5 Disadvantages Of Ordering A Costco Sheet Cake

Can there ever be such a thing as too much cake? Costco doesn't really seem to think so. One of its most well-known products is its beloved sheet cake. Aside from a brief pause during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing measures reduced the demand for cakes large enough to feed a small army, the legendary dessert has remained a warehouse staple, making appearances at birthday parties, school functions, and countless other gatherings.

A big part of the appeal of the sheet cake has always been the fact that you can customize it free of charge with a personalized message and choose from a selection of designs. Plus, the cake's price is hard to beat. At $27.99 for 48 portions, you'll be hard-pressed to find a cheaper alternative that delivers the same level of quality we've come to expect from Costco. Still, as tempting as it sounds, buying this indulgent treat does come with a few caveats and isn't always the best choice. Here are five disadvantages worth considering before placing an order.

Whether you buy it in-store or order the cake for delivery, you need a membership to buy a sheet cake from Costco. Costco's cheapest membership, the Gold Star tier, comes with a $65 annual fee, so if the wholesaler is not already one of your preferred places to shop, this cake may not be reason enough to invest in one, no matter how tempting it looks.

Plenty of grocery stores sell sheet cakes without requiring a membership. Walmart's custom sheet cakes start at $9.98, while Publix offers custom sheet cakes in four sizes, with prices varying by filling, flavor, and location.

A Costco membership can certainly be worthwhile, and if you are buying a cake for a party, you may very well consider checking out its aisles for bulk-buy bargains like disposable plates, napkins, drinks, and snacks. But having a Costco membership can also come with a few disadvantages, so depending on how often you use it, you should weigh the pros and cons before opting in, or that slice may end up costing you a pretty penny.

This may well be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on how you look at it, but there is no denying that these cakes are enormous. This behemoth of buttery goodness can serve up to 48 people and weighs more than 9 pounds. 

Unless you are serving a crowd, you may end up wasting a lot of food in pursuit of a lower price, and when that happens, it is no longer the bargain it first appears to be. A large sheet cake may make financial sense for a big birthday bash, graduation or office gathering, but it can quickly become excessive for smaller celebrations. Leftovers can only go so far, and not everyone has freezer space for pounds of extra dessert. 

Costco also sells 10-inch round cakes, which can be customized and cost $20.42 for same-day delivery. This may be a more sensible choice for smaller parties, as it serves approximately 16 slices depending on how generously you cut it. If you want to maximize how many slices you get out of either cake, you can ask Costco to score it, giving you clearly marked lines that help create evenly sized servings.

There's a whole world of cake flavors out there to choose from. There are the classics like Devil's food, carrot cake, and red velvet and more whimsical options like Funfetti, pumpkin spice, and even champagne and strawberries for the bougie crowd. Then come the countless frostings, fillings, and decorative finishes that can transform a simple sponge into a masterpiece. With cake galore available at bakeries and specialty shops, Costco's limited selection can be a hard sell.

Disappointingly, Costco's sheet cakes only come in two flavors: their signature white sponge filled with vanilla cheesecake mousse and covered in traditional buttercream or a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and chocolate buttercream. Both are crowd-pleasing choices for a reason, and there's certainly nothing wrong with keeping things classic. Still, the lack of variety can feel restrictive given the sheer range of flavors and styles available elsewhere. If you're looking for something a little more elevated, the sheet cake may leave you wanting more.

The days when you could just run into the store for a last-minute giant cake seem to be over for most Costco warehouses, where sheet cakes now need to be requested 24 to 72 hours in advance, though this varies by location. If you want to add custom text and designs, you definitely have to plan ahead. Costco also closes on several major holidays, including Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving, so if you're planning to have your cake for any of those occasions, you'll need to plan accordingly.

One welcome update is that Costco now allows customers to preorder cakes online through its website or app for pickup or delivery via Instacart. Prior to this, customers had to fill out a physical form at the warehouse. It is worth noting that cakes sold via same-day delivery come at a slightly higher price, as do all of Costco's Instacart deliveries, but at least you avoid making a separate trip, which makes the surcharge easier to justify.

It's a well-known trend that many old-school foods are making a comeback, with some dishes like layered dips or crown-jeweled Jell-O inspiring sudden bouts of nostalgia. Yet that doesn't necessarily mean that the aesthetic side of things hasn't changed considerably, and Costco's designs have remained largely frozen in time.

You can choose from 27 different presets for your cake or request custom writing, but that's the extent of it, and the piping style is nothing short of retro. In fact, some shoppers deliberately buy Costco cakes for their plain appearance, using them as a blank canvas for viral TikTok decorating hacks and adding a bit of zhuzhing of their own.

While most sheet cakes tend to stick to basic designs, some retailers have begun offering more modern and creative options. Walmart, for example, sells a variety of themes ranging from whimsical garden scenes to cakes representing all 32 NFL teams, making them a fitting choice for everything from birthday soirées to Super Bowl watch parties. As more competitors embrace contemporary decoration styles, Costco's old-school cakes can feel somewhat lackluster, though they still carry a certain nostalgic charm.