There’s more to this festive cake than just pretty packaging.

It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Starbucks releases, and the run of limited-edition surprises is now culminating in the long-awaited Holiday collection. In amongst the colourful festive goods and tasty drinks, however, is a food offering that tends to be overlooked — the stollen.

While the traditional German Christmas bread might not be everyone’s first choice at Starbucks, it has a lot going for it, starting with the pouch it’s sold in. Made with a cute pink corduroy material, the pouch has a sophisticated look, a smooth, supple feel, and the familiar Starbucks logo in the centre.

On the back, you’ll find a sweet “enjoy your day” message in handwritten-style embroidery, with a smiley face beneath it.

▼ Starbucks is all about spreading joy in the details.

The zip pouch isn’t just pretty, it’s practical too, with enough room in its 21 x 8 x 12 centimetre (8 x 3 x 5) dimensions to store things like makeup, small gadgets…and a chunk of stollen.

Uncut and dusted with a thick coating of powdered sugar, the stollen looks like the traditional ones you’ll find in Germany, but how does it taste? Taking it out of the bag, we could instantly smell the soft scent of cinnamon and cardamom as we cut into it, making us feel like the holidays had well and truly arrived.

Biting into it, we were greeted by the warming flavour of Christmassy spices, carried through the palate on a delectable crust with a moist, chewy centre. Packed with  raisins, cranberries, orange peel, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, we were able to enjoy sweetness and tartness in equal measures, with an overarching richness that grew in depth with every mouthful. It was a fantastic cake, and looking at the back of the packaging, we found there was a secret to its deliciousness.

▼ Every stollen is made by Takaki Bakery (“タカキベーカリー”), a local company that operates popular bakery brands such as Little Mermaid.

Knowing that the stollen is made by such a trusted company made it seem even more delicious, and the 2,350 yen (US$15.19) price tag was reasonable too. Considering you get a stollen and a pouch for that price, we might just make a return trip to snag another one while we can, as they’re only available in limited numbers until Christmas Day.

Source, images: Press release  
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