Does Costco's Bakery Make Cakes In-House?

Costco is well known for selling items in large quantities, offering valuable pricing, and being home to a food court with its own cult following. While some customers clamor for Costco's bakery cakes to be sold in the food court, others have raised an important question about whether or not these confections are prepared in-house. Tasting Table reached out to Costco but received no comment; however, plenty of shoppers and employees have chimed in on Reddit to share their thoughts, opinions, and insight.

In a discussion about what the Costco bakery actually makes from scratch, one Redditor said, "Sheets and rounds and mini cakes are mixed and made in the bakery. There is a base of dry ingredients that gets added to." The famous fillings and icing are also made in-house, the Redditor noted, but added that the colored icing used to personalize the cakes arrives in buckets.

"Most of the time, they make a lot of the popular designs at the same time, and keep them in the freezer until they are ready to be labeled (and) go out for sale," offered another Reddit user on a different thread. Of the popular cakes at Costco's bakery, it seems that several of the specialty varieties, like the tiramisu, are shipped to individual stores frozen. They are then thawed, and some are cut down to size. For example, a Redditor mentions that there are approximately three to four tuxedo cakes in a box before they are cut and placed into Costco bakery boxes.

Though not entirely scratch-made, Costco cakes are nonetheless convenient. With a handful of design customization options offered for round or half-sheet cake orders, this gives your dessert a personalized touch that's provided in-house. You can have the bakery on site customize your cakes with design touches like roses, balloons, and even a Costco bear, or you can request special hues that reflect school colors for a graduation cake. You can even get your sheet cakes scored at the store for streamlined cutting. What's more, a major Costco bakery change planned for 2026 will potentially make placing these orders easier than ever — allowing you to order online rather than in-person at the bakery counter.

For those who want a little more customization to their Costco bakery treats, it's as simple as getting a plain cake and adding your own flair and decorations. Some shoppers have even opted to use Costco for their wedding cakes to keep costs low. Others choose the cakes for birthdays or, as evidenced by one Redditor, un-birthday celebrations. "I once went in and bought a cake that said Happy Birthday ... and it wasn't even close to my birthday just because it tastes that good. Yes, totally worth it. Hands down the best cake."