We said “Howdy!” to the Duncan Hines Dolly Parton cake mixes and frostings in our office this week. The limited-edition products include Southern Style Coconut and Southern Style Banana cake mixes, as well as Creamy Chocolate Buttercream and Creamy Buttercream frostings.
I baked two whole cakes at my 9 to 5 to see how these Parton products stack up to regular store-bought cake mixes and frostings. Are these Dolly-themed packaged baking shortcuts the greatest gift of all or will I be setting down my fork before the next teardrop falls? No matter how they taste, I will always love you, Dolly.
Southern Style Coconut Cake Mix
This is the best rendition of a coconut-flavored food I’ve ever had from a package. It tastes of shredded coconut instead of a Bath & Body Works candle, which is what a lot of other coconut-y foods typically taste like. The cake is airy and fragrant. I would happily eat this without any frosting (which is saying a lot because I love frosting). I would serve this cake to my Southern grandmother who loves coconut cake—it’s actually that good. Yeehaw!
Southern Style Banana Cake Mix
Banana lovers will be lovers of this Dolly Parton Southern Style Banana Cake Mix. It has a strong banana flavor that tastes authentically like banana. The cake is light and moist. It would be a wonderful base for all sorts of toppings and fillings, like fruit jams, Nutella, or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The major downfall is its scent. The cake tastes great, but it’s hard to get over the smell, which reminded me of banana Runts. This might be a selling point for some! For me, it was a bit much. I don’t think this cake will convert a banana hater, but I think most people will be pleased with it once it’s frosted.
Creamy Chocolate Buttercream
Dolly’s Creamy Chocolate Buttercream is good, but it doesn’t taste wildly different than other frostings I’ve had. That being said, it is a solid option for chocolate frosting. Plus, it’s hard to beat the packaging. I wouldn’t pay a premium for this, but I would definitely scoop it up if it was the same price as the other frostings on the shelf.
Creamy Buttercream
The Creamy Buttercream was my preferred frosting from this line, despite being a diehard chocolate lover. It was very, very creamy and sweet without being overpowering. I topped the coconut cake with this frosting and it felt like a delicate delicacy. I also liked the way this frosting tasted off the spoon if that’s more your style. However you choose to consume it, I’m sure you will enjoy it!
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!