Biscuit Boost bars have to be one of my favourite chocolate bars so I was delighted to see that Cadbury now make a Boost in the form of a cake bar. I have tried other chocolate inspired cakes and biscuits and I have to say I have been more disappointed than pleased with the results in general. I bought these when they were available for a special introductory offer of £1 in Sainsburys, so I thought I wouldn't lose much by giving them a go.


THE BAR ITSELF

The cake is made of a chocolate flavoured sponge topped with chocolate cream in which there are shortcake type biscuit pieces. This is topped with caramel and the whole cake bar is then covered with milk chocolate. Each bar is individually wrapped within the main plastic package. While I would usually be annoyed at this level of packaging, I can see that it has a purpose here. A bar of this size is ideal for snacking on the go and the wrappers keep each bar fresh if you don't use them all at once. They are smaller than the chocolate bar [about 7.5cm long] but they are about as fillling to me, as they are sweet and I would not feel like a second. Once removed from their wrapper, they give out a strong chocolatey aroma which is really appetising.


ARE THEY SIMILAR TO THE BOOST CHOCOLATE BARS?

I would say both yes and no. They can not obviously be absolutely identical or there would be no point to the new product. The main difference to me was the inclusion of the chocolate sponge base. I was disappointed that this didn't really have a chocolatey flavour but I liked the fact that it has a light texture. I think it works well as a base for the creme above. The creme is soft and creamy and replaces the chocolate filling that is in the standard bars. For me, this isn't a good thing as I absolutely love the smooth crumbly filling of the latter! The lovely combination of textures it brings with the chewy caramel is one of the main reasons I buy the chocolate bar so often. If you are the same, you may find the cake bars a bit disappointing.

The taste of the cakes is no letdown though. It is amazingly similar to the chocolate bars. I would say that the caramel is less chewy but this makes the cakes easier to eat, so it is an improvement in my mind. The chocolate layer also seems thinner but as the creme is very sweet, I think this prevents the bar being too sickly.


ARE THEY A NICE CAKE IN THEIR OWN RIGHT?

I would say yes, as the layers taste nice individually as well as in combination. They are certainly sweet though and one cake bar is more than enough for me. The chocolate coating might be thin but it does have a proper chocolate taste. The crisp biscuit pieces complement the thick chocolate creme perfectly and keep the texture interesting. As mentioned above, to me the sponge base lacks additional flavour but it isn't horrible. The caramel is not too thin and has a butterscotch aftertaste that is lovely. The cakes are certainly sweet though and so one bar is more than enough for me. If you have more of a sweet tooth you might be able to manage more!

They are easy to eat and and not as messy as you may think when you see that they have a creme filling. I didn't need a tissue to clean my hands with which is a bonus if you are going to eat them on the go.


PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

I have seen these for sale in most supermarkets over the last couple of months. When not on promotion the price seems to be around £1.45. You get 5 bars to a pack so I think this represents reasonable value for money. I am happy that if I buy a pack of these I can safely leave them in my cupboard to snack on occsionally without worrying that once I open the pack the uneaten ones will go stale. This adds to their value too for me, as I wouldn't finish a pack in one go!


CONCLUSION

I would recommend these to anyone who likes cakes that are on the sweeter side, whether or not you have tried the chocolate bar on which they are based. If you are an existing Boost fan, then these taste very similar while adding a twist and I think you would enjoy them. If like me, it is the texture as well as the taste of the chocolate bars that is important to you, then you may find the cake bars come a definite second.


OTHER INFORMATION

Saturated fat is 6.9g per cake bar which is 34.5% of your RDA. [A Boost chocolate bar in comparison contains 64% of your saturated fat!]. Sugars are 17.6g per bar. In other words this is something for an occasional treat if you are watching your weight!

Suitable for vegeatrians.
Allergy information: contains wheat, eggs, soya and milk. May also contain nuts.

[This review may appear under the same user name on Ciao in the future.]