Ina Garten Sells Cake on Goldbelly—but Is It Worth the Hamptons Price Tag? I Tasted It to Find Out

• What Is It: six-inch carrot cake with freshly grated carrot, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon, topped with Italian mascarpone and cream cheese frosting and candied ginger

I consider this the oatmeal raisin cookie of cake. Despite its enduring relevance (chalk it up to Mother’s Day, Easter and any other spring celebration that calls for dessert), I find carrot cake to be woefully underrated. Warm spices and tangy cream cheese frosting are a stellar match; I’d argue that it’s the varied texture of carrot cake, courtesy of mix-ins like nuts and dried fruit, that makes people dislike it.

This one, in my opinion, is incredibly moist and a touch denser than the usual. Aesthetically, it looks a bit bare at first glance, compared to the other cakes, but once you slice it, all the crunchy, chewy bits inside make it appear more interesting. I wouldn’t mind more nuts and fewer raisins (the latter are very plump and plentiful), but the real star is certainly the frosting, which is tangy, thick and very buttery. I appreciate that the candied ginger is soft and easy to chew, too.

• What Is It: six- or eight-inch chocolate layer cake with dark chocolate frosting

This iconic confection came about after Ina was invited to dinner by a friend who served a chocolate cake that blew her away. It turns out that he used his grandma’s recipe, which he then passed on to Garten. She’s the namesake of what’s now one of her most popular desserts of all time. It’s famously rich and bold, thanks to a full cup of joe in each cake.

Full disclosure: I’m not a chocolate cake person. If it’s too decadent, I get nauseated after one or two bites, max. That said, the moment the cake came out of the box, a roasty, bittersweet aroma coaxed me to cut it open. This cake was indeed rich (thanks, buttermilk), but heavier than the coconut. The bitterness of the coffee and semisweet chocolate shines through, and the crumb is a bit dense.

The frosting is also beautifully applied. Not only is the cake adorned with rounded, shallow swoops of the stuff, but the frosting is also plentiful without being excessive (think two centimeters thicker than on a naked cake). I was intrigued by its flavor, which is very chocolatey without being too decadent; the best way I can describe it is like real chocolate, a far cry from the cloying supermarket confections you’ve had before. I love its fudgy, semisolid texture that offers some chew.

Pro tip: Ina Garten serves it over a pool of melted vanilla ice cream, which she considers a cheater’s crème anglaise. (And in case you don’t feel like spending $100 on this treat, take it from former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen: You can easily make Beatty’s chocolate cake at home.)

• What Is It: six- or eight-inch coconut layer cake with cream cheese icing and shredded coconut

The Barefoot Contessa shop was long beloved for its coconut cupcakes. Once Garten turned them into a full-size cake, it became popular for weddings. (With its snow-white appearance and elegant coating of sweetened, shredded coconut, there’s no mystery why.) Personally, I was most excited to try this one, as I adore coconut desserts. Garten recommends plating it over a smear of raspberry sauce and topping it with fresh raspberries, but I tried it as is for fair testing.

Aesthetically, it’s the prettiest of the bunch…on the outside. It’s completely covered with coconut (which made a bit of a mess when I removed the plastic collar), but since the inside is rich with the stuff too, it makes for a more uneven slice than the others. That said, its texture was superb—incredibly moist, fluffy and light.

Ina notes that the secret ingredient is a hint of almond extract, but I’d say “hint” is an understatement. It was the first thing I smelled when I unwrapped the cake, and it smacked me over the taste buds when I took a bite. The coconut and vanilla are definitely subtler, and the tang of the cream cheese is only strong if the bite is heavily frosted. With its nuanced flavor, airy texture and Insta-worthy looks, this cake takes the…um, cake.