With desserts and coffee on the same menu, Dunkin’ always compels me to eat cake for breakfast. That undeniable urge brought me back to the drive-thru for its new summer menu. The Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake cried out to my sweets-for-breakfast-loving heart, and it ultimately further encouraged my habit. How?

This loaf cake tastes a lot like Trix cereal. Thanks, Dunkin’. In my mind, cake that tastes like cereal = cereal = breakfast = a sensible morning meal. Right?

Ignore my flimsy rationalization for several moments, and let’s return to the cake. In smell and taste, the loaf’s fruity flavor is very similar to Trix, Fruity Pebbles, and any candy, snack, or sweet inspired by such sugary cereal icons. It’s definitely an enjoyable and nostalgic, although nondescript, flavor that pairs well with the cake’s rich, buttery taste. While I could discern lemon flavor (but very little strawberry) primarily in the aftertaste, I wish that the loaf tasted more specifically fruity as opposed to generically fruity.

The loaf lists lemon juice, strawberry puree, and natural flavors among its ingredients, so it’s funny that the resulting taste is so similar to products that lean on cocktails of artificial fruit flavorings. I wonder if sticking to one flavor would have yielded a result similar to the lemon loaf from Starbucks, which I haven’t had in years but still remember as tasting like lemon zest.

Despite the unexpected flavor, the Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake is not a bad bite. The slice is thick, moist, and dense in crumb—a perfect, filling pound cake consistency. The layer of strawberry-flavored icing coating the top is semisoft powdered sugar icing, neither crusty nor runny. It adds an extra touch of moisture and sweetness without being cloying, although the purported strawberry flavor is pretty mild. Bonus points for the cool marble swirl effect that paints the cake yellow and pink. In these respects, the loaf satisfies, rivaling similar products you’d find at other coffee or grocery store chains.

Pre-packaged for on-the-go convenience, Dunkin’s seasonal Iced Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake is here for a limited time. For breakfast, snack, or dessert, it won’t serve up a slice of summer flavor, but fruity cereal fans won’t leave any crumbs.

Purchased Price: $3.29
Size: 4 oz (113 g) slice
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 450 calories, 21 grams of total fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 75 milligrams of cholesterol, 310 milligrams of sodium, 58 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 40 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

The promotional photos for Dunkin’s Ham & Swiss Pretzel Sliders feature two sliders with round fluffy buns. However, my order looked more like Dunkin’ Ham & Swiss Pretzel Smooshers, if you will.

I promise it wasn’t me who did that. I treated them like wounded baby birds when they were handed to me.

Those squished mounds you see above feature Black Forest ham, a honey mustard spread, and Swiss cheese between smashed King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Slider Buns. The two warm sandwiches came out of their sleeve like conjoined twins fused at the cheese. I thought their whole smooshy presentation gave off a school lunch-ish vibe. I don’t know why I felt that way because it’s been a while since I entered a school cafeteria.

While that sounds awful, after surgically separating the conjoined mini sandwiches with a butter knife, the first one I grabbed had an acrid aroma and flavor that reminded me of burnt food. However, the bun didn’t look burnt in any way. Not every bite I took from the slider tasted that way, and with the other one, I didn’t experience any burnt smells or flavors, which is a little weird since they were prepared simultaneously.

Despite their flatness, they tasted quite meaty. I guess when a slice of ham is folded over onto itself twice, there would be a decent ham wall. Because of this, the sliders have an exporksion of flavor with a hint of honey mustard and even less cheesiness. From what I could taste, the honey mustard was applied lightly to my order, which was disappointing since I love the condiment.

As for the buns, the salt crystals on them provided occasional big bursts of saltiness, but I wouldn’t say the buns had a pretzel taste to them. I don’t know if that initial acrid flavor I noticed was supposed to be it, but I hope not. However, while they lacked pretzel-ness, the buns were sweet enough that you could convince me that these were regular King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls.

Apart from the initial flavor twist, Dunkin’s Ham & Swiss Pretzel Sliders were just average. Since one of the sliders had an off taste while the other didn’t, I suspect I received a subpar slider. Even with the one that tasted normal, nothing about it excited my taste buds. My enthusiasm for the sliders was as deflated as the buns that came with them.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 2 sliders
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 sliders) 340 calories, 13 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 1440 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar (including 13 grams of added sugar), and 19 grams of protein.

What’s the best way to get your New Year’s resolutions off to a rip-roaring start?

Cake for breakfast.

As if their doughnuts weren’t enough to help live this dream, Dunkin’ has released a Lava Cake Signature Latte as part of its new winter menu. Available in hot or iced varieties, the latte is inspired by molten chocolate cakes, which release a hot and gooey chocolate center when you cut into them. (Warning: This moment usually elicits an “ooh and aah!” from bystanders as the chocolate flows freely on your plate, but attempting to recreate this effect with a beverage will result in an “Argh!” as hot liquid spills all over your jeans.)

I ordered a hot latte, which consists of espresso, whole milk, and chocolatey Lava Cake Swirl flavoring. The beverage is topped with whipped cream, mocha drizzle, and hot chocolate powder, all of which create an inviting presentation and reinforce the dessert-like nature of the beverage. Like a lava cake itself, this drink oozes chocolatey flavor. A sweet, syrupy chocolate undercurrent runs through the smooth, creamy base. Dunkin’ Flavor Swirls are known for their indulgent creaminess, and this new Lava Cake Swirl delivers a similar creamy texture without sacrificing the strength of the flavors. The Swirl pairs sweet chocolate and mocha flavors that complement the beverage’s espresso taste well.

In my drink, the intended balance of chocolate, coffee, and cream was interrupted only by an unexpected aftertaste, a lightly cooling peppermint taste. I’m not sure if this effect was due to the preparation, sweeteners, and artificial flavoring, or just a holiday candy cane hangover. The aftertaste wasn’t strong enough to ruin the drink, but it was noticeable enough to make the drink seem like a Peppermint Mocha’s distant cousin who thinks he’s too good to attend family reunions.

The Dunkin’ Lava Cake Signature Latte exists somewhere in the overlapping sections of a Venn Diagram of a mocha, latte, and hot chocolate. It’s like a milky mocha that stole its toppings from a hot cocoa bar. It represents a lava cake well, although, like many of Dunkin’s Signature items, it may be too sweet for some. For me, someone who often sees meals as obstacles to dessert, the Dunkin’ Lava Cake Signature Latte is too sweet for the everyday but perfect for days when chocolate and caffeine cravings converge.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: Small
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 290 calories, 11 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 36 grams of total sugar, and 7 grams of protein.