Remember when Hostess temporarily went out of business and brought Twinkies with them in their untimely demise? In their wake, Hostess left behind a slew of products that would seemingly become nothing more than memories. Along with their most popular items, we saw the end of their seasonal collection. Gone were the days of Munster Packs, Scary Cakes, and Glo Balls. Resting in pieces, Halloween cake would never be the same. Remember that? It was only a few years ago, but it's hard to believe it ever happened at all. When Hostess returned, they bounced back stronger than ever. Not only were their classics back on shelves, but so were new Halloween editions like Orange S'Creme Twinkies! With a reignited flame, Hostess resurrected and took back Halloween with a vengeance. This year, they're doing it again with not one, but two brand new varieties of CupCakes!
I remember when Candy Corn was Halloween's favorite flavor. In the 90s, if you had to associate one taste with Halloween, it would have to be Candy Corn. It was everywhere you looked. Whether it was a cardboard decoration or an overly sized bag of sugar, Candy Corn ruled the season and kept thousands of dentists in business. But, somewhere along the way, Pumpkin Spice took issue with Candy Corn and decided it was time for a change. Pumpkin Spice wanted to reign supreme and be crowned the new king of Halloween. And ya know what? That's exactly what happened. Candy Corn was pushed aside, no longer loved by the masses, and forgotten all about. Meanwhile, Pumpkin Spice was praised and became Halloween's NEW favorite flavor. Just ask "basic bitches" everywhere. Since then, nothing has changed. Sure, Caramel Apple tried overruling the Pumpkin Power, and nearly succeeded in 2014, but inevitably suffered at the hands of Pumpkin Spice.
Three flavors battling for Halloween supremacy in a world where I gladly accept all three and welcome them with open arms and taste buds. But in the midst of their battle, I'm happy to see a company like Hostess embrace Candy Corn and bring it back to relevancy. As one of my favorites growing up, it's about time Candy Corn is once again represented by the season it belongs to most. Yes, Hostess has brought us Candy Corn CupCakes!
These Candy Corn CupCakes, as pictured on the box, are very festive. Like real Candy Corn, they're almost decorative. Obviously, we can't have anything Candy Corn flavored or themed without those three traditional colors of orange, yellow, and white. They're crucial to being visually appetizing and symbolizing the Halloweens of yesteryear. Hostess clearly understands this and does a great job of decorating this CupCake. The only way this could look any better is if the icing was divided into three and separately colored. I'm nit-picking, but you can't tell me that wouldn't look awesome. Regardless, the sprinkles are perfect. This looks like a Candy Corn CupCake that was meant for Fall.
And the smell? Man... it brings me back! It reminds me so much of the individually wrapped Hostess CupCakes I used to buy at my corner store. In fact, with one whiff, I'm instantly brought back to the early 90s where I'm down at that store picking up packs of Munster-themed Scary Cakes. These smell exactly like those and the memories come rushing back every time I inhale. Maybe they're not supposed to smell like anything old or be anything other than Candy Corn, but that's not what I'm getting from these. I'm smelling pure nostalgia. For me, that's a win!
Do these taste like Candy Corn? I mean.. maybe? Barely is a better answer. I'm noticing a hint of that waxy flavor, but overall this is just a regular Hostess CupCake with cream filling. If you've ever had a Scary Cake before, then you know what to expect from these Candy Corn CupCakes. There's a slight difference, but not enough to notice without having prior knowledge. If given a blind taste test, there's no way you'd be able to tell me these are Candy Corn flavored. If you did, I'd accuse you of cheating and ban you from ever reading The Holidaze again.
Just kidding. I'd have no more readers.
My theme for 2015 is having my toys pose with my cake and candy for your Halloween enjoyment. It serves two purposes. First, it hopefully amuses you. I mean.. how can Raphael, dressed as a Mummy, holding a half-eaten Candy Corn CupCake not make your day? And secondly, it proves that I have nothing better to do and would most likely be beat up at work if they found out what I did with my free time.
Because I love Candy Corn and what the traditional tiny pieces mean to Halloween, I wanted to give these Candy Corn CupCakes a higher score. I really hoped they'd deem themselves a perfect score, especially because Hostess did an awesome job bringing the flavor back to life, but I have to be honest and give them an 8 / 10. I still think that's a great review, but they're simply lacking too much to warrant a 10. They taste great and look even better, but they don't live up to their name and that knocks them down a few pegs. Either way, I recommend you pick a box up to keep Candy Corn alive and Hostess in business.
Tomorrow, we'll take a look at the second of these two new Hostess CupCakes - Pumpkin Spice. I know, right.. who'd have guessed that?
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