I’m a Pro Baker: I Tried 3 Grocery Store Cakes — the 1 Clear Winner Tastes Better Than Homemade
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Birthdays, weddings, and graduations mark accomplishments and signal the start of something new. Those milestones are even sweeter when they’re celebrated with a slice of cake. Luckily, grocery store bakeries have celebration desserts down to a science. Their display cases are filled with pies, cupcakes, cookies, and more for last-minute celebrations. The pièce de résistance of any bakery is the selection of layer cakes, but because every supermarket chain uses a different recipe it can be difficult to know where to buy the most delicious cake. I set out to determine once and for all which grocery store sells the most delicious vanilla cake with buttercream frosting.
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I purchased and taste tested the cakes from three grocery stores — Publix, Costco, and Walmart — on the same day. I limited the selection to similarly sized cakes that were readily available in the bakery in order to evaluate cakes that were available at a moment’s notice. (Special orders are also available at each grocer.) Three adults and three pre-teens — all cake-lovers — made up the team of taste testers. The flavor and texture of the cake and frosting were tasted blindly with no indication of where the cakes were purchased or the total cost. Once the votes were tallied, the winner was unanimous.
So, What’s the Best Grocery Store Cake?
The vanilla cake from Publix was tender and buttery with a vanilla frosting that was smooth, light, and not too sweet. While this cake was the most expensive of the three, the flavor and texture was so good that this cake earned the highest ranking from every taste tester.
Why You Should Trust Me
I have a background in culinary science and have written recipes for The Kitchn, cookbooks, and television for 18 years. I’m also a working mom and have learned how to get the most out of every ingredient and every minute in the kitchen. Although I love to bake and even made a wedding cake, I often rely on grocery store bakeries for family celebrations. After tasting cakes from three popular grocery stores in a single day, I know which one is worth buying.
Best Tasting Grocery Store Cake: Publix
Cakes from the Publix bakery are beloved across the South by professional chefs and home cooks alike. The cake has a tender texture with a fine, even crumb that is so soft it practically melts in your mouth. Vanilla buttercream is spread between four layers of cake and decorates the outside of the cake. The frosting is very light and smooth, and leaves no sugary grit behind (as is often the case with grocery store cakes). It is made with a combination of shortening and butter, which helps give the frosting its pure white hue and allows the vanilla flavor to come through.
The proportion of frosting to cake is the ideal, with just enough frosting between the layers to keep the cake moist and add richness. The frosting on the outside of the cake is even across the top and around the sides. Even with the decorative flourishes, no slice of the cake tasted overburdened with frosting.
The 8-inch celebration cake from Publix has four tender layers of cake and costs $23.99. Publix indicates that this cake serves 8 to 10 people, but if you use a cake-cutting hack like this then even more guests can get a slice.
I evaluated the vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream for this taste test, but Publix sells even more flavors. Cake flavors also include chocolate, marble, carrot, red velvet, superfetti, and more. The same icing used to decorate the cake is used as the standard cake filling, but custard, creams, dulce de leche, and even fruits can be specially ordered. Finally, if buttercream icing isn’t your favorite, this grocery store bakery can also finish cakes with icings like fudge, cream cheese, or whipped chocolate or vanilla. The availability of ready-made celebration cakes varies by store. Publix has over 1,400 locations across 8 Southeastern states. If you don’t live near one of these locations, you might live closer to the supplier of our other top pick …
Find it in stores:8-inch Vanilla Buttercream Celebration Cake, $23.99 at Publix
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Runner-Up: Costco
Few departments in Costco have driven the internet as wild as the bakery has. Do you remember the viral chocolate peanut butter pie of 2023, or the chocolate chip cookie bar cake that stole our hearts more recently? Costco’s bakery knows how to do desserts right, and that includes the cakes. Costco’s white cake has a subtle vanilla flavor and a tender crumb. The texture of this cake is slightly more coarse than the Publix cake — a difference that would have been imperceptible had I not tasted the two cakes side-by-side. The decorative frosting covering the outside of the cake was smooth and sweet, but not cloying.
Costco’s cake uses vanilla cheesecake mousse as a spread between the cake layers, while the other bakeries simply use frosting. The vanilla cheesecake mousse has a subtle tang and warm vanilla flavor, but it was not universally loved. In fact, this was the most divisive element of the cake, and ultimately what dropped Costco’s cake out of the top spot.
Costco sells its 10-inch white layer cake for $17.99, and it serves 16. With two layers instead of four, this cake is slightly shorter than the Publix cake, but it is wider. Costco’s cake is a better value, with a larger cake for a smaller price tag. The only caveat to consider is the added flavor of the cheesecake mousse filling.
Find it in stores:10-inch White Cake Filled with Vanilla Cheesecake Mousse, $17.99 at CostcoDid your favorite grocery store make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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