{"id":2906,"date":"2024-08-19T22:41:39","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T22:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/?p=2906"},"modified":"2025-07-30T01:01:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T05:01:26","slug":"publix-bakery-strawberry-peach-sensation-cake-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2024\/08\/19\/publix-bakery-strawberry-peach-sensation-cake-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Publix Bakery Strawberry Peach Sensation Cake Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Author\u2019s note: I wasn\u2019t paid or compensated in any way for this review, and I have no affiliation with Publix<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sensational appearance. Unsensational taste.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I had a very hard, very painful week at work. On the way home, I stopped at Publix for some milk. And walked out with this whole cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve shopped at Publix recently, you’ve probably noticed the bakery has made a strategic change. Instead of requesting a cake from the glass display case \u2014 and waiting for an employee to box it up for you \u2014 you just grab it yourself from a refrigerated shelf. This is genius, and dangerous. There is no longer even a shred of resistance between you and your irresponsible impulse buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway. This is the Publix “Strawberry & Peach Sensation Cake<\/a>,” and it is<\/em> sensationally beautiful. It didn’t taste as amazing<\/em> as it looked, but it was still good. Much less disappointing than the Publix Tiramisu Delight Cake (you can read my agonized review of it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

I will say this: Publix knows how to decorate cakes. Whoever is in charge of their bakery product development has a strong sense of aesthetics. Of all the grocery-store bakeries I’ve reviewed, Publix has, by far, the most visually appealing decorated items. This cake comes with a gorgeous crown of colorful fruits \u2014 including sliced kiwi, peaches, strawberries, and grapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(If you love berries, you may enjoy my review of these Strawberry White Chocolate Easter Bunnies from Aldi.<\/a> They’re made with real freeze-dried strawberries, and imported from Germany.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Unfortunately, the fruit is not all <\/em>fresh-fruit. The peaches are canned. The strawberries are glazed (and soft, instead of crisp). On my cake, only the kiwi and grapes actually tasted like “fresh” fruit. The whole strawberries around the sides looked<\/em> fresh, but the glaze had marinated them until they were a sort of mushy pickled consistency. There is also a bunch of red dye involved. More about that later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

This Strawberry & Peach Sensation cake is essentially a three-layer white cake with “Bavarian Cream<\/a>” between the layers. I would describe this cream filling as silky custard or pudding. It has a smooth, luscious quality \u2014 and a delicate flavor \u2014 but there was very little of it to enjoy, as the layers between the cake were thin. I definitely wanted more of this filling!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Can’t get enough strawberry treats? Check out my review of Aldi’s Strawberry Jaffa Cakes<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Detail<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mostly you will taste the outer “frosting,” which is the typical Publix fake whipped cream-stuff. If you’ve read my other reviews, you already know I hate<\/em> this artificial whipped “cream” topping. “Frothy plastic sadness and despair<\/a>.” It tastes like fluffy chemical disappointments. The only good thing I can say about this whipped topping is that it is<\/em> very lightly sweet, so it doesn’t overpower the rest of the flavors. And it doesn’t seem to melt or change, no matter what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Interior<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You may be asking, “why do you keep buying the frothy plastic sadness if you know you don’t like it?” Trust me, I ask myself the same question. Apparently, I buy food with my eyes as much as my stomach. I’m like a dude on a dating site, getting catfished by the pretty pictures. And then whining about it, but doing it all over again. Alas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Plastic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Anyway. Instead of a cardboard box, the cakes come in a sturdy plastic cake dome. I actually like these domes a lot<\/em>. They keep the cakes waaaay fresher that the old leaky paper boxes \u2014 and free from other “food odors” that might be skulking in my refrigerator. In fact, I liked this plastic cake keeper so much, I washed it and saved it to use again later. Hey. Frugals gotta froog! Let us froog!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Toasted<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The cake exterior is crusted with toasted almond slivers. Unfortunately, mine were both burnt-tasting and flaccid. I expected the flaccidity \u2014 I mean, the cake is sealed with moist fruit in an air-tight plastic dome, so naturally the humidity will<\/em> soften the nuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

But, the burnt flavor was 100% avoidable. There’s a generous amount of these thin almonds, which would have been<\/em> a wonderful nutty contrast to the fluffiness of the cake. Unfortunately, I had to scrape mine off and throw them away. Cruel, cruel world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Looking for a Publix cake with exceptional nuts? Check out my review of the Publix Carrot Torte Cake<\/a> \u2014 which features both walnuts and pecans.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

No one will be able to accuse this cake of dryness, ever. Publix does a great job making moist<\/em> cake. This cake is beautifully moist. It’s a light cake, rather than dense, and only moderately sweet. It’s has an extremely fine, tender texture and smooth crumb \u2014 like a box cake mix, but maybe a bit nicer. It does<\/em> taste mass-produced, of course. It’s not my favorite<\/em> cake texture \u2014 I actually prefer a more buttery crumb and homemade texture. But it’s still enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

I noticed the product picture of this cake on the Publix Bakery website has sliced fruit between the layers<\/em> (in the Bavarian Cream). Mine does not. Well. Not really. I found about three little orphaned pieces total, in the entire cake. Seemed like accidental fruit placement, until I saw the picture. So, I don’t know if you will get fruity layers, or not! Roll the dice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients in Publix Strawberry Peach Sensation Cake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Good lord. These ingredients. Ugh. Buckle-up, my friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Well, here they are. Read them, and weep:<\/p>\n\n\n\n