Does Publix Make Its Cakes From Scratch? What To Know Before Ordering

Enter the bakery section inside a Publix store, and an assortment of baked goodies will tempt your senses. In addition to loaves of bread and packages of muffins, shoppers will find displays of cakes made to order and ready to carry to birthday parties and office celebrations. Many Publix shoppers have wondered whether these cakes are baked fresh in store. 

These Publix cakes are actually mass-produced offsite at the chain's bakery facilities. After being flash frozen, the undecorated cakes are shipped to Publix stores where they are decorated in-house by bakery associates. According to Publix's own corporate history, the first bakery plant opened in Florida in 1972 with a team of 27 employees. As business grew and operations expanded, the company opened a second plant in 2004. The original bakery now employs hundreds of workers who are responsible for turning cookie dough into cookies and packaging muffins to meet customer demand. One former worker recalled the switch from baking cakes in stores to using frozen sheet cakes in 1998. "Only wedding cakes were still made from scratch," the user wrote on Reddit. "I've worked at Publix since 2004. We've always used flash frozen cakes," added another. 

Flash frozen or not, the taste of Publix cakes is adored by many. "I dunno man, I just had a chocolate lover's birthday cake from Publix recently, it was amazing," wrote one user on Reddit. "As a person who's been born and raised in Florida, there's nothing better in the world than a Publix cake on your birthday," wrote a shopper on YouTube. "I flew my fiancé ALL the way from Japan just to eat Publix carrot cake," added another. Many customers have go-to flavors like Chantilly, Raspberry Elegance, or Chocolate Ganache. The buttercream frosting is noted by many fans as a selling point.

Some cake decorators also note that freezing a cake before decorating doesn't negatively affect the taste and can make cake decorating easier. For those looking to buy birthday cakes from the chain or affordably feed a crowd, Publix cakes remain a popular purchase. A wide range of colors and designs can be made to order, and the bakery recommends ordering at least 24 hours in advance for custom cakes. Orders can be placed online, allowing shoppers to choose their preferred cake and icing flavors, fillings, decorations, and pickup time.