Popular for birthday parties and other large group gatherings, sheet cakes are a simple and delicious way to serve cake to a lot of people. Baked in pans ranging from 9” x 13” to 18” x 26”, sheet cakes come in a variety of sizes.
While most grocery stores only sell quarter-sheet cakes, Costco sells half-sheet cakes which are 12” x 16” and can feed up to 48 people (with admittedly pretty small slices).
Available ready-made or by custom order, Costco’s sheet cakes are one of their most popular bakery items and can be a great addition to an office gathering, birthday party, or family reunion.
One of the most well-known facts about Costco sheet cakes is that they’re super affordable.
Costco sheet cakes come in just one size, 12” x 16” (which is actually a half-sheet cake). These half-sheet cakes are available for just $24.99 for either flavor.
Contents
What Flavors Of Sheet Cake Does Costco Sell?
When it comes to Costco sheet cakes, their rule is “keep it simple.” Offering just two flavors (chocolate and vanilla), Costco makes it easy to choose.
Costco’s chocolate sheet cake is filled with chocolate mousse and covered with chocolate buttercream icing, while their vanilla sheet cake is filled with vanilla cheesecake mousse and iced with white buttercream.
For any buttercream purists out there, it’s worth noting that Costco’s buttercream is actually made with vegetable shortening instead of real butter. This is probably part of how they’re able to keep the price of these cakes so low.
How Many Calories Are In A Costco Sheet Cake?
Each slice of Costco vanilla sheet cake contains 320 calories, while their chocolate sheet cake contains 330 calories per slice. These numbers are based on a 3.2 ounce (90 gram) slice, but keep in mind that some customers have noted that a realistic serving size is actually about twice this amount.
How To Order A Sheet Cake From Costco?
Ordering a custom sheet cake from Costco is easy. All you have to do is visit your local Costco Warehouse bakery and fill out a custom cake order form. Make sure to submit your form at least two days before you need your cake.
Costco does not accept custom cake orders with less than 48-hours notice.
When ordering your cake, you will be able to choose the flavor (chocolate or vanilla), as well as the decoration style.
Costco’s bakers offer nearly 30 different cake designs, including classic styles like roses or balloons as well as more adventurous themes including a pirate ship, a skateboard, and more.
How To Design A Costco Sheet Cake
An important thing to know about Costco sheet cakes is that some of the ready-made varieties come undecorated. In other words, you can have a blank slate to decorate however you want. Sounds fun, right?
But cake decorating isn’t necessarily as easy as it looks. Heck, some people go to school just to become professional cake decorators!
Here’s a list of steps for designing your perfect sheet cake at home:
Gather all your supplies
First, you’ll need a cake. Got it? Cool.
Now, to design your own custom sheet cake at home, you’ll want to consider getting a few supplies as well, like a piping bag and tips. Since Costco sheet cakes come pre-frosted, you won’t have to worry about things like spatulas or cake levelers.
Remember that you can also decorate your cake without using a piping bag. Try getting creative with things like sprinkles, edible glitter, candy, and more to create a unique and fun cake design.
Decide on a theme
Unless you’re going for an abstract look, it’s a good idea to decide on a design theme before you go crazy with the piping bag. The best part is that this is your creation, so you can turn it into absolutely anything. Let your imagination run wild and come up with a vision.
You can also check out Pinterest for a ton of amazing cake decoration ideas if you need some inspiration.
Watch cake decorating tutorials
Unless you’re already a pro cake decorator, it might be helpful to watch a few tutorials before diving in. Here’s a basic piping tutorial to check out, which will show you how to do things like add flowers to the top of your cake. And here’s a lettering tutorial which will show you how to pipe perfect lettering.
Get creative
Now that you’ve gathered your supplies, come up with a plan, and learned a few new skills, you’re ready to start decorating. Exciting, right? Just remember that it’s probably not going to be as perfect as the cakes you see in the bakery window. So, just go with the flow and enjoy the process. It will be beautiful no matter what.
Will Costco Bring Back The Half Sheet Cakes?
Despite halting production of their half-sheet cakes in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Costco brought these popular cakes back after just a few months.
During the severe lockdowns in 2020, gatherings and events weren’t happening, so no one was buying cakes. Plus, Costco wanted to do their part to dissuade large gatherings at a time when this wasn’t allowed. This led to Costco’s decision to stop making their sheet cakes temporarily.
As of June 2022, Costco is back in the full-time market of stocking and selling half-sheet cakes. They’re available ready-made, both undecorated and decorated, and they can also be custom ordered with at least 48-hours notice.
Costco Sheet Cake Reviews
Overall, Costco sheet cakes seem to have a pretty dedicated following, which is true for a lot of the items sold in Costco’s bakery.
One important thing to know is that despite advertising their half-sheet cakes as being enough for 48 people, customers have pointed out how small those servings really are.
This is also good to keep in mind when looking at the calorie information. If you’re likely to eat two servings instead of one, then you’ll actually be getting almost 700 calories per slice.
And while we weren’t able to find a ton of reviews for these massive cakes online, one thing does point to them having a cult following.
In 2020, Costco discontinued their sheet cakes for a short time to dissuade social gatherings during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown. Upset by this change, some Costco members put together an online petition, gaining over 1,000 signatures in just two months. We think that’s a pretty good sign of approval for Costco sheet cake.
FAQs
How long do Costco sheet cakes last?
If stored in a covered container in the fridge, Costco sheet cake will last for a week or longer. Due to the high presence of sugar, these cakes are likely to dry out and get stale before they spoil. Note that because they contain dairy and eggs, they should always be stored in the refrigerator.
How many people does a Costco full sheet cake serve?
Costco unfortunately does not sell full sheet cakes. Costco half-sheet cakes feed 48 people.
Does Costco sell other kinds of cakes aside from sheet cakes?
Yes! Costco sells a wide variety of cakes, including round layer cakes, cheesecake, flan, tiramisu, and tres leches.
How far in advance do you need to order a Costco cake?
For custom orders, you will need to submit your order at least two days in advance. If you’re willing to decorate your sheet cake at home, you can buy a ready-made sheet cake at Costco any time.
Conclusion
Even if you don’t have a birthday or special occasion coming up, Costco sheet cake sure sounds delicious, right? And at just $20 per cake, there’s really not much stopping you from snagging one today.
Just remember that the calorie content is no joke, and make sure you have some friends to help you eat!
