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Doorstep Desserts Subscription Box Review + Coupon- Jul 2016

Haley Faye
ByHaley FayeJul 28, 2016 | 14 comments

DOORSTEP DESSERTS JULY 2016 - BOX

Doorstep Desserts is a subscription box that sends dessert kits you can construct at home.

DOORSTEP DESSERTS JULY 2016 - packaging

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

DOORSTEP DESSERTS JULY 2016 - all items

The Subscription Box: Doorstep Desserts

The Cost: $15 per box

COUPON: Get your first kit for $3.75 with code MSA75!

The Products: Pre-portioned dessert ingredients and a recipe card with step-by-step assembly instructions.

Ships to: US

Check out all of our Doorstep Desserts reviews and find other dessert subscriptions in the Sweets Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

DOORSTEP DESSERTS JULY 2016 - info 1

Each week, Doorstop Desserts offers a choice of two desserts, and subscribers can choose between them. For this box, they sent me Death by Chocolate Cake Kit.

DOORSTEP DESSERTS JULY 2016 - info 2

I received a recipe card with step-by-step instructions for constructing the dessert.

DOORSTEP DESSERTS JULY 2016 - info 3

And on a separate card, I found nutrition facts and a list of ingredients.

DOORSTEP DESSERTS JULY 2016 - items 1

So, I forgot to take photos of the process because, well, this took less than two minutes to throw together. You cut a pre-made little cake in half, spread the filling in the middle, put the top half on, ice it, and plop crunchy chocolate pieces on top. Also, this was inedible and had a really weird, chemical-y taste to it. My guess is that the heat of summer warmed up the plastic baggies the cake is packaged in and made the cake taste awful. Not to mention the fact that the pie filling and buttercream frosting had been warm from the weather (the whole shipping process) also made me question the safety of consuming those. This was a serious disappointment.

Verdict: We’ve reviewed four or five kits from Doorstep Desserts and to be honest we have yet to see anything that isn’t “cut a cake in half and ice it” or “squish the cake into balls and make truffles/cake pops.” They brand themselves as a general dessert kit box, not just a cake crafts box, so after this many boxes I really was expecting some kind of variety. This box was sent for review, but had I paid for it I definitely would have asked for my money back.

What do you think about Doorstep Desserts?

Haley Faye
Haley Faye
Haley Faye first discovered the wonderful world of subscription boxes in 2012 and began writing for MSA in 2014. Over the years, she has found many subscriptions to love. Now a mom of three, her favorite boxes are ones that dress her kids, help her get organized, feed her family, send her snacks, and offer educational fun for her children.

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14 comments

Beth

Amen ladies… I couldnt of said it any better…. Great idea but horrible service… Very ?

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nursermk

I have a cousin who is trying hard to learn desserts (she is a fairly good cook otherwise) and I almost thought about a short subscription but after reading the reviews with Haley’s honesty and a load of bad reviews and comments, I think I will just buy some basics and teach her some ” from scratch” desserts myself saving money and tastebuds in the process!

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Deb B.

If you read the icing ingredients, you will find no butter or dairy whatsoever in the “Buttercream Icing”, just a bunch of soy and palm oils. Doesn’t sound appetizing at all.

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Deb B.

Sorry. This was for the post below yours. 🙂

Karin Carlson

Good review and I totally agree. I cancelled my subscription with them due to this same issue. And even the “new” recipes call for squashing cake and making a faux cheesecake again with the buttercream. My last shipment took almost two weeks to arrive and it was beyond spoiled based on the smell but even if that were not the case I was starting to worry what they put in the buttercream to allow it to be shipped without any kind of ice pack.

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Emma

I actually disagree. I have been a subscriber to this box for months and my children and I love the experience together. For what I can tell, it looks like they have added a bunch of new recipes that stretch beyond cakes. If I had an experience like you, I would reach out to them because their customer service has been great with me so far.

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Rachel

Oh wow this was just what I was looking for! Thanks for posts the review!

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Jillian

I guess I don’t get the allure of this sub. I could walk over to the store, spend $5 and get a box of cake mix and a tub of frosting and make my own cake by adding oil and water, and at least then I could say it was fresh and I baked it myself.

Why would I spend $15 to receive an already “baked” cake encased in hot plastic bags in the mail? Especially when it could potentially have gone bad going through a very hot postal system trip. Although, none of these ingredients appear to be capable of going bad. Which is equally scary.

And is this cake from 10/15? Did they send you a 9 month old cake? Eek.

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Delilah

Right, I’d rather buy a Betty Crocker cake mix and spruce it up all under $15.00.

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Lin

Thanks for the honest review. How can they send this mess for a review. Like they are asking to be punished.

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Deb B.

It probably tasted awful because most bakers wouldn’t use the majority of those ingredients when baking from scratch at home. Too many preservatives, soy oil, palm oil & corn syrup. Also, you shouldn’t worry about their “Buttercream Icing” going bad; there wasn’t any butter to be found in their ingredient listing!

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Ashley

Well that was honest, lol! I really wonder if Doorstep Desserts is reading these reviews. Seems like it would hurt their business further to keep sending them….

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Barbie

I think this sub could be great if the actually had recipes, with most or all of the ingredients included. (Maybe like a cooking school/club?) Maybe that would give them more options in their monthly selections.

And yes, I completely agree – I wouldn’t eat buttercream frosting shipped in the kind of heat we’re having right now on the East Coast. Although the thought of death by chocolate sounds really fantastic! 🙂

Hey, did you notice that MSA has a review from Oct 2015 for the exact same cake!

Thanks for a great (and honest) review!

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Amber P

I agree – I think a baked goods version of Plated/Blue Apron/Hello Fresh would be a really good idea. I mean, baking ingredients themselves are REALLY inexpensive and the box could be supplemented with the tools of the trade so after several months you build up a nice collection of baking pans/accessories.

There’s no value in this box for me, how is assembling and frosting pre-made cakes any fun? Also, I would say, they must not read the reviews because I don’t ever see any effort to improve or even a reaction from them. I mean, they keep sending MSA free boxes! I highly doubt multiple poor reviews does any company any favors.

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