Mr Kipling 4 Cookies and Cream Whirls (Ocado) By @Cinabar

We are big fans of Mr Kipling products and always keep an eye out for any new flavours or twists on their classic treats. These new Cookies and Cream Whirls immediately caught our attention. They are clearly inspired by the brand's popular Viennese Whirls, but with a chocolatey cookies and cream makeover.

Inside the box are four dark cocoa-coloured whirls sandwiched together with a pale cream filling, creating an attractive contrast. They sit somewhere between a biscuit and a cake, sharing characteristics of both. Whatever category they belong in, they certainly look appealing. Getting one out of the tray required a little care as they are extremely crumbly. Mine shed plenty of crumbs before reaching the tasting stage, although it managed to stay mostly intact.

The dark cocoa appearance led me to expect a rich chocolate flavour, but that wasn't really the case. Instead, the overall taste is quite mild. There is a gentle chocolate note, a hint of cookie flavour and a simple vanilla style cream filling in the centre. Even the buttery richness often associated with Viennese Whirls is fairly subdued, with the cocoa flavour taking centre stage, albeit in a restrained way. These are perfectly pleasant to eat and the texture is nicely crumbly, but I couldn't help feeling they missed an opportunity. Given their striking appearance, I was expecting something bolder and more indulgent. A stronger chocolate flavour or a more distinctive cookies and cream filling would have made them much more memorable.

Overall, these are enjoyable enough if you're looking for a light sweet treat, but they don't quite deliver the rich cookies and cream experience their appearance promises.

Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

Mr Kipling makes exceedingly good cakes, I hear. In fact Mr Kipling has been making exceedingly good cakes since 1967. They have been the market leader since 1976. It must be tough to come up with new ideas. So, why not come up with a new take on an old classic?

These new Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls are a new take on the classic custard cream biscuits. I do love custard creams, from the small ones to the big ones, and also the chocolate coated custard creams.

Described as a custard flavoured shortcake swirl with a vanilla flavour centre, I had already figured these Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls would be exceedingly good. On opening the packet of four cakes, there was a lip-smacking smell of baked shortcake, with the sweetness of vanilla.

I usually twist custard creams, eat the biscuit, then lick the cream, then eat the other biscuit. So, keeping with tradition, I twisted the top off, licked the cream and then popped the shortcake top into my mouth. The cream was smooth and tasted just like custard cream, and the top and bottom shortcakes were soft and beautifully baked. I wouldn’t just say these Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls are exceedingly good, I would say that they are a triumph.

Information on the box; Each cake has 151 calories, with 8.8g of fat, 7.4g of sugar, and 0.15g of salt.

Mr Kipling Lemon & Raspberry Whirls (Ocado) By @Cinabar

We are definitely starting to see some new summery flavours appearing in the shops, which is always a good thing. I do enjoy fruity flavours, so I knew I had to give these Mr Kipling Lemon & Raspberry Whirls a try. There are only four in the box, but the packaging itself is smaller too, so this wasn’t unexpected.

The Whirls look really appealing, and you can see the yellow and red filling shining through the sides. I’m never quite sure whether these are biscuits or cakes. They are firm, but not crunchy, with a soft and fluffy crumb, so they sit somewhere in between. I did enjoy the texture though. They are fairly large, but still easy to bite through.

The flavours are fresh and vibrant. The zingy lemon comes through first, followed by a sweeter raspberry flavour that still has a slight tang to it. The combination works really well, and they are genuinely lovely to eat. Here’s hoping we see even more summer flavours appearing in the shops soon, along with some matching weather to enjoy them in.

Mr Kipling Mince Pie Whirls (Asda) By @Cinabar

Mr Kipling has taken the much loved Viennese Whirl and given it a festive makeover with these Mince Pie Whirls, and I am pleased to report that it really works.

Presentation wise, these look lovely in the box and would be ideal to put out for guests. The packaging is a bright festive purple decorated with snowflakes and reindeer, making them feel like a proper Christmas treat.

At first glance, there does not appear to be a huge amount of mince pie filling, but flavour wise it is spot on. The mincemeat is smooth with no crunchy bits, which can sometimes spoil mince pies for me. The flavour leans into cinnamon, my favourite spice, and it complements the biscuit beautifully rather than fighting against it.

The biscuit itself is a spiced shortcake, which immediately won me over. It is soft, smooth and crumbly rather than hard or overly crunchy, which is exactly the texture I prefer. These biscuits melt in the mouth rather than needing a strong dunk in your tea. The gentle spice running through the biscuit is warming and very Christmassy without being overpowering.

Sandwiched between the biscuits is also a dollop of brandy flavoured creme. Thankfully, the alcohol flavour is not too strong. Instead, it adds a lovely creaminess that balances the spice and sweetness perfectly.

Overall, this is a lovely twist on a classic biscuit. Perfect for the Christmas holidays, especially when visitors pop in for a cuppa.

Mr Kipling Caramel Tart Ice Cream (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I usually associate new ice creams with the summer season, but we still enjoy them in autumn and winter. This one is from Mr Kipling and is based on one of his classic desserts: the Caramel Tart.

I have to admit, I don’t often buy caramel tarts. It’s not that I don’t like them, I’m just usually swayed by apple pies or mince pies instead. I have had them though, and they are lovely.

This ice cream is mostly caramel, which feels like a recipe for success, it’s one of those flavours that most people enjoy. It also includes caramel sauce and pastry pieces throughout, which give it that proper tart and pastry feel.

The tub isn’t too big, but when we opened it up, it scooped easily after a couple of minutes at room temperature. The ice cream has plenty of goodies mixed in, the sauce and pastry bits, which keep it interesting. The combination of textures works nicely, and the caramel base flavour is sweet, rich and full of that lovely burnt sugar taste.

It was an absolute delight, and I’m now thinking a scoop of this on a hot apple pie might just be the perfect autumn dessert. I really need to give that a try.

Mr Kipling Breakfast Bakes Blueberry (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I admit that I was looking in the cake section of the supermarket for treats rather than the cereal aisle for breakfast goodies. These might sound like cakes, but they are clearly labelled, so when I ate one of these Mr Kipling Breakfast Bakes first thing this morning my conscience was clear.

When I opened the box I found there were four bakes inside, each individually wrapped. They are square in shape rather than the more traditional bar style.

The bake (for that is what it is) has visible blueberries and oats sprinkled on top. The texture is soft, and there are plenty of blueberries mixed in, giving a lovely flavour. They aren’t overly sweet, but just enough to still feel like a bit of a treat. The oats add a little texture, though the bake is mostly soft.

I really enjoyed this with my morning coffee, and I want to go back to see if there are any other flavours, just so I can mix up what I eat when I need a quick breakfast on the go.

Delicious & Light Hot Cross Pies (Iceland) By @SpectreUK

Hot Cross Bun season is upon us and we've already had a few strange buns, one resulting in melted chocolate pieces in the toaster. Stepping outside of the box are these Mr Kipling Delicious & Light Hot Cross Pies. I suppose they could be a substitute for mince pies, for those that really miss them.

I noticed on the box that these Delicious & Light Hot Cross Pies were reduced in sugar. Sounding pretty good for you is one thing, and some people like that, whereas, I like sugar. So, the reduced sugar worried me. I've stopped buying certain biscuits because the manufacturer decided to reduce their sugar. This is a treat, it's a snack, we know we're buying something naughty and nice, don't reduce the sugar and spoil it.

Apparently these Delicious & Light Hot Cross Pies have "real fruit pieces" in them, as opposed to those plastic ones you see on tables in IKEA. I'm in with that, I want a bit of fruit, fruit is good for me. I just want the sugar that goes with it.

The most depressing part about these Delicious & Light Hot Cross Pies was when I opened the box and noticed there was no sugar on the top of them. On taste they were full of mildly spiced fruit reminiscent of hot cross buns. They were light with melt in the mouth pastry. They were a little underwhelming, but probably didn't need much more sugar. They went perfectly well with my afternoon mug of tea, but come on, Mr Kipling, please give me some sugar on top.

Information on the box; Each pie has 192 calories, with 7.3g of fat, 9.4g of sugar, and 0.11g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Mr Kipling: Strawberry and Cream Tarts (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I suspect someone at Mr Kipling is missing mince pies from Christmas, just like I am. The difference is, they’re probably missing the sales, whereas I just miss the taste! Either way, they’ve released a few ‘pies’, though they call them tarts, to tide us over. We previously tried the rather lovely Birthday Cake edition, and now we have these: Mr Kipling Strawberry and Cream Tarts. They certainly sound more suited to summer, but I was still keen to give them a try.

Inside the box, the Strawberry and Cream Tarts looked delightful, topped with pink icing and sprinkles. They had the same cheerful, celebratory feel as the Birthday Cake edition. Flavour-wise, they’re really enjoyable, nicely balanced, not overly sweet, with the jam standing out beautifully against the buttery pastry. The jam layer is the real highlight, and while they’re a lovely treat now, I can’t help but think they’d be even more perfect in the sunshine.

Mr Kipling Birthday Cake Tarts (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

Birthday cake is quite the trending flavour at the moment, with the added bonus that you don’t need it to be your birthday to enjoy it. The flavour generally means vanilla paired with something like strawberry or raspberry to replicate jam, along with a good hit of sugar for the icing element. Having a strong sweet tooth and missing mince pies post-Christmas, it’s no surprise I picked up a box of Mr Kipling Birthday Cake Tarts.

 

Each box contains four tarts, featuring pastry, raspberry jam, a layer of vanilla sponge, white icing, and colourful candy sprinkles. They look very appealing, and I enjoyed one alongside a nice afternoon cup of coffee.

These tarts are incredibly sweet, a proper sugary indulgence. If you’re not a fan of sweet treats, these might not be for you. The filling is predominantly icing and vanilla, with just enough raspberry jam to evoke the flavour of birthday cake. The different layers create a lovely texture, with the thick icing and crunchy candy sprinkles on top being particularly enjoyable.

Mr Kipling Birthday Cake Tarts are fun, cheerful, and a delightful treat for an afternoon break. No birthday required, I’d happily buy them again!

Mr. Kipling Caramelised Biscuit Whirls (Iceland) By @Cinabar

Imagine the combination of Caramelised Biscuits and Viennese Whirls – and you’ve got the perfect match in Mr Kipling’s Caramelised Biscuit Whirls. As a fan of both original varieties, I was excited to try these, and they did not disappoint. Upon opening the box, I noticed the wonderful aroma of warming spices, instantly setting a cosy, autumnal mood. The biscuits, more golden than the usual Viennese Whirls, are finished with a light dusting of icing sugar that adds an extra touch of indulgence.

Taking that first bite was a real treat. The biscuits are firm but soft enough to melt in your mouth, with flavours that are rich, comforting, and full of autumn spices like cinnamon and caramel. As someone who adores cinnamon, I may be a little biased, but I honestly think this edition surpasses the original. It’s the perfect blend of sweetness and spice, and I found them almost too easy to eat, a box won’t last long in my house!

If you're looking for a new favourite biscuit this season, these Mr Kipling’s Caramelised Biscuit Whirls are well worth trying. I’m already planning to buy another box!

Mr. Kipling Terrifying Toffee Whirls (Tesco) By @Cinabar

Halloween items in the UK aren’t the most exciting things. We do celebrate it here in the UK, but it isn’t the big event that it is over in the States. There is some effort for confectionary and cake companies; we put pumpkins on packaging, but they don’t go wild with the flavours. Still, I saw this box of Terrifying Toffee Whirls from Mr. Kipling and thought they would be nice to try anyway. 

 

Inside the box are six fully loaded Mr. Kipling Terrifying Toffee Whirls. They consist of two pieces of soft, sweet biscuit filled with a toffee buttercream and a butterscotch sauce. The biscuit, although it has a much softer texture, tastes similar to a buttery shortbread. I didn’t think the toffee in the filling was very strong, but it was sweet and pleasant, and it was elevated by the rich butterscotch sauce also layered in there. 

These Mr. Kipling Terrifying Toffee Whirls are an indulgent treat; they taste yummy, and I would buy them again. They are not the most adventurous Halloween products you could hope to find, but the packing since, and they will make a lovely snack watching a Halloween movie. 

Mr. Kipling Rich and Gooey Salted Caramel Brownie Bites (Tesco) By @Cinabar

I was hunting for snacks; really, I was looking for Halloween snacks, but hidden behind a packet of pork scratchings in the supermarket were these Mr. Kipling Rich and Gooey Salted Caramel Brownie Bites. I’m not sure how new these are, but they appealed, so I picked them up. I will go on a further hunt for more seasonal items, but for now I’m happy with my choices, and these are perfect for an afternoon snack with a coffee.

Inside the box, I discovered the Mr. Kipling Rich and Gooey Salted Caramel Brownie Bites are much smaller than I thought they would be. They are called ‘bites’ I suppose, but I still hoped they would be bigger. I decided to have a couple, as one just wasn’t going to be enough. I bit in, and the milk chocolate shell cracked and gave way to a chocolatey, moist sponge and a rich, buttery dollop of caramel. These were a delight, a two-bite delight. The flavour was full of chocolate and sweet from the caramel and rich too, as the sponge had a heavy cocoa content. They were lovely; I ate two but could easily have had more. I haven’t given up on the search for Halloween goodies, but these were a yummy find in the meantime. 

Mr. Kipling Moreish Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake (Tesco) By @Cinabar

Recently I wrote about Mr. Kipling Delicious Chocolate and Fudge Loaf Cake, which was nice but not exciting. At the same time I bought that, I also purchased this Mr. Kipling Moreish Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake. I love sticky toffee; it is always one of my favourite desserts and flavours, so I was keen to give this a try.

I opened up the wrapper and found a card packet with sponge cake, topped a bit more easily with toffee pieces. We shared it out and gave it a taste. The cake was nice, but, like the chocolate version, was just that pleasant and nice. It was a decent cake; it was moist, and there were toffee tones. It didn’t sadly make anyone say wow. It didn’t make me want to rush out and get another. I think these new loaf cakes aren’t quite to my taste. I preferred this Mr. Kipling Moreish Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake to the chocolate version, but even so, it wasn't quite hitting the exciting mark. 

Mr. Kipling Delicious Chocolate and Fudge Loaf Cake (Tesco) By @Cinabar

There are new cakes from Mr. Kipling; I picked up both, and the first up to try was this Mr. Kipling Delicious Chocolate and Fudge Loaf Cake. There is something about the toffee flavour that does feel a bit autumnal; this sounds like a comforting cake for a cosy night in. 

I opened up the wrapper and found the cake in a card case. The first thing that bugged me was that the toffee pieces on top were not very evenly distributed; we shared the cake out, and some slices had absolutely no toffee on top. I couldn’t redistribute it either, as it was baked into the top layer. The second thing was that it was a little stuck to the card when I cut the pieces. So much so that I scraped the card and there was a good dessertspoon full there, which wasn’t exactly in the nicest format for sharing.

Once past those initial things, there was the lovely moist chocolate sponge underneath. I only had one piece of toffee on my bit, which was a little lost. The flavour of the cake was chocolatey and good; I liked the rich flavour. This Mr. Kipling Delicious Chocolate and Fudge Loaf Cake isn’t one I’d rush out to buy again, nice though it was. 

Mr. Kipling Strawberries and Cream Fancies (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

We are officially in Wimbledon season; the tennis is on, and that means the classic Wimbledon dessert of strawberries and cream is now in fashion too. One of Mr. Kipling's new summer cakes are these Strawberries and Cream Fancies, based on the fondant fancy cake with a twist of strawberry. If you haven’t had this type of cake before, it is a square of sponge, a dollop of soft fondant, and covered in icing. I have had these cakes throughout my life, and as is the case with many things from childhood, I’m convinced they used to be bigger.

 

Inside the box are eight small cakes, and each one is in an individual paper case. These ones are a lovely pink colour, and I immediately picked up on the fruit aroma. I bit in, and there was a yummy blast of sweetness and plenty of strawberry flavour. The sponge square is lovely and moist, and the dollop of fondant makes the texture good too. These are sweet, and they went perfectly with a cup of tea, especially with the tennis in the background. It was so nice to have a summery treat. I just wish the weather would brighten up a bit too. 

Mr Kipling Strawberries & Cream Chequered Cake (Ocado) @SpectreUK

I could definitely be accused of having a sweet-tooth. I have been known on many occasions to balance my calories, after eating all my fruit, carbs, protein and veg, more towards my evening pudding. This Mr Kipling Strawberries & Cream Chequered Cake sounds right up my street, unfortunately I have to share it, but sometimes that's the case.

New for Spring and Summer, Mr Kipling's Strawberries & Cream Chequered Cake is pretty much a differently flavoured Battenberg cake. Whereas the Battenberg is a combination of sponge, apricot jam, and soft almond paste (Marzipan), this Strawberries & Cream Chequered Cake is sponge, with strawberry jam, covered with a sweet strawberry icing.

There was an amazing aroma of strawberries on opening this Mr Kipling Strawberries & Cream Chequered Cake. The smell made me think of hot summer days watching tennis at Wimbledon on the box. The strawberry icing was super sweet, not sickly, but pretty much uber sweet. There was a great deal of fruity strawberry taste from the cake. The strawberry jam provided extra moisture, and the sponge was nice and soft.

Like a birthday cake, this Mr Kipling Strawberries & Cream Chequered Cake was super sweet and super indulgent. If you want a super sweet treat, maybe even for sharing, that reminds you of Spring and Summer, even if it is constantly raining outside, this is definitely your cake. Some of it was mine.

Information on the packet; Per 1/8th of a Cake (32g): 125kcal. Please see photograph for further information.

Mr. Kipling Viennese Whirl Ice Cream (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

We were in the ice cream section of the supermarket, looking for a small tub of raspberry ripple ice cream. Small, because we don’t eat that much ice cream, and we also have a very full freezer (there are so many half-bags of peas, I’m actually ashamed). Anyway, my eyes were drawn to a brand you don’t expect to see in the freezer section, Mr. Kipling. Surprised to see this Mr. Kipling Viennese Whirl Ice Cream, I popped it in the basket, and we continued our search for raspberry ripple. The only tub of that flavour we could find was 2 litres, so we decided to leave it. Once home, I had a closer look at the Mr. Kipling Viennese Whirl Ice Cream and realised that although it is biscuit flavour, it also has the jam running through, which is raspberry, so we did actually buy the closest thing we could find, albeit accidentally.

We decided to have the ice cream on waffles, so we scooped some out and could see that there was plenty of jam running through. The taste was super tasty, the background flavour was a nice creamy biscuit taste, and the ice cream had nice biscuit bits mixed in too. I loved the contrast in texture. The raspberry was milder than a full-on raspberry ripple, but the taste was very much there, and it worked nicely with the Viennese Whirl taste. I would definitely buy this again, and as it is in a smaller tub, it is perfect for our packed freezer.

Mr. Kipling Egg Fancies (Tesco) by @cinabar

These are an Easter treat from Mr. Kipling based on the classic fondant fancies but with a seasonal twist. Don’t worry though, they are not actually egg-flavoured, which is a relief! Seriously, please no. Thankfully, they are simply vanilla, but they are made to look like eggs because there is yolk inside.

I opened up the box, and the Mr. Kipling Egg Fancies look very smart. They are an Easter product, but they look quite dainty with their pastel icing and golden yolk, served in a cute old-school paper case.

I gave one a taste, and the flavours were lovely and delicate, sweet and creamy with plenty of vanilla. The sponge is moist and sweet, these cakes have a good, light texture. Visually, the cakes look even nicer once you bite in and reveal the bright yolk inside. It is super cute.

These Mr. Kipling Egg Fancies may not be the most adventurous Easter treat, but they are tasty and sweet, and the novelty of the design was enough to make me smile.

Mr Kipling Plum Pear & Cinnamon Pies (@NLi10)

 I don’t like mince pies, so instead of clearing up all the left over ones I’ve invested in Mr Kipling’s latest offering for us non sultana/raisin people.

This has Plum, Pear and a little cinnamon (barely any really) to make some tiny jam tarts with hats

Look at them - they barely exist!

As pretty as they are there really isn’t much to them, and they are best used on a saucer next to a cup of tea.

And for that purpose they are perfect, but don’t expect to be making a trip to the kitchen especially to get more.  These won’t generate the excitement that a crispy mince pie seems to create, but it’s a nice try and something to look for in more luxury ranges.