7 Grocery Store Bakery Chocolate Cakes, Ranked Worst To Best

We may take it for granted today, but the now-common chocolate cake is a relatively recent creation. The cocoa press, invented in 1828, made cocoa powder easier to come by, but even so, it wasn't until the 20th century that chocolate cakes — and cakes in general — began to resemble those we're familiar with today. Now, chocolate cake is found everywhere, from diners to high-end restaurants, upscale bakeries to, of course, your nearest grocery store.

While I generally believe that most bad chocolate cake is still good, some are certainly better than others — and when it comes to grocery stores that bake their own cakes, the difference in quality can be vast. Grocery store bakeries offer the convenience of picking up a cake quickly while you shop, perfect for any last-minute celebrations or if you just decide on a whim that it's time for a treat. The last thing you want, though, is to cut into that cake and find it's not as good as you were hoping for. With that in mind, I gathered chocolate cakes from seven grocery store bakeries in my local area, and tasted them to see which ones were best. Here they are, ranked from last to first place.

As I said, even a bad chocolate cake is still good, and that is what I had running through my head as I tasted this cake from Walmart. It's by far the most affordable option on this list, costing only six dollars for a two-layer, five-inch, beautifully decorated cake. If you're looking for a chocolate cake on a budget, I would point you toward this without hesitation. Compared to the others, though, it didn't compete on the same level.

Everything about this cake's structure, from the cake itself to the frosting to the decorations, held up incredibly well — so well, in fact, that it was eerie. Of all the cakes on this list, it felt the most mass-produced and the least fresh-baked. You could never pass this off as a homemade cake (not that any of us would ever try to do such a thing). The cake layers were moist but bordering on oily, and the frosting and decorations tasted more like sugar than chocolate. Tough to beat the price here, but even given that, this would be the chocolate cake I'd be least likely to purchase again.

Safeway's double-layer petite chocolate cake was among the prettiest of all the bakery creations I tried. I'd proudly serve this cake to a small group, based on looks alone. Despite its five-inch diameter, it stands impressively tall, with swirls of chocolate frosting making its crown reach even higher. Unless you're planning on purchasing and serving this cake in an incredibly short window of time, though, you may run into some issues.

The height of this cake, which is part of its appeal, turned out to be a detriment as well, as it began to sink in on itself fairly quickly after I brought it home — a common problem you may have run into yourself when making a layer cake. When I sliced into it, it deflated even further. The cake texture has a lovely airiness to it, but that airiness doesn't do a cake with this vertical structure any favors. While this cake is visually gorgeous, and offers a good amount of chocolate flavor in both the cake and the frosting, it just seems not quite right. I found myself eating around the swirled frosting decorations, which made each bite overwhelmingly sweet.

The chocolate cake from Raley's didn't bowl me over, but for a simple, single-layer, no-frills cake, it does its job fine. The cake itself is airy and moist, not too dense, and the frosting has a soft, buttery texture that's appealingly smooth. Texture-wise, each element of this cake hit the mark. Flavor-wise, however, it just didn't have the chocolatey oomph that I was looking for.

I'm not averse to the idea of a lighter chocolate cake, but I would still expect it to have dimension, and this was one-note. Both the cake and the frosting had a similarly sweet milk chocolate flavor, which, after a few bites, just began to taste like I was shoveling sugar into my mouth. There was no bitterness, tartness, or tanginess to balance the sweetness, which made it difficult to finish an entire slice. Just one more element to add complexity and balance would make this cake more successful.

This quarter-sheet cake from WinCo Foods was the most expensive cake in this ranking, at $22.99, but you do get a lot of bang for your buck here. The chocolate buttercream frosting and filling are rich and silky smooth, complementing two layers of moist and springy chocolate cake. For most sheet cakes of this size, I'd expect just one layer, so having two was a nice surprise. There's nothing mind-blowing about this cake, but it's classic all the way through.

My biggest issue with this cake was that it looked more chocolatey than it tasted. The frosting's texture was so thick it reminded me of ganache, but when I tasted it, it could have been any kind of sugary sweet treat. I missed that unmistakably rich, dark, intense chocolate flavor. That said, if you're looking for a solid chocolate cake for a crowd, you'll do fine with this sheet cake from WinCo. It's soft, sweet, and simple.

If it weren't for the price, Whole Foods' chocolate mousse cake would be at least one slot higher. At $18.99, it's the second most expensive cake in this ranking, and its six-inch diameter makes it one of the smaller offerings. While it doesn't score any points for value, it is an exceptional cake, so if you're looking to splurge on a sophisticated and elegant dessert, this would be the choice I'd steer you toward.

A thin layer of cake serves as the base, which has a deep, dark, bittersweet chocolate flavor. Atop that is a thick tower of chocolate mousse (once upon a time known as chocolate mayonnaise), which somehow manages to be ethereally light and impressively sturdy at the same time. A drizzle of icing and vanilla whipped cream flowers grace the top, so a complete bite with every element creates a symphony of flavors. The lightness of the mousse makes this cake all too easy to overindulge in — it was the first one to disappear in my house. I'll keep this cake in mind for special occasions, but it's small and pricey, so won't work if you're on a budget or feeding a crowd.

I finally got the rich, decadent chocolate punch I'd been craving with Save Mart's chocolate cake. From the thick, almost fudge-like frosting to the ultra-moist, mega-chocolatey layers underneath, this cake delivered. At $11.99, Save Mart's cake is the second least expensive option on this list, and it's certainly worth every penny and then some. Particularly given the rising cost of chocolate over the past several years, this cake seems like a steal.

It's only five inches in diameter, but with its two layers and indulgently rich frosting, this small cake will go a lot farther than you might think. I was easily able to get six slices out of it, and each was incredibly satisfying — this cake definitely doesn't leave you wanting more. In fact, I have only one gripe: This cake is so intensely rich and chocolatey, I found myself wishing there was one different element to balance it out. A drizzle of tangy icing on top or a different, lighter frosting used for the filling would catapult this cake to the next level.

I'm not the first to sing the praises of Costco's chocolate cake with chocolate mousse — it's one of the store's most popular cakes, according to members, and for good reason. This 10-inch cake will only set you back about $18, less than Whole Foods' mousse cake that's half its size. It's not just value that puts this cake above the rest, though. It also happens to be very well-made and incredibly delicious.

The shiny, sleek frosting has a ganache-like texture, dense and fudgey, yet not overly sweet. Underneath that are two layers of light, spongy cake with a thick layer of airy mousse between them. The combination of these three elements — all chocolate, but all unique in flavor and texture — creates a perfectly balanced experience with every bite. This Costco cake will surely satisfy any chocolate lover, and it's big enough to serve a crowd. It's going to be hard for me not to pick one of these cakes up every time I make a Costco run. I may need to make up some reasons to have more parties, just so I have an excuse to indulge in this exceptional dessert.

I searched my local area of Northern California to find grocery store chains that had in-house bakeries, and then took a look at their chocolate cake selections (sadly, there are no Publix stores in my region, so I wasn't able to taste that bakery's extremely popular chocolate cake). I chose a cake from each bakery that seemed like it would offer the most chocolate-forward experience. While these were all different shapes, sizes, and styles, they all involved chocolate cake and chocolate frosting or icing.

I tasted each cake individually and assessed its main characteristics: Flavor and texture of the cake itself, the frosting, and the filling if included. I also took into account the cake's overall appearance. Chocolate cakes with chocolate frosting and filling are typically not meant to be light, but I was on the lookout for balance, with nothing too cloying or heavy. Above all, though, I wanted a cake that gave a deep, rich, unmistakably chocolatey flavor.