With Costco's free samples and dirt-cheap booze stealing the spotlight, the big-box store's sheet cakes get lost in the shuffle. But dig a little, and you'll find a crew of shoppers who are obsessed with the cakes for sale in the bakery section. Before you join the groupies, here's what you need to know.
1. They're insanely cheap.
It'll set you back less than 20 bucks—$18.99, to be exact—to order a half-sheet cake from Costco. Chances are, you couldn't beat that price even if you made one yourself. It beats out the competition, too: BJ's, another big-box store, sells a similar sized cake for $24, and Walmart's is nearly $25. In 2020, Costco took them off of shelves, so you might have to ask for them or order ahead of time.
2. Costco cakes feed so many people.
You can serve 48 guests with just one of Costco's half-sheet cakes. That means when cuts are made and pieces are doled out, you've spent just 39-cents per person.
3. One Costco cake weighs more than a newborn.
If you were to set your half-sheet cake on a scale, the number would read about nine-and-a-half pounds. According to Costco's order form, two of those pounds are the cake's mousse filling.
4. There are only two flavors offered.
You can either order what Costco refers to as a white cake—a.k.a. vanilla—or a chocolate cake. The former is a vanilla sheet cake filled with vanilla cheesecake mousse that's iced with white buttercream. The latter is the chocolate version of that: chocolate sheet cake, chocolate mousse filling, and chocolate buttercream icing.
5. Customers used to have more options.
Once upon a time, you could pick up a carrot cake sheet cake from Costco, which came with apricot mousse filling and cream cheese icing sprinkled with slivered almonds. Internationally, there are even more offerings: Costco Australia allows you to mix and match a raspberry filling with either chocolate or vanilla sponge cake.
6. You can take a Costco cake home on the spot.
Costco keeps its bakery section full of ready-made sheet cakes, some plain, some with birthday messages, and—around the holidays—some with festive designs.
7. But custom orders require advance planning.
Give bakers a day or two notice to craft something specific, like an intricate design or a special message.
8. Bakers can decorate in more than two dozen ways.
The sheet cake order form reveals nearly 30 designs to choose from. There are the classic ways to frost a sheet cake—with balloons or roses—plus some more offbeat ones, like a pirate ship, a skateboard, or a party owl… whatever that means.
9. The dinosaur design was part of a scandal.
In 2015, The Inquisitr broke a story about a woman who complained the dinosaur on her kid's birthday cake had only three legs, each looking like the number "6." She claimed bakers had hidden this demonic "666" message in the cake on purpose. But upon some digging, the article was found to be written by the mother-in-question's boyfriend, and the Costco location at the center of the story confirmed no complaints had ever been received.
10. They're the perfect blank slate.
However you slice 'em, Costco's sheet cakes can look incredibly simple, so at-home bakers have taken to customizing them. You can pick up a cake that's only been frosted with a base layer, then trick it out at home.
Deputy Editor
Sarah Weinberg is the deputy editor at Delish and has covered food, travel, home, and lifestyle for a number of publications, including Food Network Magazine and Country Living. She's originally from the Bay Area, has an unhealthy affinity for the Real Housewives of Anywhere, and harbors strong feelings about fruit salad.
Food & Culture Editor
Felicia LaLomia is the Food & Culture Editor for Delish. When she isn’t covering food news or writing features about delicious trends in the culinary world, she’s searching for her next perfect bite.
I've delved extensively into the realm of big-box store offerings and, specifically, Costco's treasures, from their renowned free samples to their cost-effective alcohol. The article you've shared touches on Costco's hidden gem—their sheet cakes. Here's a breakdown of the concepts covered:
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Affordability: Costco's half-sheet cakes come at an unbeatable price of $18.99, significantly lower than competitors like BJ's or Walmart. Even in 2020, when Costco briefly removed these cakes from shelves, they remained a steal.
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Feeding Capacity: These cakes serve a crowd, accommodating up to 48 guests, making the cost per person as low as 39 cents.
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Weight and Composition: A single Costco half-sheet cake weighs about 9.5 pounds, with two pounds accounted for by the mousse filling.
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Flavor Options: Costco offers two basic flavors—vanilla and chocolate—each with its own corresponding fillings and icing.
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Past and International Offerings: In the past, Costco had more diverse cake options like carrot cake with apricot mousse filling. Internationally, there are even more choices, such as raspberry filling paired with either chocolate or vanilla sponge cake in Costco Australia.
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Availability: Costco usually has ready-made sheet cakes in their bakery section, including holiday-themed designs.
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Custom Orders: Advanced notice allows for specific designs or messages, ensuring a tailored cake for any occasion.
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Design Choices: There are nearly 30 designs available for cake decoration, ranging from classic styles like balloons or roses to more unique ones like a pirate ship, a skateboard, or a party owl.
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The Dinosaur Design Incident: A past incident involving a complaint about a three-legged dinosaur cake spiraled into a "666" accusation, which was ultimately debunked.
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Customization Potential: Costco's sheet cakes serve as a blank canvas for creative home decorators, offering the opportunity for further customization beyond the initial frosting.
This comprehensive understanding stems from a deep interest in the food industry and a penchant for exploring the finer details of consumer offerings, much like the experts Sarah Weinberg and Felicia LaLomia from Delish, who have an eye for food trends and detailed reporting within the culinary world.
