Yes, Some Bakeries Will Sell You Buttercream Frosting — Here's What To Know

You don't need us to tell you that cake is amazing; that's a given. When it comes to icing a cake, you have a lot of options. Grocery store cakes often have a frosting made from whipped shortening. You can also find ganache, cream cheese frosting, ermine frosting, seven-minute frosting, and a host of other types. But few will ever be as rich, sweet, decadent, and beloved as buttercream. It may be the perfect frosting for cake, but it can also be a bit of a hassle to make. Luckily, there's a chance your grocery store made it for you.

Even though a classic buttercream is essentially just butter and sugar, with a hint of vanilla flavor and sometimes a dash of milk or cream, the process of making it can be time consuming and messy. There are also several mistakes you can make. You rarely hear someone rave about how much they love to make buttercream. However, grocery store bakeries that use buttercream to produce cakes and cupcakes often have plenty on hand. You can just ask at the bakery counter if they will sell you some. It's often quite affordable, just a few dollars for a pound or two.

Not every store has buttercream available, but people have posted on Instagram buying several pounds of colored buttercream at a Walmart bakery. A user on Reddit posted about buying 48 ounces at their local Kroger for just $6.

Few stores advertise buttercream as something they have available, so you'll need to ask. According to one user on Reddit, "There are already existing PLUs for customers to purchase 1lb and 1/2 pound tubs of both chocolate and vanilla buttercream" at Meijer stores. Another user says Sam's Club will "sell it by the bucket."

Other posts suggest you could try your luck at Target, Albertsons, and Costco. We have a list of some of the best grocery store bakeries that would be worth looking into. Costco, in particular, is a mixed bag of answers from customers online. Some report that you cannot buy buttercream there at all. Other Redditors say, "It truly depends on the store as to whether they will let you buy it or not." Even calling in advance is not always reliable. You may need to check in person when you get to the store and hope for the best.

Beyond grocery stores, some chain bakeries will also sell buttercream frosting. Billy's Bakery in NYC sells buttercream by the piping bag, but it is more expensive than reports of the grocery store version. Origin Bakery in British Columbia and Duke Bakery in Illinois offer buttercream as well. Most larger bakery chains don't list it as being available on their menus, but just as with a grocery store, it never hurts to ask. If you have a favorite bakery in town and like its buttercream, the worst that can happen is they say it's not for sale. When all else fails, you can follow our classic vanilla buttercream recipe and make your own.