Hostess Strawberry Cupcakes

These new Hostess Strawberry Cupcakes represent the first new full-sized cupcake option Hostess has offered in several years. And I actually have to compliment them for not jumping on the red velvet train. Don't get me wrong -- I happen to really like red velvet cake (if it's well made), but it seems as if every new snack cake type product in the last five years has done red velvet. Usually badly, I might add.

Hostess has been doing a strawberry cupcake in their 100 Calorie Pack line for a couple of years now. (In fact, I reviewed them in a short and boring review you can read for yourself here.) That was the first, last, and only time I bought the cupcakes. And I honestly am working completely off of that review for memory of them.



This box is the first 8-pack of Hostess Cupcakes that I've bought in a long time. (I love the orange ones to an insane degree, and I never see large packs in my area.) Incidentally, is it just me, or has the serving size shrunk?...

Anyway, moving on... The pastel pink is a shade that I am sure little girls who love all things Princess and Barbie would be thrilled to have in their lunch boxes/snack boxes etc. I am not a fan of pink, but even I have to admit it was kind of a fun color for a snack. Like if Mattel made Hannibal Lecter dolls, his anatomically correct polystyrene snacks (fava beans and Chianti sold separately) would probably be this color. And that's pretty darned cool, doncha think?



The smell is all fake strawberry. And, to be lazy and steal from my own review, it does indeed still remind me of children's vitamins. The cake is moist, and while again it has that fake strawberry flavor going on, the taste is better than I remember the 100 calorie version to be.

The filling, not surprisingly, is the standard Hostess filling -- and as such it barely merits a mention. The fondant top was my favorite part. It's just so bad that it's...well, I dunno about good, but it's...well, maybe "interesting" is the right word.



I will admit that much like the first box of the 100 Calorie version, I can't say I will probably ever get another box. But there is something about them that is just so horrible that it's almost good.

Almost.



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$2.50

CALORIES:
190 calories per cupcake

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains eggs, milk, and soy

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
hostess.com

Hostess 100 Calorie Strawberry Cupcakes

It's the new year and maybe we should be looking at some lighter options...
OK, my real motivation for trying these cupcakes is they were on sale for less then $2.00 at Walmart* but in my defense I had been wanting to try them.

The cupcakes come in packs of 3. The cakes are about the size of a half dollar. Each cake is covered in a light pink fondant like frosting. They have a light strawberry smell- sort of like the old school Strawberry Shortcake dolls did. The frosting is OK, it doesn't really have much taste but it does add a slightly gritty texture.

As for the rest of the cake it tastes EXACTLY like a Twinkie and a children's vitamins mated. I think the scary thing about that statement is that while it is completely accurate - it doesn't mean that the cupcakes aren't good. They are oddly addicting in fact. No, the strawberry flavor isn't remotely natural but that's why I liked it. "Real" strawberry probably would have been over kill.

For a 100 calorie snack it's pretty tasty.



PURCHASED FROM:
WalMart*