7 Whole Foods Cake Slices To Buy And 6 To Skip

You don't need to wait for a special occasion to enjoy a piece of cake. Although most people enjoy cake in the context of birthday parties or large gatherings, grocery stores like Whole Foods also offer cake slices for anyone who prefers a sweet pick-me-up of the solo variety.

Having recently ranked Whole Foods Market's cookies, I decided that the next natural step was the chain's cake slices. As an avowed sweet tooth and baker, I felt I had a pretty good handle on this ranking, but I enlisted the help of fellow tasters for a broader assessment (and because 13 slices of cake is a lot for a single person). For the purposes of this article, I did not select any cheesecake slices or pie slices for this ranking and instead focused solely on items labeled as "cake." 

If you have a hankering for something sweet on your next trip to Whole Foods and can't bring yourself to house an entire cake (or parcel it out throughout the week –– no judgment), then you'll want to know what slices have the best texture and flavor and are worth buying, and which are better off skipped.

I went back and forth on listing this slice as one worth buying, but it ultimately won me over. My fellow tasters and I were hesitant about it. This corner piece of cake was so perfectly square, with an even layer of frosting and the tiniest dusting of colored sprinkles that seemed very processed. 

When I tasted it, though, I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, there was an artificiality to the slice, but it was almost nostalgic. It tasted nice enough, with no bells and whistles despite the sprinkles. It was definitely the simplest of vanilla cakes I sampled. The texture was plush and the frosting was incredibly sweet, as though it had been spread from a can — it was certainly not a homemade vanilla buttercream frosting. The combination of a pleasant texture and a traditional, from-a-box taste that pulls on the heartstrings just eked this Vanilla Sprinkle Celebration Cake onto the "buy" side of this list.

When I entered into this tasting, I was unaware that I had populated my pool of tasters with tiramisu haters (save one). As such, you might want to take the position of Whole Foods' Tiramisu as a skip with a grain of salt –– but it simply did not taste good.

Part of what makes a tiramisu delicious is the layers of flavors and textures. This version had none of that. It was so, so bitter — like you had just spilled your coffee on a cake. There was no milky sweetness from the mascarpone because there was no mascarpone at all. Instead, there was a whipped cream-like filling, which kept things very mushy on the texture front. Plus, as anyone who knows about the original tiramisu recipe knows that mascarpone is heavily featured. In this recipe, there was no tangy cheese or notes of cocoa, just bitter coffee and airy whip. The one taster who did like tiramisu enjoyed it enough, but, as an outlier to the data, it still warrants a "skip" for the purposes of this article.

With its pale icing, I didn't think that this so-called chocolate cake would actually live up to the name. I am happy to report that I was very much wrong and surprised by how much I enjoyed it, as did my fellow tasters.

The icing was, in fact, a bit of a letdown, with a graininess and slightly synthetic taste I didn't love, but it was outshone by the wonderful cake itself. (The phrase "icing on the cake" exists for a reason, right? Good cake should be able to stand alone.) It was lovely and dense without being heavy, and I enjoyed its fudginess. It almost tasted homemade, which is a big sell for any grocery store bakery product. One taster compared the texture to that of a brownie, like a Cosmic Brownie –– one of the best Little Debbie Snacks. This cake was delicious at room temperature but actually tasted even better when chilled. Something about how the layer of icing melted into the cake itself took the whole thing to another level, which is why this cake is definitely a nostalgia-driven, delicious buy.

Confession: I had to alternate the tastings of chocolate cake so as not to blow out my palate and offer a fair assessment. This cake was one of the last I tasted, but it wouldn't have fared any better had it been the first. Despite its good looks, with alternating layers of cake, mousse, and some kind of crumbly layer on the bottom, plus a nicely piped chocolate rose, this slice was a major disappointment.

This cake was bitter and oily –– two things no one wants when tucking into a sweet treat. In spite of being named "Death by Chocolate," the pudding-mousse layer in between cake layers didn't taste very chocolatey at all. That issue was also the case with the other components, including the ganache-like frosting and sponge. The bottommost layer was also so strange; it felt like it came from a completely different cake. It was dry, overbaked, and crumbly, with a single walnut piece embedded inside, like an afterthought. Perhaps it was supposed to be a brownie? If so, Whole Foods bakers should take note of the simpler chocolate cake mentioned above to see how it should be done.

Buckle up, chocoholics, because we're not off this ride quite yet. The rectangular slice of Chocolate Eruption cake had two layers of cake with mousse sandwiched in between. It was finished with a dark chocolate ganache layer for an elegant presentation that doesn't really match the "eruption" in its name. However, the eruption did come in the form of its flavor. 

Unlike the standard Chocolate Cake, which had a dense, fudgy sponge, this cake actually was quite light, despite its intimidating moniker. That didn't mean there was a lack of chocolate flavor, though. The light texture, coupled with the robust cocoa taste, was definitely a highlight.

The top icing slightly disappointed me, but only because I wanted a more chocolate-forward ganache. This was chocolatey, but not enough to contrast with the sponge. Since there was a mousse inside, instead of something dense like a buttercream, a weightier icing could have gone a long way in elevating this slice even further. I also liked that the notes of coffee in the mousse helped make this slice feel a bit more sophisticated.

While the Vanilla Sprinkle Celebration Cake managed to edge toward a victory, the same could not be said for its chocolate version. Like the vanilla one, the slice of Chocolate Sprinkle Celebration Cake was simple: one layer of cake slathered with frosting and sprinkled with rainbow nonpareils. It was a cheery look, but one that was a huge letdown.

This was the driest cake I sampled by far. All of the tasters stated that this cake was extremely dry, to the point where it was powdery. I had low expectations for this slice, but it didn't even manage to clear that bar. Its frosting tasted artificial, like the canned chocolate frosting you'd get from the grocery store. It didn't win on any front, aside from its slightly whimsical appearance. I could see it being served out of a cafeteria to children who don't want anything more out of their dessert than sugar, but I advise anyone else to steer clear.

When I rang through my cake purchases at my local Whole Foods, this was the one that the cashier told me she liked best. As it turns out, she knew what she was talking about, because this cake was pretty darn good! While tres leches cake has complicated origins, it is agreed that the "tres leches," or "three milks," in the name include condensed milk, whole milk (or heavy cream), and evaporated milk. These milks soak into the cake, giving it its characteristic moist, melt-in-your-mouth texture and creamy flavor. There was plenty of milk involved with this slice; it was basically swimming in it.

Some of the tasters were not as familiar with tres leches cake and found the dessert to be too soggy for their liking, but all of us agreed that the flavor was incredible. It was very vanilla-forward and creamy without being sweet or cloying. That balance of flavors, as well as its uniqueness as a whole, makes this an item worth buying. If you're planning to share, though, let others know what tres leches cake is before digging in.

While I'm not one to use "vanilla" as a synonym for "boring", this cake was, indeed, simply "meh." Although it looked nice enough and featured two layers of cake with a generous helping of vanilla buttercream, the taste didn't match the appearance.

In my opinion, cake should be either moist and decadent or airy and light. This cake was neither. Instead, it had a drier, firmer texture with a very buttery buttercream. It left an oily sheen on my mouth, which I didn't enjoy. I assumed someone had gone too heavy on the butter (or butter substitute) when making this cake. Since the buttercream itself was already pretty sub-par, the fact that the buttercream was the filling between the layers of sponge only hurt the cake. Perhaps it was for structural reasons, but some differentiation between buttery buttercream and dry cake would maybe have tipped this cake slice into the "buy" column. In its current incarnation, you won't miss out on much by leaving it out of your cart.

Anyone who is a fan of carrot cake knows that the best part of eating a slice is the ubiquitous cream cheese frosting. (And if a carrot cake doesn't have cream cheese frosting, I don't want it.) This slice of Whole Foods Carrot Cake had excellent cream cheese frosting. It was rich and creamy, with that all-important tang. One taster detected a hint of lemon, which they said amplified the overall flavor.

The cake itself was quite nice. If you prefer nuts or raisins in your carrot cake, be forewarned that you won't find them here. Since that's how I prefer my carrot cake, I was quite pleased. There were a few nuts sprinkled on top and no chewy raisins to disrupt the plush crumb. This is a rich cake thanks to the generous amount of cream cheese frosting. Could I have used some more spice notes in the cake, like what's offered by the top-rated Trader Joe's Mini Sheet Cake? Absolutely. But that, for me, was the only thing keeping this cake slice from being at the top.

This cake slice was such a head-scratcher. It was really a turducken situation, with what appeared to be cheesecake on the bottom topped with a standard vanilla cake. However, cheesecake and vanilla cake are completely different, and trying to combine them ends up ruining both.

Two tasters got a weird chemical smell from this cake slice, but I was not one of them. However, the fact that it happened twice is worth noting. The cake, while impressive in stature, also ran into the same problems as a stacked burger: It's impossible to get a bite of everything without unhinging your jaw. As such, the novelty factor of having a cheesecake layer on the bottom was kind of obsolete.

Speaking of the cheesecake itself, it was not good. There are plenty of tips to make the perfect cheesecake, and this version skipped every one. It was crumbly and dry, and I felt I was eating something more custard-adjacent because there was no tang. Ultimately, while a unique concept, it flopped on execution, earning it a spot on the "skip" list. 

When I think of summer cakes, I think of strawberry shortcake. The fruit is at its peak in late spring and early summer, and this slice of cake from Whole Foods made me want to bring the dessert with me to a picnic. Layers of light sponge cradled a jammy strawberry filling and a soft custard. It was topped with white frosting and garnished with a ripe strawberry half. If cake could be called "refreshing," this slice might be the poster child for it.

While the Carrot Cake was rich, dense, and decadent, this Strawberry Shortcake was light, moist, and just sweet enough. The juiciness of the strawberry helped lift this cake up, while the tiny seeds added some much-needed texture that I didn't come across in most of the other slices. The white frosting was pretty mid and the lowest point in the cake, but it wasn't enough to detract from the rest of this slice. The only reason it wasn't my personal absolute favorite is because one impressed me just that much more.

With a mouthful of a name, I expected a mouthful of good cake. But, sadly, it was just middling. The biggest issue I had with this slice was that it barely matched its name. Sure, it was a chocolate cake, but where was the brown butter? The cookie? The caramel? The crunch? From what I could tell, Whole Foods put a lot of lofty expectations (and words) on that minimal scattering of cookie crumbs. Considering that the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip cookie is one of my favorites, this was a letdown of astronomical proportions.

There was a tiny, thin layer of caramel between the sponge, but any of its nuanced sweetness was overshadowed by the grainy, overly buttery, sickly sweet frosting. (Seriously, can someone teach Whole Foods how to properly make buttercream?) It wasn't a bad cake when eaten all together, but it wasn't worth shelling out your hard-earned money. This cake slice had a fancy name, but its flavor just did not measure up to what it promised.

Going into this tasting, I had a feeling the Berry Chantilly Cake from Whole Foods would rank highly. It's a beloved cake –– although apparently it changed its recipe a short while ago –– and I had high expectations for it. It's worth noting that while the recipe for the full-sized cakes changed, the recipe used for the cake slices is back to the original.

This cake was everything I enjoyed about the Strawberry Shortcake with a little extra pizzazz. There were two layers of light, fluffy white cake, a decadent helping of Chantilly cream frosting, and a gorgeous selection of fresh berries. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries were present both inside of and on top of the slice. They added a bit of juiciness and moisture, as well as some tang and texture, rendering each bite wonderfully balanced. This cake slice got eaten so fast that there was a mere bite left over when the tasters and I were done –– and that's saying something, considering that we had so many slices to sample. Do yourself a favor and scoop up a slice of this cake.

When I tasked myself with the gastronomic endeavor of sampling all of these slices of cake from Whole Foods, there had to be a method to the madness. To determine which ones were worth buying, I looked for good texture and flavor, as well as how well each one delivered on its name and promised ingredients. While some cakes –– like the Brown Butter Cookie Caramel Crunch Cake –– were fine, they didn't live up to the expectations put forth by their name. Anything that made the "Skip" list lacked flavor, was dry, or simply tasted bad. I tried to alternate flavors to avoid palate blowout and relied on a group of tasters for a more well-rounded assessment, although I ultimately made the judgment call for each cake slice.