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.
FAQs
You have to do it in person. Head to the bakery department of your local Costco, and look for the ordering station. Grab a "Special Cake Order Form," fill out the details, including your phone number, and drop the completed form in the slot. You'll be asked for your pickup date and time.
How does Costco cake order work? ›
You have to do it in person. Head to the bakery department of your local Costco, and look for the ordering station. Grab a "Special Cake Order Form," fill out the details, including your phone number, and drop the completed form in the slot. You'll be asked for your pickup date and time.
How many does a 10 Costco cake feed? ›
Round Cakes or Birthday Cakes: The brand offers 10″ white or chocolate round cakes for smaller gatherings, serving about 14 to 16 guests.
How much advance notice do you need for a Costco cake? ›
For Costco Bakery to be able process the order and prepare the cake, they strongly request their members to submit orders in advance, at least in 48 hours.
How many slices can you get out of a Costco cake? ›
You can serve 48 guests with just one of Costco's half-sheet cakes.
Are you supposed to refrigerate Costco cake? ›
Keep Them Refrigerated
Made with fresh buttercream, Costco cakes are perishable.
Will Costco put a picture on a cake? ›
If you are looking to add a personal touch to your Costco cake, you can order an edible print.
Does Costco make full sheet cakes? ›
The fan-favorite bakery at the fan-favorite warehouse store is known for its seasonal sweets, like gooey Soft S'mores Cookies and the controversial Strawberries and Cream Bar Cake, but it also makes sheet cakes year-round that make the perfect birthday cake (or a great treat for another sweet celebration).
How much cake is enough for 10 guests? ›
As a rule of thumb, a typical slice weighs about 70 to 100 gms. So, per slice weight multiplied by the number of guests would give the “Magical” number of how much cake should be ordered. Top up a few grams & you could safely say a 1kg cake would suffice for 10 guests, keeping in mind the factors mentioned above.
What size cake for 20 people? ›
Here are standard square cake sizes and their servings: 6-inch: Serves 10–12 people. 8-inch: Serves 16–20 people. 10-inch: Serves 25–30 people.
You no longer get early access to stores. There was a point in time many years ago when a Costco Executive membership gave you early access to your local warehouse club store. Not anymore. Costco did away with that benefit ages ago, but I really miss it.
Is Costco Black Forest cake good? ›
I bought this cake because it looks great and, according to Costco bakery staff, it has cherry filling and a nice choc flavour. Our large family unanimously agreed that this is the worst 'chocolate' flavour they ever tasted and we could not see ANY cherry filling.
How do Costco cakes work? ›
When you order a cake at Costco, you don't speak to an associate when ordering. You have to physically walk into a Costco location, fill out a form, place it in a designated slot box, and return on the date and time that you indicated with hopes that your cake will be ready.
What size cake for 30 guests? ›
For Round Cakes
| Pan Size and Shape | Wedding Servings | Party Servings |
|---|
| 7″ Round | 22 | 12 |
| 8″ Round | 24 | 15 |
| 9″ Round | 32 | 22 |
| 10″ Round | 38 | 30 |
5 more rowsDec 16, 2023
12 inch cakes can be very generously served to 40 people with each slice measuring about 1 inch across the back. A standard fork is about one inch wide. Keep in mind that the thinner slice of a 12 inch cake is 6 inches long and 4 or 5 inches tall. Of course a large thin slice of cake can be unwieldy.
How big are the Costco sheet cakes? ›
Costco Sheet Cakes cost $24.99 for a 12×16-inch cake that feeds 48 people. That's a deal, if you ask me! However, if – like me – you don't live near a Costco anymore – this recipe may be a valuable resource. Also, in 2020 when folks weren't gathering as much, Costco stopped selling their large sheet cakes for a while.
How does cake mail work? ›
Cake Mail delivers to Sydney, Melbourne Metropolitan as well as selected surrounding suburbs. Simply enter your address at checkout, if we can't deliver to your location, a message will pop up. What are your delivery times? Deliveries regularly take place between Monday to Friday at 12:30pm to 5.30pm.
How many people does a half sheet cake feed? ›
Is your pan smaller? No worries — we did the math for you. A half-sized sheet pan will make 58 servings and a quarter-sized pan will make 30 servings. If you suspect your guests will try to sneak slightly larger pieces of cake (no judgment here), just perform the steps above with different slice dimensions.
How do I place an order at Costco? ›
To place an order on Costco.com, you must first create an account (we do not offer guest checkout as an option). If you'd like to create an account, you can do so in three simple steps: Head to ou... Can I select a preferred arrival date (PAD) for my Costco.com order?
