Pillsbury released a chocolate version of its Funfetti cake, but it's not as tasty (or pretty) as the original
- Pillsbury added chocolate to its lineup of Funfetti cake and cupcake mix flavors.
- At the time of writing, the cake mix was available at Acme, Fresh Thyme, and Menards with a suggested retail price between $1.30 and $2.30.
- The cake only required three ingredients in addition to the mix, which made it easy to pull together.
- I found the flavor tasted identical to regular chocolate cake rather than reminiscent of classic Funfetti's birthday-cake flavoring.
- And while there were sprinkles inside, it was hard to see them all in the finished cake.
When I first saw the news that Pillsbury came out with a chocolate version of its iconic Funfetti cake, I knew I had to give it a try.
Most of the fun of eating a Funfetti cake, in my opinion, is the unique flavor and the colorful pops of confetti-like sprinkles in every slice. Even though the brand's original Funfetti cake is yellow in color, a representative for Pillsbury confirmed to Insider that it has a slightly sweeter flavor than the brand's classic yellow cake.
When I set out to bake the chocolate version, which hit stores earlier this month, I was skeptical that I'd be able to see the sprinkles in the dark-colored cake. I was also curious as to whether the cake itself would have a birthday cake flavor, or if this would simply be a chocolate cake with sprinkles inside.
I followed the directions on the back of the box and mixed the water, oil, eggs, and cake mix in a bowl. Looking down, I wasn't able to see the colorful sprinkles in the raw batter. But, I was hopeful that would change once I baked it.
I, of course, tasted the batter before I put it in the oven. The flavor of the batter was classic chocolate — no complaints here. I loaded the delicious goop into a 9-inch round pan, placed it carefully on the oven rack, closed the door, and set my timer.
Twenty-nine minutes later I took the cake out of the oven. As soon as I set it on the rack to cool, I noticed that I still couldn't see the sprinkles.
I was a little bit disappointed, but it still looked and smelled delicious.
I let the cake cool a bit before cutting into it.
Inside, it wasn't as bright as I know the original version of Funfetti cake to be, but I was able to see the white, pink, and yellow sprinkles, while the orange, purple, and green sprinkles I saw in the dry batter got lost in the darkness of the cake.
When I tasted the cake, I found it to be lightweight and moist, but I thought it just tasted like any other regular boxed chocolate cake. There was no hint of birthday-cake flair, at least as far as my taste buds could detect.
A representative for Pillsbury later confirmed to Insider that the only difference between the chocolate Funfetti mix and the regular chocolate cake mix is the sprinkles; there is no flavor alteration.
While I, a 25-year-old, thought it was basically the same as regular chocolate cake, I do think the chocolate Funfetti mix makes for a fun dessert for young kids. My 3-year-old niece saw a pink sprinkle in her piece of cake and got so excited. Her review: "The pink part was delicious!"
So, if you're looking to spice up dessert for kids who prefer chocolate, I think this cake mix is a good option. Just don't expect the classic flavors of the Funfetti you know and love.
Chocolate Funfetti mix is currently available at Acme, Fresh Thyme, and Menards with a suggested retail price between $1.30 and $2.30
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This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author(s).