{"id":160,"date":"2023-10-13T23:05:38","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T23:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/squarespace.joannawhiteart.com\/wp\/2023\/10\/13\/aldi-strawberry-cream-cake-deutsche-kuche-review\/"},"modified":"2025-04-18T18:57:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T22:57:56","slug":"aldi-strawberry-cream-cake-deutsche-kuche-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/13\/aldi-strawberry-cream-cake-deutsche-kuche-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Aldi Strawberry Cream Cake (Deutsche K\u00fcche) Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Author\u2019s note: I have no affiliation with <\/em>Aldi<\/em><\/a>, and I was not compensated in any way for this review.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frothy, lightly sweet, and convenient.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I previously reviewed Costco\u2019s Strawberries & Cream Bar Cake<\/a>, which I adored. Buuuuut, that seasonal cake is not currently available from my local Costco! Alas<\/em>. If you\u2019ve been curious how Aldi\u2019s Strawberry Cream Cake compares, I\u2019m here to help<\/em>. Or just ramble. Either way, I\u2019m here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aldi\u2019s<\/em> Strawberry Cream Cake is a super light, airy cake. Almost too<\/em> airy. Sort of \u201cfrothy.\u201d It\u2019s only slightly sweet.<\/strong> If you have a wicked<\/em> sweet tooth, you probably won\u2019t<\/em> dig this cake. It was perfect for me, however. If you\u2019ve read my other reviews, then you know that I dislike \u201coverly sweet\u201d desserts. This cake is about as far on the \u201cunsweet\u201d end of the dessert spectrum as anything I\u2019ve tried so far. So I liked it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My favorite aspect of this cake is how prominently real<\/em> cream is featured.<\/strong> The thick icing is actually foamy whipped cream with pureed strawberries. It\u2019s almost like a mousse in texture. The fresh cream taste is delightful, and the butterfat creates a satisfying mouthfeel. The blended strawberries have a wholesome, natural taste \u2014 faintly acidic and herbal \u2014 that keeps the berry flavor from tasting too processed. From reading the ingredients, I can see that \u201cbovine gelatin\u201d was included, probably as a stabilizer for the whipped cream layers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aldi fans online were complaining about how dry<\/em> the baked cake layers are. I was somewhat anticipating this, after my experiences with dryness in Aldi\u2019s frozen Donauwelle Cake<\/a>. What I discovered is that a slower\/longer defrost period results in moister cake.<\/strong> For that reason, I ignored the instructions on the package, and opted to defrost this in my refrigerator for 24 hours,<\/em> instead of at room temperature for 3-4 hours, as the label recommended. More about that later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Overhead<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve honestly never eaten a cake with a pie crust before, but this one definitely has some kind of crust on the bottom. Fortunately, I ended up liking it. The not-quite-graham-like crust is flakey and soft, and it has a fruit jam layer separating it from the cake. The jam-layer appears to be a type of apple jam, so it\u2019s a flavor departure from the strawberry layers throughout the rest of the cake. But I welcomed that palate shift. The jam helps to keep the bottom of the cake tender, and it\u2019s a fun surprise ending to the layered dessert.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Strawberry<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The sweetest part of the cake is the red strawberry gel on top. It\u2019s tangy, viscous, and much more sugary than everything else. Small, whole strawberries are submerged in the gel layer. Because the whole strawberries were<\/em> frozen, they are soft and mushy when thawed, but not offensively so. If you want to elevate this cake, you could add your own raw, sliced strawberries on top for more wholesome (and sophisticated) freshness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"White<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aesthetically, Aldi has done a commendable job decorating this cake. There are pert \u201cvanilla cream\u201d piped rosettes sprinkled with white chocolate shavings surrounding the glossy pool of red strawberry gel. I\u2019m impressed by how smoothly the whipped strawberry cream icing has been applied to the sides and edges. The pink, red, white and ivory colors look classy and elegant.<\/strong> This cake doesn\u2019t look tacky or sloppy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even so, this dessert isn\u2019t what I\u2019d consider gourmet. It\u2019s nice<\/em>. I\u2019d buy it again. I recommend it. It\u2019s tasty and fun. But not rave-worthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Looking for an impressive, dinner-party-worthy dessert? Check out my review of Publix Carrot Torte Cake<\/a>, which has a homemade texture and two kinds of nuts.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What DOES make this cake stand out is how convenient it is. You can buy this and keep it in your freezer until you need it.<\/strong> In that sense, it is available year-round. And, as long as you have 24 hours advance notice to defrost it, it is ready anytime, without an extra trip to the store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Preparation<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thawing Instructions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The instructions said to thaw the whole cake at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Based on my previous experience with thawing cakes from Deutsche K\u00fcche<\/a>, I decided to thaw this in my refrigerator for 9 hours instead. Unfortunately, it hadn\u2019t thawed all the way, even after 9 hours. I ended up allowing it to thaw for a total of 24 hours in my refrigerator, and it was perfect. The cake was soft and moist, and the strawberry cream was fluffy and hadn\u2019t melted or deformed. So, I recommend a refrigerated<\/em> thaw for a full 24 hours<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I am impressed that Aldi manages to ship this whole, decorated cake around the world without it getting crushed or damaged. It has an odd<\/em> styrofoam circle that protects the cake sides and top. The styrofoam slides out of the cake box, and all you have to do is remove the plastic wrapping and pull the styrofoam off, and the cake is ready to go on a plate. Other than planning ahead for thawing time, this is a fairly convenient dessert.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are wondering if you can just let the cake thaw in the box with the packaging intact, the answer is NO. The styrofoam collar is touching the sides of the whipped cream, so if you let it thaw before removing it, the whipped cream frosting will be damaged when you pull off the styrofoam circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In its frozen state, the cake is very sturdy, including the garnishes. The only minor issue I had was that the white chocolate curls had migrated\/were unevenly distributed, and the tips of the whipped cream piping was flattened. A few decorative strawberries had a dull\/dry appearance, but this disappeared after thawing and sinking into the strawberry glaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients in Aldi Strawberry Cream Cake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s exciting to find a cake whose first two ingredients are cream<\/em> and strawberries<\/em>. On the other hand, various sugars are listed separately, including invert sugar and \u201cglucose-fructose<\/a>\u201d syrup. I love that there are no artificial colors or flavors in this cake.<\/strong> In fact, carrot juice is listed as a coloring agent instead of dye. In the grand scheme of things, these are decent ingredients for a mass-produced cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the full ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n