Starbucks pairs new Frappuccinos with chocolate cakes for Valentine’s Day

We get a taste of the chain’s most delicious couples and find out if they’re worth the calories.

Limited-edition Starbucks drinks become a hot topic every time they’re released in Japan, and this latest release is no different, with the chain’s Valentine’s Day Frappuccinos now attracting attention.

This year, the chain is giving us not one but two Frappuccinos for Valentine’s Day — the Opera Frappuccino, which is making a return for the second time…

▼…and the never-before-seen White Opera Frappuccino.

The Frappuccinos went on sale from 17 January, priced at 790 yen (US$5.36) each for dine-in, and each one is topped with whipped cream, chocolate glacage sauce, and gold powder for a luxurious finish.

Both these drinks are inspired by the French opera cake, and while they’re thoroughly deserving of all the attention they’ve been getting, we thought it was about time the chain’s Valentine’s Day cakes got some love as well.

There are 10 sweets joining the Frappuccinos on the menu for a limited time, all containing chocolate, because in Japan, Valentine’s Day is synonymous with chocolate.

Image: Press release

With the Frappuccinos forming a pair on their own, we couldn’t help but wonder which of these sweets would be the best partner for each drink, so we asked staff to give us their recommendations.

For the White Opera, which contains a blend of white chocolate and white chocolate chips, they recommend the Cookie and Chocolate Pound Cake.

▼ This drink-and-cake pair will set you back 1,180 yen.

The white chocolate drink is rich and sweet, like a luxurious chocolate-enhanced milk, which makes it a sublime partner for the cookies in the cake. The staff member who recommended the cake told us it was their favourite item in the collection by far, and its moist and pillowy soft texture won us over as well.

It had just the right amount of sweetness and the contrast between soft and crunchy textures was exceptional. The combination of white chocolate, chocolate, cake, and cookies was over the top for one sitting, but it brought us waves of happiness that made it worth all the calories.

As for the dark chocolate drink, this called for an equally dark and flavoursome partner, which came in the form of the Chocolate Rice Flour Muffin.

▼ These two will set you back 1,085 yen.

The beverage is incredibly rich, filled with a deep and bittersweet taste that makes it feel like you’re eating high-quality chocolate. On the other hand, the muffin is lighter on the palate than it looks, thanks to the rice flour, which gives it a moist and chewy texture without being stodgy or filling.

▼ Very chocolatey, but light, making it a great partner for the rich beverage.

So next time you stop by a Starbucks in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, you might want to think about adding a sweet to your drink to really show yourself some love. Both these cakes are well worth the calories, so as a once-in-while treat you won’t have to feel too guilty about indulging, and you can also treat yourself to a chocolatey Valentine’s Day mug or tumbler while you’re there!

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