. Our base has more fat than the others. For a lover of rich, high butterfat ice cream like me this is just my speed.

This regional powerhouse cranks out at least a dozen flavors in unassuming black containers with limited description or fanfare. They are available at grocery stores and their dairy stores, which are well worth a visit for the milkshakes, sundaes and chocolate milk.

Our resident expert was initially disappointed that this was not the icing you'd find in a fine French bakery (dare to dream), and more like the icing you'd spell a kid's name with on a birthday cake. In some sense, they nailed it! We agreed that it captures the essence of birthday cake and ice cream, and does so with a much richer base than what you'll get at junior's birthday party.

You can see the tapestry of colors in the photos. The texture, however they concoct it, is as perfect as it looks. They are no stranger to using gums and additives that would give artisan producers and natural food fanatics an aneurysm.

A key to enjoying this to its full potential is to have the patience to let it temper fully so that the flavors emerge. That is very challenging once you set eyes on this visually stunning concoction. This is one of the best versions of this theme we've encountered. Light ice cream aside sheet cake doesn't stand a chance against this.

Where Elliot Found It: Straub's Market
Elliot's Grade: B

READER REVIEW: Steve's Review of Blue Bell Christmas Cookies

When it comes to the holidays I'm old school, which in my book means that Christmas season doesn't start until Black Friday after Thanksgiving. But Blue Bell must think otherwise, because passing by my local Walmart freezer today I noticed their "Christmas Cookies" flavor staring back at me. Being a lover of Christmas and cookies, I just had to try this!

Blue Bell describes "Christmas Cookies", part of their Holiday Favorites lineup, as a sugar cookie flavored ice cream with chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and sugar cookies with red candy cane shaped sprinkles and a green icing swirl. Peeling back the lid, I noticed the presence of just about all of these elements, especially the green icing swirl and the red candy sprinkles. Digging in, my spoon quickly encountered resistance as it collided with unknown cookie pieces and the feast was on!

A half-hour and an empty container later, I concluded that Christmas Cookies is a wonderful ice cream. The base itself is both a bit creamier than Blue Bell's vanilla and sweeter too, much like a good sugar cookie. The green icing is not a mint flavor, but more like a rich and creamy birthday cake icing, similar to the kind my mom would squeeze out of a tube onto her cookies, while the red candy sprinkles combine with the green icing to provide a cheerful Christmas-like aesthetic. Best of all, the three mix-ins are each delicious and are generously distributed throughout the container. I would say the snickerdoodle and sugar cookie mixes are more plentiful than the chocolate chip, but all three are in abundance, and we are not talking little pieces but rather nice size chunks of each! Also, this ice cream has great synergy. As good as the ingredients sound separately, they gel together even better. Once the ice cream starts to melt a little, the creamy base, swirling icing, and cookie chunks melt into one bodacious mass of ice cream flavor, and because you get three different types of cookies, different combinations of these chunks produce different flavors, so the taste-buds are continuously stimulated in different but always delicious ways.

I'm grateful that Blue Bell thinks the Christmas season starts in late October, because that means we get this great flavor now rather than later. I advise all ice cream lovers to get this while it lasts!

Where Steve Found It: Walmart

Steve's Grade: A

And here's my review of the exact same flavor they release in the Summer, which they call Christmas Cookies in July:

READER REVIEW: Steve's Review of Blue Bell Birthday Cake

As much as I love ice cream, there is nothing my sweet tooth craves more than a good birthday cake. Or better yet, a slice of birthday cake with a dollop of ice cream. So this week's Saturday Blue Bell feast just had to feature their Birthday Cake flavor, especially since the label promises the presence of pieces of chocolate cake, my favorite birthday cake flavor!

Removing the lid, I was greeted by a mostly pleasant sight: Blue Bell's creamy vanilla base sprinkled with colored candies and interspersed with dollops of a rich chocolate. However initial spoon probing revealed the latter to be chocolate topping, not the desired pieces of cake, a possible cause for concern.

However, I didn't have to dig long before the mostly-vanilla surface gave way to a smorgasbord of chocolate swirl and those eagerly anticipated cake pieces. Thick and richly textured, the tasty chocolate swirl, billed as an icing on the label, is actually much more like the fudge ribbon found in flavors like Happy Tracks. Plus, the cake "pieces" are not tiny flakes or bits but substantial chunks! These chocolate cake chunks are moist, chewy, and generously distributed throughout the container. And importantly, rather than overwhelming the vanilla base, this ice cream manages to hit that taste sweet spot wherein the chocolate swirl and cake blends with the vanilla flavor in a complementary fashion. True, the colored candies are mostly ornamental, not adding much to the taste, but they serve this aesthetic purpose well, giving the concoction the look of a festive birthday celebration. The overall effect is that when you eat a spoonful that has a cake chunk, and there are lots of those, it really looks, feels and tastes like you are eating a scoop of birthday cake and ice cream.

Blue Bell's Birthday Cake ice cream is indeed a treat for anyone who wants to experience the joy of eating the classic birthday cake and ice cream combo without having to wait for the next family birthday to buy a cake. Not surprisingly, I couldn't stop eating it, polishing off the half-gallon in one sitting.

Where Steve Found It: Winn Dixie
Steve's Grade: A

REVIEW: Blue Bunny Birthday Party

After starting my journey through Blue Bunny's flavors with those created by Duff Goldman, I'm continuing my exploration with some of their more traditional offerings. Unable to track down any pints other than the Ace of Cake inspired ones, I moved on to their cartons. Having tried super-premium birthday offerings like Ben & Jerry's Cake Batter, as well as lower calorie options like Blue Bell's Birthday Cake and Breyer's Blasts Oreo Birthday Blast, I'm interested to see how Blue Bunny's Birthday Party would measure up.

My previous experiences with Blue Bunny have been a roller coaster ride. Flavors like Chocolate Lover's Triple Chocolate Cake were well executed for the most part, but others like Strawberries are Forever Shortcake left me far from satisfied. After reading the description, and taking notice of the plentiful pieces of birthday cake on the carton, I'm disappointed to discover there isn't a cake component. I'm hoping the confetti shaped candy pieces and blue frosting ribbon can pick up the slack.

Possibly overlooked by others, I'm impressed by the packaging Blue Bunny puts their product in. Employing their patented fresh lock container that ensures their lid snaps into place, they take added precaution in protecting their ice cream from freezer burn. I unbutton the bright blue lid to expose some of the whitest ice cream I've ever seen. As my eyes dilate to adjust to the brightness, there's more than just albino ice cream. Tons oversized rainbow sprinkles litter the first layer.

Sampling my first bite, I wasn't expecting this to be so sweet. Combining ample amounts of artificial birthday cake flavoring and the slightly-gummy consistency that can be expected from a lower fat option, this is a pretty accurate rendition of ordinary white sheet cake with frosting. Because of the high quantity, every bite comes equipped with at least a few of the confetti shaped candy pieces. Consisting of pure sugar, these add even more sweetness to the already sweet white cake ice cream.

This already sweet flavor wasn't finished yet. The final component, the blue frosting ribbon, added even more sugar to the equation. Boasting a baby blue color that contrasted nicely with the bright white ice cream and rainbow sprinkles, this was thicker than your standard Blue Bunny swirl. Since I possess an insatiable sweet tooth, this wasn't overbearing for me, but I could see the sweetness to be a problem for some consumers. With the addition of some actual white cake pieces, this could have been the highest ranked Blue Bunny offering of the blog.

Where I Found It: Ingles Markets
Grade: C

REVIEW: Blue Bell Birthday Cake

After I browsed the August rotational list on Blue Bell's website, one flavor in particular lept off the page. Having just celebrated a birthday a few weeks back, it was as though Blue Bell had rolled this selection out just for me. Despite being in a half gallon container, I had to pick up Blue Bell's Birthday Cake as a gift to myself. Any description including cake pieces and a birthday cake base should have little problem winning me over. The small display window in the lid, clearly showing chocolate, vanilla and rainbow sprinkles, made it hard to wait until I got home to peek inside.

Boasting the description of, "Vanilla ice cream with pieces of chocolate cake, a chocolate icing swirl, and bright multi-colored sprinkles," now this sounds like something Blue Bell made just for me. As a kid, I always had chocolate cake with chocolate icing at my birthday parties. Why have white sheet cake when you can celebrate with chocolate instead?

Add some rainbow sprinkles, chocolate icing swirl along with Blue Bell's famous homemade vanilla ice cream and I'm beginning to think two quarts of this may not be enough. Prying off the top to this tub revealed one of the most stupendous looking first layers I've seen. I'm well aware of how amazing Blue Bell's vanilla (especially their homemade variety) can be and this is no exception.

When you're blessed to have a base as amazing as this, it's so easy to create exceptional flavors by tossing in some solid mix-ins. Let's start with the buku of rainbow sprinkles. They bring out the kid in all of us, as well as adding tremendous texture and amplifying the aesthetics. What the slew of sprinkles miss taste-wise is made up for by the succulent chocolate icing swirl. Not quite as thick as some of the chocolate swirls in pints of super-premium ice cream, this swirl is still gooey and rich, contrasting perfectly with the sprinkles and vanilla base.

The best was certainly saved for last. As I've explored some of Blue Bell's offerings I've learned that, unlike their pie pieces, all their cake and cookie mix-ins are incredible. Frequent and flavorful, these chocolate cake chunks send this creation over the top. The rich, chewy texture and chocolate overload provided by this marvelous mix-in send this one sailing right up the charts.

Following the classic recipe of a quality base, a sweet swirl, colossal chunks of cake and a little crunch, Blue Bell blows other birthday cake ice creams out of the water. If I'm looking for a selection to celebrate with, this will be the one. I should have no problem making this half gallon disappear.

Where I Found It: Ingles Market
Grade: B

REVIEW: Good Humor Birthday Cake Ice Cream Bars

After reminiscing on my younger years with a box of Chocolate Éclair Ice Cream Bars from Good Humor, I once again found myself searching the novelty section for some more nostalgia. Before I got very far I was distracted by the tagline of a NEW! product that just so happened to be in the same Good Humor family. They've taken the same idea as they had with the Chocolate Éclair bars, but this time with birthday cake. The Birthday Cake bars are made up of a cake crunch coated light vanilla ice cream and vanilla cake flavored center.

As I scanned the box of six I had just purchased, I was surprised to see that this version comes in 20 calories less than its chocolate counterpart, at only 130 calories per bar. I removed the bar from the plain white plastic wrapper to reveal something that looked like it had been rolled in Fruity Pebbles cereal. The cake crunch coating is vividly colored and brings about a sugary, gritty exterior to the beginning of each bite. The soft ice cream bar gives way with minimal effort and I’m able to taste the two ice creams inside.

The light vanilla ice cream is sweet, while the vanilla cake core is even sweeter. Although the taste is slightly artificial and the consistency of the light ice cream leaves a lot to be desired, the finished product isn’t bad for such a small amount of calories. While this wasn’t quite as good as the Chocolate Éclair bar I had earlier in the week, it was a nice play on the same design.

Where I Found It: Walmart
Grade: C

REVIEW: Zaxby's Birthday Cake Milkshake (Limited Edition)

Whenever we’re talking fast food fried chicken, Zaxby’s is always near the top of my list. While I’ve been getting chicken fingers and crinkle fries there for years, I was recently turned on to their desserts by way of the Banana Pudding Milkshake. More recently, they decided to bring two additional flavors to their lineup: Birthday Cake and Chocolate Cookie. The Birthday Cake Milkshake was originally released back in 2010 as a celebration of the company’s 20th year in business, but was recently reintroduced by popular demand. This offering is made up of a festive cake batter-flavored milkshake mixed with multicolored sprinkles and finished off with chocolate whipped topping. After ordering, pulling around and paying my $2.99 plus tax, I was ready for my first sip.

I was given a tall plastic cup with a clear plastic top to prevent the chocolate whipped topping and vividly colored sprinkles from spilling over the sides. At 860 calories for the entire shake, this could be fit into some people’s daily diets, but I only ended up enjoying about half before things got too runny and melted to continue. After plunging my long plastic spoon through the airy, chocolate whipped topping; I pull out some of the yellow tinted ice cream hiding below the surface. The base is much sweeter than a standard vanilla, possesses a distinct cake-batter flavoring and isn't thick enough to hinder you from easily sucking some up through a straw. In order to enhance the texture, Zaxby’s has included plenty of the same brightly colored sprinkle circles used on top to the base. These add a bit of crunch and a more authentic birthday cake feel, but not much else.

The chocolate whipped topping sitting above the cake-batter base is a nice play on the traditional whipped cream you’d find on most shakes and, although it’s light in color and texture, the flavors are rich and mesh well with the ice cream and sprinkles. When combined in a bite with the other two ingredients, Zaxby’s Birthday Cake Milkshake settles at a C. Some actual birthday cake pieces would have really sent this shake to the next level, but until then, I'll take the Banana Pudding version over this one. I plan on checking out the Chocolate Cookie Shake soon, so we'll see which is the best of the three current options.

Where I Found It: Zaxby's
Grade: C