Disclosure: this post is not sponsored. I just thought it would be fun to compare.
Y’all, I did it for you. And by you, I mean me. I thought you might be curious, too, though, so this post really is for you. I’m talking about Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. Did you know they introduced a Big Pack this year? I get these tiny, taste-bud-tantalizing, Tannenbaum-shaped treats every year that I can find them, which is almost every year. I actually had not planned on looking this year because, Covid, but when I heard about the Big Packs, I was on a mission. I needed to know. Which one is better? So, I took one for the team and embarked on a hunt.
I started off thinking the classic version would be easier to find, so I did a quick Google search to figure out who had them. I was also recovering from a procedure and needed groceries so I concentrated my efforts on retailers who met three criteria: 1) partner with Instacart so I wouldn’t have to get out, 2) have groceries and 3) have the cakes. Target was the only one that met all three; Target it was!
That turned out to be a near disaster of epic proportions. One thing you should know about me is that I never do anything on a small scale. I was planning to buy those little beauties in bulk. If they lasted until Christmas in July, well, so be it. I’m always down to let freedom jingle. I ordered six boxes of vanilla and six chocolate, fully prepared to give some as stocking stuffers, too. Or not. Don’t judge!
Y’all! They were out of the cakes! And the shopper substituted Swiss Cake Rolls instead, even though I didn’t authorize substitutions. So, then I had 12 boxes of Swiss Cake Rolls coming my way! TWELVE! I love me some Swiss Cake Rolls, but not 12 boxes’ worth. I quickly messaged him to please put those back and refund the cakes. Disaster averted! Whew!
I don’t usually do my grocery shopping at Target, and it turns out, it really isn’t the best idea. They were out of approximately half of my groceries, and somehow my half and half for my coffee got subbed out for flavorless Spindrift?! I dunno. I also ended up not getting some of the things I paid for and had to submit a claim. All was not derailed, though. I do not give up that easily.
Another Google search later, and I learned that Wal Mart had them AND they had the Big Packs. The trail was hot, y’all! There was just one problem. They were only available for in-store shopping. So, I rallied, got myself dressed and ventured out to complete my mission. It took some searching, but I was successful. The classic cakes had their own display, and the Big Packs were hidden in plain sight amongst the every day Little Debbie Snack Cakes. Again, I purchased as though I was prepping for Armageddon (who knows, I might truly be) and bought in bulk. They only had the vanilla, so I had to double-down on those. For shame, for shame!
Now that I had my bounty in my possession, it was time to compare. I expected the Big Pack cakes to be bigger, duh, but the shape was also a little different. The classic cakes had a little bit more detail with more points on the trees. I also expected them to taste exactly the same. Boy, was I wrong! I do think the cake part was the same, but not the filling. The Big Pack cake had a much higher filling-to-cake ratio, and the higher the better in my book. Yum!
The filling tasted a little different, too. The classic cake tasted just as I expected, as it always has, sweet with hints of vanilla, but still very snack cake-like. The filling in the Big Pack cake tasted more like real buttercream and hit me right in my smile as soon as I bit into it. While the classic cake had a more refined shape, the Big Pack cake had a more refined flavor. Let’s be real, though. We are still talking about snack cakes here. And I do love a snack cake, all the better when it’s in the shape of a Christmas tree. What was the final verdict? No contest. Spring for the Big Pack all day, every day if you can find it.
Square Life Round World 