Trader Joe's Chocolate Mochi Cake Mix

For some reason, Trader Joe's Mochi cake mix is a seasonal find. In fact, the last time I saw it on shelves it was gone before I got to the store.

Now right before the start of the fall season, we are hit with a chocolate mochi with a peanut butter frosting mix.

For $4.49 this might be something worth buying if you are into mochi or need a solid gluten-free cake option.

The taste

For those of you who might never have had mochi then this might be a good product to introduce you to the unique texture of mochi. If you hate mochi stay away from this and if you embrace mochi then this is a good item.

So quickly, mochi's texture is quite chewy. If you are biting into this cake expecting the tender and traditional texture of a boxed cake mix you are going to be thrown off. It bounces back with each bite.

Now, let's talk about each bite. This cake came out sufficiently chocolatey. It even had extra chunks of chocolate in each bite that were still there after the baking process.

The peanut butter frosting is sweet but has some nice-sized salt flakes that didn't disintegrate leading to a subtle crunch. So the frosting manages to walk the line between sweet and salty.

There isn't a ton of frosting to speak of here. You'll get a thin enough layer but not quite as thick as the picture on the box would have you believe.

But together they balance each other nicely. Both layers aren't too sweet, there are added textural elements from the chocolate chips and salt crystals in the icing in addition to the mochi texture worked here.

And yes the pairing of peanut butter and chocolate is a solid one.

But if you despise mochi, then this should be a hard pass. There is no hiding the texture here.

Preparing this

So for those of you who prefer visual directions, I've got you covered. Here is how mine came together:

First, you'll need two bowls: one for the wet ingredients and one for the mix.

Next in the smaller bowl add all of your wet ingredients so combine butter:

Add in eggs

Add water and mix the wet ingredients together

Pour the wet ingredients into the cake mix and stir.

This is what the batter should look like:

Add to a baking pan

Bake for 40 minutes (and start checking at about 35 minutes) and allow to cool

Do not frost until this cake is at room temperature. Otherwise, you'll have a mess on your hands.

Slice and serve:

The packaging

The packaging here is straightforward. This mix comes in a box. Inside the box are two bags: one for the cake mix and the other has the frosting mix. Both plastic bags are labeled as to which is which but let's be real, you can tell which one is chocolate.

Overall

Peanut butter and chocolate are a classic combination. The mochi will be the curveball as to whether or not you like this item. But it was a tasty bite. Yes, you'll get 12 servings out of each mix. I found each slice to be sufficiently satisfying. There was just enough frosting to go with the cake.

The mess was minimal as was the ingredient list. But as always, please check your cake a few minutes early. Mine was completely done at the 40-minute mark.

Overall, a nice seasonal addition to the Trader Joe's baking mix lineup.

Would I buy this again? For me, Trader Joe's Chocolate Mochi Cake Mix is a one-time purchase. But it is a solid one if mochi is your thing. The flavor pairings here are spot on.

Did you try it?  Let me know what you think in the comments section!