Cookies'N Cream Cake — DUMP

Name: Cookies'N Cream Cake
Brand: Portland Specialty Baking

Munch or Dump rates Cookies'N Cream Cake by Portland Specialty Baking DUMP — score 17/90.

This 'bakery' cake contains partially hydrogenated oils — twice — which means actual trans fat, the one ingredient nutrition science fully agrees is indefensible. Add Red 40, TBHQ, BHT, polysorbate 60, and propylene glycol esters, and the ingredient list reads like a chemistry final. The only cookies-and-cream here is cookies, cream, and about fifteen industrial additives.

Why this verdict

HARD RULE: partially hydrogenated soybean and vegetable oils = trans fats — automatic DUMP, no exceptions
20 ingredients — well past the >18 threshold that signals a heavily industrial formulation
Hyper-palatable snack triad: sugar + refined oil + starch
Four sweetener sources stacked: sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and corn-derived maltodextrin — Multiple sweeteners — sweetness engineered, not simple
Red 40, caramel color, BHT and TBHQ — artificial color plus dual synthetic preservatives on top of the emulsifier stack (polysorbate 60, mono- and diglycerides, sorbitan monostearate)

Ingredients (20)

Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL (avoid) — Source of artificial trans fat — raises bad cholesterol and has no safe intake level.
Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (icing) (harmful) — Second source of artificial trans fat in the product.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (caution) — The dominant sweetener and second ingredient; drives the sugar load.
Maltodextrin (moderate) — Highly processed starch-derived carbohydrate used as a carrier and texturizer; spikes blood sugar readily.
Dextrose / powdered sugar (concerning) — Additional refined sugars stacking the sweetness load.
Enriched bleached wheat flour (moderate) — Refined flour with dough conditioners.
Palm oil / soybean oil shortening (moderate) — Refined oils high in saturated/omega-6 fat used for richness.
red 40 (avoid) — Artificial petroleum-derived dye with no purpose in a brown chocolate product; a decisive negative.
caramel color (caution) — Artificial coloring for a browned look, no nutritional purpose.
Polysorbate 60 (moderate) — Synthetic emulsifier stabilizing cake and icing.
Mono & diglycerides (caution) — Emulsifier for a smooth, stable freeze.
Sorbitan monostearate / sodium stearoyl lactylate (moderate) — Stacked synthetic emulsifiers for texture.
Soy Lecithin (safe) — Common emulsifier, generally benign in these amounts.
Modified food starch / corn starch / wheat starch (moderate) — Refined starch thickeners typical of ultra-processed food.
Xanthan / guar / cellulose gum (moderate) — Stabilizer gums; generally tolerated but signal heavy processing.
BHT / TBHQ (concerning) — Synthetic preservatives used to extend shelf life; flagged in some studies.
Propylene glycol mono & diesters (moderate) — Industrial emulsifier/processing aid.
Natural and Artificial Flavor (moderate) — Added flavor system, including artificial flavor.
cocoa processed with alkali (safe) — Dutched cocoa for chocolate flavor and color.