Doorstep Desserts is a new weekly (or monthly) dessert subscription that sends you everything you need to make desserts at home.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Doorstop Desserts
The Cost: $22 a box for a monthly plan, $18 a box for a weekly plan, $20 a box for a biweekly plan
The Products: Each box includes pre-portioned ingredients and a recipe card with step-by-step instructions.
Ships to: US
This week’s Doorstop Desserts recipe is for Death by Chocolate Cake.
I received a recipe card with step-by-step instructions for constructing the dessert.
On a separate card, I found nutrition facts and a list of ingredients.
The outside of the box was labeled with a very large “PERISHABLE” sticker, so I’d assumed that the cake components would be made from scratch with recognizable ingredients (like milk, flour, sugar, eggs, and butter) and that I would need to immediately transfer everything to the fridge. Instead, I was surprised to see that the ingredients included a number of additives and preservatives. Nowhere on the cards was there an instruction to refrigerate anything. (I did anyway though, just to be safe.)
Doorstop Desserts included two 5-inch, pre-baked chocolate cakes and all of the ingredients required to make each one into a small layer cake.
Unfortunately, the box was packed without any protective packing materials, and both of the cakes arrived damaged. Once of them was salvageable, but the other was beyond repair.
I considered reaching out to Doorstop Desserts for a replacement, but I decided against it. I’d planned to make the dessert for only two people, and I figured that one cake round would be plenty. (Plus, if we loved it, we could always dip the crumbs in frosting!)
The instructions were very straightforward. All of the cake components arrived pre-made, so I just needed to assemble the cake. I began by cutting the cake in half.
I then spread chocolate frosting between the layers.
To top the cake, Doorstop Desserts provided Chocolate Crème Pie Filling and Chocolate Krunchies.
When the cake was constructed, I cut small slices.
Personally, I like my chocolate cake to be as chocolaty as possible. When I make it at home, I put real chocolate in both the cake and the frosting. For me, this cake lacked that real chocolate flavor. Other than that, though, I was relatively happy with how it turned out. It was very easy to construct, and it looked pretty cute. The cake itself was soft, and the chocolate frosting was fine (it tasted like packaged frosting from the cake aisle). I didn’t really like the Chocolate Crème Pie Filling, but, altogether, the cake tasted okay. Both my husband and I had a small slice, but neither of us went back for seconds.
The Verdict: I think the subscription market is definitely in need of some great DIY dessert boxes, and I had high hopes for Doorstep Desserts. After giving it a try, though, I’m sad to say that, for me, it misses the mark. Overall, I think the concept is good. It’s fun to assemble desserts at home, and I think kids, in particular, could have a lot of fun with simple dessert kits like this one. Unfortunately, the poor packaging and high price are deal breakers for me. Cake is extremely delicate, and I think it’s essential to utilize protective packing materials like peanuts or tissue to make sure it arrives without any damage. It’s impossible to make a layer cake if your cake arrives in crumbs, and, even if the provided recipe is for something like cake pops or truffles (where the cake gets mashed up anyway), I think it’s unprofessional to package food without the necessary padding to protect it from damage en route. With regard to price, I think the $18- $22 range is too high. I think it’s fair to charge a premium for a dessert kit if the components are made with high quality ingredients, but I don’t feel that’s the case here. Based on the provided ingredient list, I think it’s safe to say that they’re relying on mixes and not baking from scratch. (Out of curiosity, I looked up the ingredients in Betty Crocker box cake and found them to be very similar to those listed on the Doorstop Desserts ingredient card.) If this kit had contained homemade cakes and frosting made from simple, quality ingredients (or the supplies to make those things yourself at home), I think I could better justify the current price. All that said, I think this box still has potential. With a lower price and better packaging, I think it could be a fun subscription for people looking to occasionally make quick, semi-homemade desserts at home. As it currently stands, though, I don’t think I can recommend it.
Have you tried Doorstep Desserts? What did you think of your dessert kit?
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