12 Things You Should Know Before Ordering A Cake From Costco

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Among the many items that Costco loyalists swear by and retain their memberships for are the confections sold in the bakery. The warehouse retailer carries a wide array of pies, cookies, muffins, donuts, breads, and more that vary seasonally and by location. A secret that some Costco members may not know about the bakery is that you can custom order a cake for any kind of celebration.

These custom cakes rank near the top in terms of quality in a head-to-head face off of all the items sold in Costco's bakery. That said, the ordering process isn't one of the things those in the know enjoy about these custom cakes. It seems somewhat convoluted, antiquated, and shrouded in mystery, with nary a mention of these baked goods on Costco's website.

I was curious to find out what the hype for these custom cakes was all about and to determine if the somewhat unorthodox ordering process was worth it. In an attempt to accomplish this, I took a trip to my local Costco and placed an order for a custom cake. I documented the whole experience for you so that you will have a list of all the things you should know before ordering a cake from Costco.

If you would like a custom cake from Costco for an event, be prepared to plan ahead. Cakes should be ordered at least 24 hours in advance. This does not include holidays, so allow additional time to accommodate these. That said, if the bakery is especially busy, they may not be able to guarantee a 24-hour turnaround, so you might want to allow for an extra day or two to ensure your cake is ready on time.

Cakes can only be ordered or picked up during standard hours of operation at the Costco location. While some warehouses may vary, many stores operate from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. This does not include Costco Business Centers, which have unique hours of operation. Though some stores may open early on certain holidays, don't expect to be able to pick up a cake during these extended hours of operation.

Additionally, there are circumstances when the bakery might not be staffed, even during business hours; this was the case at my local warehouse. While you can still order a cake or pick one up, you might not be able to ask any questions or get assistance with your order beyond the basics. The pick-up date and time you prefer for your custom cake is indicated at the bottom of the order form and must be clearly noted for accuracy and efficiency.

Speaking of order forms, as previously mentioned, custom cakes are not available online, which seems bizarre considering virtually anything can be purchased online in today's world. What's more, you also cannot order via the phone or even an app. The only way to obtain a custom cake from Costco is to be a card-carrying member and to visit one of the warehouse stores during business hours.

Once you arrive at your local Costco and proceed to the bakery, you won't find a counter where an employee will take your order for you, but an outdated standing kiosk that looks like it was transported via a time machine from the 1980s, complete with paper order forms to fill out manually. What's more, the kiosk is pretty bare bones, without even a pen available to fill out the form. I recommend coming in prepared with an old-fashioned ball point pen in tow so you can complete the form in its entirety.

Though an employee will not assist you in filling the form out, they were more than happy to answer any questions, of which I had many. The completed form is tucked into a slot in the kiosk and that's it. There's no confirmation number, no certainty that anyone received the order, nada. If I'm honest, I found the whole process a little unnerving and was wholly certain there was no chance that my order would be accurate or ready on time.

Custom cakes from Costco are only available in two shapes and sizes, despite the fact that the store regularly sells a host of other types of cakes from its bakery. Custom cakes come in a 10" round variety designed to serve 16, which retails for $17.99 at my nearest warehouse, and a nearly 10-pound monster half sheet cake that serves 48, which sells for $27.99. Prices and availability may vary by warehouse, but these are fairly consistent. Despite rumors suggesting this is the case, Costco does not make tiered wedding cakes.

If you are searching for something other than these, you will have to snag whatever is on display in the grab-and-go case. These cakes change seasonally and you can only get what is available at that time. This includes the usual round chocolate and vanilla cakes as well as an assortment of cheesecakes (including plain, pumpkin, and cherry-topped), carrot cake, and the behemoth rectangular cakes, which come in a number of options including Maple Butter Pecan Bar, Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse, and Caramel Tres Leches Bar. Sheet cakes are never sold in the grab-and-go case.

Again, despite the fact that there are plenty of other cake varieties that are regularly offered at the Costco bakery, these are not a part of the lineup when you order a custom cake. Custom cakes only come in a standard white or chocolate iteration. If you want any other flavor of cake, you are at the mercy of what happens to be on display that day in the bakery's grab-and-go case.

The white cake is a fairly traditional, vanilla-flavored cake that is filled with a vanilla cheesecake mousse and topped with a white buttercream-like icing. The chocolate cake is a relatively standard, chocolate cake recipe, with a chocolate mousse center and chocolate icing. These cake flavors cannot be mixed-and-matched, nor are they customizable in any way. These cakes have two layers of pastry and one generous coating of filling in the center. The cakes are fully encased in a liberal blanket of frosting from top to bottom and all the way around the sides.

Perhaps the most convoluted part of the cake ordering process was the selecting the design. The number of designs available are very limited and each design is extremely specific. What's more, the designs cannot be mixed-and-matched and there are no changes or substitutions allowed. The designs for round or sheet cakes are similar, but slightly different, and each is clearly displayed in full color at the ordering kiosk for you to reference.

The basic designs on display are as follows: Roses, Costco Bear, Candles, Rainbow, Scored, Balloons, Graduation, Daisy, and Patriotic Stars. Surprisingly, these don't match the order form, with the Bear being substituted with Baby Shower, the Patriotic Stars with Flag, and an added Cross option listed that wasn't on display. The colors are customizable for the Rose and Graduation designs. Regardless of which design you order, the edge of the cake is decorated in a basic flower piping border along the top and bottom edges.

If you aren't thrilled with any of the designs, you can order a plain cake and ask them to put decorative sprinkles on top. This is not an option that is indicated anywhere in writing, but one that I was made aware of by the employee working at the bakery. You can also get a plain cake without any designs. Simply indicate this on the order form by crossing out the design block and writing in "no design, add sprinkles on top" or "no design, plain cake."

While some reports indicate that any custom cake can be ordered pre-scored, which sounds like a great idea if you want to ensure you slice equally sized portions for every guest, this is not the case. Unfortunately, the reality is a little more complicated than this and I spent about 10 minutes asking the bakery employee for all the details to help clarify things.

One of the design options indicated on the kiosk display is "Scored." From the image on the display, it would seem that the cake is pre-cut into slices, with each slice having its own decorative flower piped onto it. The cake is not fully sliced, just scored, and you cannot designate the size of each piece, which means if you happen to want smaller or larger ones, this isn't a possibility.

Additionally, you cannot order any other design pre-scored, as these don't lend themselves to this feature without disrupting the pattern of the piping. The only other option for a scored cake is to order one that doesn't have a design at all, either plain or with sprinkles. If you want this, you will have to clearly indicate this on the form by selecting "Scored" and then writing in "no flowers" or "plain cake."

When it comes to adding writing to a custom cake, while you can theoretically put whatever you want on one, there are some limits. The amount of writing you can fit on any cake is dictated by the design you choose; as you might notice from the images posted on the kiosk, some of the designs fill almost the entire surface of the cake. This cannot be adjusted to accommodate writing so you might need to shorten what you would like put on the cake. Additionally, scored cakes cannot be written on.

If you want more writing on a cake than can be accommodated by a pattern, order a plain cake, sans design. These have a lot more space for lengthier messages. Again, you can request that sprinkles be added to the top of the cake to decorate it. You can also request writing to be added to any of the grab-and-go cakes available while you shop, as long as the bakery is staffed.

When filling out the form, you will specify the message you want written as well as the color of writing you prefer. A word of warning for those of us with lousy penmanship: Write clearly or you won't get what you want on your cake. The employee at the bakery suggested I rewrite my form to be more legible so that anyone would be able to decipher the message clearly.

One of the other perks of obtaining a custom cake from Costco is that you can add on a Variety Cookie Tray to your order. These cookies retail for $22.99 for 60 cookies. They come in three flavors: 24 Chocolate Chunk, 18 Double Nut, and 18 Oatmeal. You can get as many cookie trays as you would like, but you cannot adjust the quantity of cookies or precise combination included.

If 60 cookies sounds like a lot to serve in addition to cake, but you like the cost and the idea of the variety, don't let that stop you. It's easy to freeze cookies to enjoy at a later time and they can be frozen for up to a year with minimal loss of quality. Though you can simply toss them into a freezer bag or airtight container to freeze them, they might stick together. A better alternative is to lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, the cookies can be transferred to a container for long-term storage in the freezer. This will allow you to retrieve a single cookie at a time, which can easily be reheated in the microwave or oven.

While this might seem obvious, if you aren't inspired by any of the somewhat limited designs offered by the custom cakes available from Costco, you can always order a plain one and decorate it yourself, while still enjoying the quality and affordability of this member benefit. This is not as challenging as it seems and it is a great opportunity to turn this into a fun family activity.

Though you can certainly invest in a cake decorating kit complete with piping bags and various-shaped piping tips, like this piping bag and tip set from WOFEIS, you might not want to deal with making buttercream and learning how to produce different designs. In this case, it can be simpler to obtain some store-bought edible writing gels or icing that are ready-to-use to spell out your special message.

Additionally, this may be the time to get creative with cake decorating by breaking out the candy. Some of your favorite sweet treats, like jelly beans, M&M's, Reese's Pieces, or mini marshmallows can make for a delightful and tasty decorative touch. Lastly, fruity cereal is also a great hack for effortlessly decorating cakes. Not only are these colorful and flavorful, they can lend an element of crunch that will really transform your custom cake into something that is a multi-sensory experience.

Costco cakes are quite perishable so you will want to guarantee that you have made advanced plans to properly store one when you get it home. This is especially important if you ordered a half sheet cake. These cakes are monstrous in size and will warrant that you clear out virtually an entire shelf in your refrigerator in advance to be able to accommodate it in its entirety.

There are also some tips to keep in mind for properly storing leftover Costco cake so that it doesn't go bad. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week as long as it is carefully wrapped and sealed in an airtight container. It is recommended that you leave the cake in larger pieces rather than pre-slicing it; this will help prevent it from drying out in the cold refrigerator.

Should you need more time to eat this much cake, you can easily store leftovers in the freezer for up to three months. The easiest way to do this is using an expert sheet pan trick. This involves slicing the cake and pre-freezing the slices on a sheet pan for a few hours before rewrapping them for long-term storage. This will preserve the integrity of the frosting while making sure each piece retains its shape and quality. Frozen cake should only be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight, never on the countertop or in the microwave.

One topic that remained confusing to me despite everything I read online about the custom cake ordering process at Costco was whether these baked goods were covered under the warehouse retailers' usually generous refund policies. According to its website, " Special Order Kiosk and Custom Installed Programs: Custom product(s) manufactured to our member's personal and unique specifications cannot be returned or refunded, except for warranty repair/replacement due to failure to meet specifications." This led me to believe the cakes would not be refundable, unless perhaps there was a failure to execute the design request made by the customer accurately.

I decided to ask the service desk at my local warehouse for clarification. The employees there indicated that they would, in fact, include custom cakes under their usual liberal refund policy, as long as the item is returned to the place from where it was purchased in a mostly intact form, meaning not half-eaten or an empty container. These returned cakes would be refunded in full. That said, if you have concerns, I recommend asking your specific warehouse for confirmation of this before purchasing a custom cake, as this might be a decision that is made by the individual retailer and could vary depending on the location.

When I arrived at the bakery on the designated date, there were no employees working, but a staff member of the deli was able to assist me and retrieve my cake. I double checked the cake to ensure the message, design, and flavor were correct. They were, so I paid for my order and took my hefty cake home.

The half sheet cake was thicker than a traditional one, which means you will need a knife long enough to slice through it. That said, it was incredibly moist and didn't require much effort to slice. The frosting was a bit firm, but this wasn't a deterrent as it was a nice juxtaposition to the fluffy cake and luxurious mousse filling. What really impressed me most was the cake itself. It was light, and had a well-structured, uniform crumb. It was also not overly sweet, with a distinctive dark chocolate aftertaste that was savory enough to balance out the sugary frosting.

Overall, I was pleased with the cake I received. The sprinkles were enough of a design for the cake to be festive without hindering my desire for more writing. The quality of the cake was as good as anything I have eaten from a fancier bakery, at a fraction of the cost. While the ordering process is somewhat unorthodox and a bit confusing, it works. The only thing missing was a container of Costco's beloved Kirkland Super Premium Ice Cream to cap things off.