Watch CBS News

Phantom Gourmet: Coffee Cake Taste Test

BOSTON (CBS) -- Phantom recently purchased four boxes of coffee cakes at a local supermarket. The crumbly contenders were Drake's, Entenmann's, Hostess, and Sara Lee. See if you can guess which brand ended up at the top of the food chain.

drake_box
Drake's coffee cakes. (WBZ-TV)

Drake's finished in last place. Rip open the box and you'll find two small round coffee cakes per pack, but Phantom says you probably won't want to eat either one of them. The cinnamon streusel topping is flavorless, and the cake is dry and forgettable. If this is what coffee cake is supposed to be, Phantom might switch to tea.

hostess
Hostess coffee cakes. (WBZ-TV)

Next up is Hostess. The box says coffee cakes, but Phantom thinks these small and light squares taste exactly like French toast. They're soft and moist, bursting with sweet cinnamon sugar flavor. And these treats look nothing like the picture on the package; as the crumb topping is more like a light coating, and the cake shows no evidence of cinnamon swirl.

entemanns
Entemann's cofee cakes. (WBZ-TV)

The runner up is Entenmann's. These big, square coffee cakes feel heavy in the hand, foreshadowing the hearty snack ahead. Overall, they're quite good, with a cake that's tender, and a generous crumb topping that provides a pleasant crunch. But Phantom found Entenmann's a bit too sweet, and wonders if the powdered sugar sprinkled on top is really necessary.

B4F6E2DBF13A4F188491A3A9C732356F
Sara Lee crumb cakes. (WBZ-TV)

At the top of the food chain is Sara Lee. These round, firm cakes are just what Phantom was looking for. The cake itself tastes a lot like a good pound cake, with just a hint of vanilla, while the crumb topping provides the perfect balance of cinnamon and sweetness. This is the kind of pastry that might just make Phantom a morning person, which is why Sara Lee crumb cakes are at the top of the food chain.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.