4 Grocery Stores With The Cheapest Birthday Cakes

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One of the best things about growing up is the ability and confidence to buy a birthday cake whenever you want. It doesn't even have to be your birthday. Whether it's an un-birthday indulgence or a big occasion worthy of sweet celebration, grabbing a store-bought cake is one of life's simple pleasures. There are a number of grocery store chains to consider when buying a birthday cake that will allow you to choose from basic layouts to customizable designs, and everything in between. 

Four grocery stores where you can find some of the cheapest deals on birthday cakes include Kroger, Walmart, Costco, and Trader Joe's. Depending on your time, budget, and taste preferences, you can select the right store to buy a birthday cake that will surely satisfy. Of these four options, Kroger and Walmart are the most similar, with some variation between design customization, flavors, and pricing. 

Being a warehouse store, Costco is ideal for larger quantities, with a cake so sought after, fans continue clamoring for slices to be sold in the food court. Trader Joe's offers smaller scale options for either single-serving or more intimate celebrations. This also provides you with the opportunity to customize its miniature sheet cakes with whatever frosting, sprinkles, and other decorations you desire. No matter which store you choose, the end result is delicious cake, which is always worth celebrating.

One advantage to buying a birthday cake from Kroger is the fact that you can purchase it online and choose from a number of customization options. An 8-inch double layer round cake retails for under $25 and can feed between 15 and 20 people. Depending on your specific location, there might be some variation in pricing and custom options, but the general offerings are relatively consistent among Kroger stores. As a note, you will need to allow at least two days lead time for this option or go to the store and inquire about ordering the cake in person if you need it in a hurry.

Looking over the customizations, you can choose between chocolate or yellow for your flavor of cake. There are about five different icing options including chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, buttercream, and a cookies n' creme variety. You have a veritable rainbow of options when it comes to icing colors and can add a top or bottom border as well. If roses or balloons appeal to you, these are also choices for which you can pick from a rainbow of icing colors. Finally, you can add a message or special instructions as needed. This is a fairly straightforward custom birthday cake at an accessible price to feed a sizable amount of people.

For a custom cake order with even more granular options, Walmart has you covered at a reasonable price. The fully customizable round cakes are offered in three different sizes of 6-inch, 8-inch, or 10-inch, which serve 12, 16, or 24 people, respectively. The price for the smallest size is about $15, the next size up is around $18, and the largest is just under $30. Just like Kroger, you can order and customize your cake options online or pop into your local Walmart to ask about placing an in-person order. Some of the choices might vary between locations, but this is an ideal spot for a simple birthday cake with a bit more flair than Kroger.

Choose from either white cake, chocolate cake, or the two flavors split between each of the two layers. Unlike Kroger, Walmart offers a choice of filling in between the two cake layers, which is either Bavarian creme or strawberry. You can also choose between buttercream or whipped icing, each of which can be done in one of more than 10 different colors. There is also the option to add a top and bottom border, and either flowers, balloons, or sprinkle toppings. The flowers come in about seven different styles and the balloons have four different tri-color options. Among the different sprinkle topping choices, there are at least four different styles to choose from. Finally, you can choose to add a personalized message or not.

Costco is your absolute best bet for a large-scale, crowd-pleasing cake. There are a few things to know before ordering a custom cake at Costco. For one, you'll need to go to the store in person to fill out an order form, but the trip is definitely worthwhile. Though there may be some difference in price based on your specific location, generally speaking, a 10-inch round cake retails for around $16 and a half-sheet cake is approximately $25. The round cake offers about 16 servings and the half-sheet closer to 48 servings, which you can also have scored to make it easier to cut individual pieces. Though the customization options are more limited, the value is unmatched by any other store-bought offering.

In addition to selecting either a round or half-sheet size, you can choose one flavor between either chocolate cake filled with chocolate mousse or white cake filled with vanilla mousse. There are about 10 different design options and you can have your choice of one among roses, balloons, a rainbow, or even a Costco bear. You can review the pre-set designs on display near the cake ordering area and choose your favorite. Additionally, you can request a custom message on the cake and choose a specific color for the icing. Place your order with at least 24 hours notice and come back to the store to pick it up. Albeit a more "old school" process, the results are nonetheless dependable and delicious.

The variety of different Mini Sheet Cakes offered at Trader Joe's provides a unique opportunity to fully customize your own sweet treat in a smaller scale format. In contrast to Costco's mega-sized cakes or the intricate custom options at Walmart or Kroger, Trader Joe's has miniature sheet cakes in flavors such as Chantilly Cream Vanilla Bean, Dark Chocolate Ganache, Strawberry, Yellow, and seasonal options such as Pumpkin Spice, each of which can serve about six people. Though small and relatively nondescript, these cakes retail for under $6 each and allow you to add whatever decorations spark the most joy.

Grab your favorite icing and a Riccle Piping Bags and Tips Set to unleash your own sweet creativity on these sheet cakes. Try a complementary flavor or even something that contrasts with the base of the Trader Joe's cake for a more robust flavor. It's easy to learn how to pipe your own flowers and fun patterns. Edible glitter and sprinkles are also an excellent choice. Depending on what you're celebrating and what flavors you like the most, this small serving of cake is perfect for sharing with just a few friends and letting you flex your cake decorating skills at an accessible price. Remember that it's important to celebrate all victories, even the tiny ones, and nothing says "celebration" better than a delightful piece of cake!