8 Trader Joe's Cakes, Ranked Worst To Best

There are more than a few excellent Trader Joe's baked goods out there for you to check out, from croissants to seasonal breads, and everything in between. Despite the fact that the store does stock plenty of its own baked goods, you might not assume that it's a particularly great place to go for cake — after all, it doesn't have a traditional sort of grocery store bakery you might be used to. And while it's true that it's not the place to go when you want a customized sheet cake, the store still stocks plenty of cakes, whether you're looking for a small portion to share on a random weeknight or you want something from the frozen section that looks a little more impressive.

I've done some taste-testing of Trader Joe's various cakes to deliver the 411 on which are worth buying and which may not be. We might have different cake tastes from one another — I prefer a more balanced sweetness, plus a moist texture, and this ranking reflects those preferences — but just knowing what to expect from certain products can better help you select which one best fits your needs. I hope you have a sweet tooth, because these are Trader Joe's cakes, ranked.

Not only do I love strawberries as a fruit, but I also love strawberry-flavored desserts. Therefore, I was more than a little excited to try Trader Joe's Strawberry Mini Sheet Cake. I think that these sheet cakes are the perfect size for a two-person household, since you get enough cake that you can have more than a single slice, but there's not so much that the cake will go bad before you get the chance to finish it all. And a cake with a fruity touch? That sounds even tastier. While this cake wasn't downright bad — I found it enjoyable overall — I still think it was the least delicious cake of the bunch.

The main problem I had with this cake was the texture. I don't know if I just got a serving that was older than it should be, but the cake itself was very dry, and the same was true for the frosting. While the other cakes had softer frosting on top, the strawberry take on the treat almost had a hard shell to it. The frosting also had an unpleasantly gritty texture.

All that being said, the actual flavor of the cake isn't bad at all. It tastes like actual strawberries, without the artificial tinge I honestly expected. It's a bit sweeter than I would've liked, but for strawberry lovers, it may still be worth a try (even if I think TJ's other cakes are better).

It should probably go without saying that you can't get Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Mini Sheet Cake all year round. This is a seasonal item that pops up around the fall months of the year when you're probably on the lookout for other pumpkin items from Trader Joe's. Now, while I'm not the world's biggest pumpkin spice fan, I can get down with the flavor on some occasions when I'm craving a dessert that feels warm and comforting. That's what you're getting when you choose this cake. I wouldn't say it tastes particularly pumpkin-forward, but it does have those rich, baking spice notes you're probably looking for in this kind of a seasonal offering.

The cake itself has a nice moistness to it, but I found that the frosting wasn't quite as fresh as I wanted it to be here. It wasn't as hard as the frosting on the strawberry version of the cake, but it still had a sort of firm texture to it that could've been tastier. Ultimately, I just found this cake kind of boring, without the bold pop of spice that I often expect from pumpkin spice-flavored products. You might want to check it out if you love pumpkin spice specifically, but there are better Trader Joe's cakes out there to try.

You'll find Trader Joe's Swedish Princess Raspberry Cake in the frozen section, not amongst the other baked goods. This is another limited time offering, but it feels less seasonal than the pumpkin spice cake. It has two layers of sponge cake, sandwiching a filling of raspberry and custard. These two elements create a creamy, but fruity, center of the cake, which is definitely tasty. However, I feel like the cake-to-filling ratio is off, with less of that filling than I'd personally prefer. The raspberry flavor was especially thin — I think it could've played a much stronger role in the overall flavor of the dessert.

There's also a layer of cream on top of the domed cake, and it's dressed in a layer of marzipan as well. The marzipan looks a bit messy (particularly after the cake sits in the fridge thawing for a while), but it's overall pretty. I like that this cake looks a bit more impressive than, say, the sheet cakes you'll find at Trader Joe's, which could make it a nice centerpiece for a party. It's a decent cake, albeit quite sweet. But with its lack of balance, it's not a cake I would necessarily go out of my way to try again. If you're looking for an even better take on the same dish, try our recipe for classic Swedish princess cake.

When you're looking for a classic sheet cake that offers the hit of chocolate flavor you're craving, Trader Joe's Yellow Mini Sheet Cake is perfect. With a basic yellow buttermilk cake base and a thick layer of chocolate frosting on top, it's the simplest version of a sheet cake, just in a smaller form. Now, is it the best cake I've ever had? Definitely not. Keep in mind that this is still a store-bought cake, and it's not even as fresh as some grocery store cakes out there, after all. But I just can't help but to love this combo of flavors. I wish the cake itself were a bit more moist, but you're still working with a rich base here. And the frosting? Absolutely delicious, with a heavy dose of sweetness that's not overpowering.

This is the kind of treat I'd buy from Trader Joe's when I want to indulge a bit, but I'm not looking for anything too novel or unexpected, when I just want to play it safe on the sweets front. Plus, you could also decorate this cake with some sprinkles and a few candles and make it into the perfect mini birthday cake for a coworker or friend. It's definitely nothing groundbreaking, but I can't help but to love it as a comfort food classic.

Now, I'm not usually that much of a carrot cake person, but I couldn't help but to like Trader Joe's Carrot Mini Sheet Cake. The real appeal of this cake is the fact that the base is just so incredibly moist, which makes it feel especially fresh. There's a richness and fattiness there, which makes the cake feel substantial and filling, but I think the inclusion of carrot keeps things from being too heavy. The cream cheese frosting on this cake was nice and light, with an almost whipped consistency that paired well with the cake underneath.

The thing is, I think that this cake probably has a pretty limited audience, since that bold, spiced flavor isn't for everyone. It doesn't have quite the same appeal as, say, the Yellow Mini Sheet Cake. But for those who can get down with carrot cake generally, this is a TJ's pick worth seeking out. Compared to all of the other sheet cakes that appear on this list, I thought this was the best one by far. For the tastiest results, pair it with a cup of black coffee — those sweet and bitter flavors coming together makes for the perfect, indulgent-feeling breakfast.

I was doubtful that Trader Joe's would be able to pull off a Tres Leches Cake. And, obviously, the grocery store's take on the cake definitely isn't as good as a fresh version straight from the bakery (or even better, one that's completely homemade). But when you're craving the flavor of tres leches and want it in its most convenient form, Trader Joe's take on the dessert isn't bad. This cake comes in the freezer section, and it's a sponge cake that's been soaked in evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream. That makes for a rich, heavy, and moist cake base that's sweet but still relatively neutral. The thick layer of whipped cream on top makes everything even more decadent.

For a frozen cake, I think this tres leches cake is quite good. Even though it's maybe too sweet for some, it really delivers on the texture front with that soft cake base paired with the creamy topping. Just keep in mind that the cake takes a while to thaw, so make sure you take it out of the freezer well before you're ready to serve it, preferably overnight. Just don't leave it out of the fridge for too long, because that soggy bottom will turn too soft, and the cake won't maintain its structural integrity.

Maybe Trader Joe's prettiest cake of them all is the limited time Strawberries and Cream Cloud Cake. I love this cake because it looks so pretty, it feels like something you could easily serve at a party. Not only does it have a generous amount of whipped cream on top, but there's also a little puddle of syrupy strawberry sauce. That juicy fruitiness provides a nice contrast with the sponge cake layers. Even though it's a cake that looks kind of fancy, the flavor profile is pretty simple and should appeal to basically everyone who likes berries.

If you're going to opt for one of the frozen, thaw-able cakes at Trader Joe's, this one would be my recommendation. I think it has the most interesting flavor of the three I tried on this list, with a distinct fruitiness that's a lot more pronounced than the raspberry flavor you find in the Swedish Princess Raspberry Cake. However, because this cake contains so much whipped cream, it's important to remember that it doesn't keep for long. Eat it quickly for the tastiest results.

Trader Joe's Chewy Thai Coconut Cakes are a slightly different kind of cake than the others that appear on this list, but that seems like a good thing. Out of all the baked desserts I tried for this ranking, they were by far my favorite. These cakes are made from a blend of tapioca starch, coconut milk, wheat flour, and sugar (in addition to a few other ingredients). There's definitely a slight coconut flavor there, but it's quite muted, along with a sweetness that's very balanced and not overpowering at all. These cakes also contain sweet potato and ube, which give them their beautiful purple hue and an even more complex, albeit subtle, flavor profile.

The texture of these cakes is excellent, since they have that uniquely chewy quality you only get from tapioca. And I love that the flavor isn't too sweet at all, with an earthiness and an almost floral quality that makes you want to finish the whole box in one sitting. The only problem is that a single serving doesn't come with enough cakes — with how good these are, the nine cakes you get are basically just a single serving.

I chose which cakes to include in this taste test and ranking according to cake availability at my local Trader Joe's. I ate the sheet cakes plain, straight out of the package, and I allowed the frozen cakes to thaw before tasting. I considered a combination of both flavor and texture while ranking these Trader Joe's items. Moister and more uniquely textured baked goods rose to the top of the list, while cakes that tasted too sweet or too stale fell to the bottom of the pack.