When it comes to cake—be it for a birthday, wedding, or party—you have plenty of options. Some home bakers take on the task themselves, whipping up a treat from scratch. Others turn to local bakeries for customized sweets. But if you need a cake quickly and, ideally, for a low price, grocery store cakes are a go-to option.
If you’re going the grocery store route, you might not think of Walmart. But the big box chain has a bakery with a devoted fan following. Walmart serves up a wide range of cakes, from your standard sheet cake to more creative Unicorn Cotton Candy Cakes that are a hit with the younger crowd.
Because this is Walmart we’re talking about, you can score a sizable cake for a low price. And, if you want to get a custom cake, you can score one well below what you’d pay at a local, independent bakery. Walmart’s bakery has a little something for everyone, like bite-size red velvet cheesecakes you can whip out at a dinner party to sheet cakes that are large enough to feed the neighborhood. Walmart even does customized wedding cakes on the cheap.
Naturally, there’s been chatter online about Walmart’s bakery, and specifically its cakes. One TikTok user ordered a custom round birthday cake from the Walmart bakery and posted about the positive experience. Many commenters agreed with the sentiment, agreeing that the Walmart bakery is an underrated source for custom cakes.
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@mrscowdell $14 Custom birtbday cake from Walmart🫢😍 Obsessed is an understatement!! #walmartfinds #walmartbirthdaycake #girlythings #customcakes #geminiseason #birthdaygirl
♬ This Will Be – audios4you
There is a huge caveat to mention: Not all Walmarts have a bakery, and some are more impressive than others. My closest Walmart doesn’t have one, and you’ll have wildly different experiences at others in my area, depending on which you visit. So, check out the reviews before visiting a Walmart bakery to get a better sense of what you’ll get in advance.
But Walmarts with top-tier bakeries are a great option for cakes galore. Even then, the sheer variety of cake types, sizes, flavors and customizations can be overwhelming. That’s where this guide comes in. Here’s what I’ve learned through careful research, personal experience with several Walmart bakeries and custom cakes and speaking to Walmart spokesperson Tricia Moriarty.
Related:The 12 Best Things to Buy at the Costco Bakery, According to a Superfan
How Much Does a Walmart Cake Cost?
Courtesy Korin Miller
As with all stores, prices vary by size, type of cake and level of customization.
To give you a sense of the price range, something like a small (6-inch) round cake starts at $15, including customizations like cake flavor and frosting color. Tiered round cakes, like this balloon animals two-tiered cake (with 10-inch and 6-inch layers) will run you $68. Fully customizable sheet cakes will cost anywhere from $16 to $60, depending on whether you get an eighth, quarter, half, or full sheet size. Meanwhile, cupcake cakes cost either about $16 or $25, letting you choose between a 12-cupcake or 24-cupcake size.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Buying Costco Cakes
What Are My Flavor Options?
Courtesy Korin Miller
Walmart rolls out some really cool flavor combinations, but those are usually pre-made or options that you order as-is. I spotted that Unicorn Cotton Candy cake I mentioned for $5.98 that my kids flipped over, for example. (You can check out TikTok for the latest “it” Walmart cake — the chain rolls out new ones all the time.)
But you’re generally limited to vanilla/white or chocolate cake flavor base options. (Even that Unicorn Cotton Candy cake has a vanilla base.) With tiered cakes, you have the option of choosing options being strawberry or Bavarian cream (and these do include a $3 up-charge), while the icing is either buttercream or “whipped” (a light, fluffy icing). If chocolate frosting is what you’re after, make sure to order one that specifically comes with said type of frosting, like this Chocolate Sophistication sheet cake.
Walmart mixes things up a little bit with flavor options, but it really depends on the cake. For some cakes, like this adorable Minnie Mouse sheet cake, you can choose yellow or marble cake as your flavor of choice. Keep in mind that yellow and marble aren’t flavor options for all cakes, so you’ll have to browse through the options to figure out which ones do offer these specialty flavors.
And if all else fails, you can always go the pre-made route for more flavor diversity. Walmart also offers pre-made, specialty cakes, like the aforementioned cotton candy one, this iced cinnamon one, or this chocolate cake. You just have to look for them in-store.
What About Decorations and Designs?
Courtesy Korin Miller
While a cake’s flavor is an important factor, there’s one other important element that’s (arguably) a little more fun: the decorations. When you order a custom cake — sheet or tiered — Walmart gives you a large selection of frosting color options, along with a couple of options for the piping along the cake’s border. But the customizations don’t stop there, as you can add frosting flowers, balloons or sprinkles to the top of the cake as well. Many cakes even come with cute plastic toppers, like this Pastel Mermaid Heart Cake, so you don’t need to have any decor customizations in mind to still end up with a well-adorned dessert.
It’s easy to customize a cake and see all the options available to you on Walmart’s website (you can use the app, too). Just choose the type of cake you want, then the size, then you’ll go through a whole process of selecting flavor, filling, frosting color and so forth.
You can also order a cake in person at the bakery counter. When you’re at the store, look for the booklet in the bakery area that lays out all of your options. Here’s an example of someone who ordered a custom Walmart birthday cake:
@rachelleheasley Replying to @Tina how I ordered my cake at Walmart @Walmart #walmart #walmartcake #walmartcakedecorator #birthdaycake #birthday #cake #tastetest #food #pink
♬ original sound – Rachelle
To understand a little more about Walmart’s cake design and decoration process, we spoke to Walmart spokesperson Tricia Moriarty. “Every design and decoration is carefully thought through as to how we can bring a special moment to life for our customers,” Moriarty tells Parade. “We think about what’s trending, what’s something that can surprise and delight a customer, what would make them proud of serving the item at a party.”
Moriarty says that Walmart bakers also try to think about how easy it will be to consistently make these designs. “That’s really where the magic happens,” she says. “Our cake decorators take great pride in their work—it’s their attention to detail, passion and creativity that make our items unique and special.”
Related: 31 of the All-Time Greatest Cake Recipes Everyone Should Try Once
Can I Order a Cake Online?
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Absolutely! While you can roll into your local Walmart and pick up a pre-made cake on the spot, ordering online is the best way to get exactly what you want and know that it will be available when you need it. Walmart allows you to order cakes on its website and via the Walmart app, and even shows you a mock-up of what the cake will look like as you go.
How Far in Advance Do I Need To Order a Custom Cake?
Online orders need to be placed a minimum of 48 hours ahead of your pickup time, Moriarty says. But, as you can probably guess, the bakery tends to be busier around holidays, like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and during graduation season. For those times, she suggests placing your order at least 72 hours in advance to make sure you can get your preferred pickup time.
Need a cake sooner? If you order in person, you can usually get your cake within 24 hours, Moriarty tells Parade.
What Is the Serving Size of a Walmart Cake?
Courtesy Korin Miller
The number of servings you’ll get from a Walmart cake ultimately comes down to the size you order. If it’s a big sheet cake you want, you can get an option with up to 96 servings. Something like a half-sheet cake will give you 48 servings, and a quarter-sheet cake yields 24.
But sheet cakes are far from the only option. If you go the custom tiered route, you can choose between options that deliver 12, 16 and 24 servings. But then there are pre-designed options, like this pretty floral one, that provide 64 servings. A standard single-layer 8-inch heart cake, like this fun one topped with a trio of disco balls, yields 16 servings. You’ll just have to browse through the options online to see exactly how many servings a given cake will yield, and most of them will provide that information on the first page after you click on a product.
How Long Does Walmart Cake Last?
Courtesy Korin Miller
Per Walmart itself, [scroll to the bottom — there’s an FAQ! KM] cakes should stay fresh for about five days. But things like fruit fillings are best if eaten sooner, probably within a day or two. If you plan to get your cake well before you’re going to serve it, Moriarty tells Parade that you can freeze Walmart cakes and simply defrost them down the road.
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Related: The 12 Best Things To Buy at the Walmart Bakery, According to a Superfan
Source:
- Tricia Moriarty, Walmart spokesperson