I feel quite confident in saying that we all like cake. It's something we can all agree on, right? But what about when it comes to cake from Canadian grocery stores?
I've got a big sweet tooth, so I'll never pass on a slice of cake, whether it's chocolate, vanilla, ice cream, black forest, lemon, or whatever else you've got. I enjoy baking and eating homemade cakes, but it's not always practical or possible to do so. If you're willing to spring for a fancy birthday cake at a bakery, you'll likely get something good. And if you don't want to drop $75 on something custom-made, it's off to the grocery store you go.
I've tried both delicious and horrible store-bought cakes — it's kind of luck of the draw, depending on the store. To really determine what's worth it and what isn't, I visited Loblaws, Walmart, and Costco to check out their birthday cake selections. They came in at three different price points, but all under $23.00.
Safe to say I was shocked by the results. One is truly good enough to be homemade — here's my honest take.
Loblaws birthday cake
Beautiful, but...
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
I'll start with the good, though. At its price, this is a gorgeous cake. It was decorated so nicely and looks really appetizing. The size is perfect to feed a small group, too. I was impressed by the overall selection at Loblaws — tons of attractive cakes in a variety of flavours, shapes, and sizes. The display was really attractive and all the prices were lower than I expected.
But cake is ultimately about taste. And when I tried it, I was immediately overwhelmed by sweetness. There was almost zero flavour (cookies and cream, where are you?) except for sugar. It had a few pieces of Oreo cookies on top and a few pieces of real chocolate that were yummy, but it wasn't enough to carry the entire thing.
Buy this as a decoration on your birthday table spread, but I can't recommend it in good conscience.
- Price: $14.00
- Size: 5-inch
- Design: 10/10
- Taste: 4/10
Costco birthday cake
Yum, yum, YUM
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
Like everything else at Costco, birthday cakes only come in one size: large. But for a big party, it's great value! They had several cake options, mostly chocolate and vanilla flavoured, with different decorations and messages on top. You can also order custom cakes at Costco if you order ahead.
The design is simple but attractive, a kind of classic birthday cake vibe.
But the real magic is the cake itself. This is a really moist cake that's sweet but not overpoweringly so. It has a creamy custard layer inside which was super tasty. The flavour was a simple vanilla, but it had a nice, smooth taste.
The icing on the outside was a little fake-tasting in my opinion, but there wasn't much, so it didn't impact my enjoyment. In fact, if not for that kind of icing — which, in my opinion, is synonymous with store-bought cake — this could pass as homemade!
This is obviously the priciest option on the list, but the quality speaks for itself. I'm definitely going back to Costco next time I need to pick up a cake.
- Price: $22.99
- Size: 10-inch
- Design: 8/10
- Taste: 9/10
Walmart birthday cake
Yes, I did drop this one
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
When I saw how cheap this cake was, I had already made up my mind it wouldn't be good. Because how can a six-dollar cake taste good? It's got to be all sugar and chemicals, right? I even chose the black forest option because my sister had recently made her own, so I thought it would be a huge juxtaposition of homemade vs. store-bought.
But I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this black forest cake. The chocolate cake was moist and had a rich, chocolately flavour. The whipped cream topping was light and delicious, and I love the little flakes of chocolate on top. My main complaint is that there's not enough cherry filling at all. I would have loved three times the amount this cake had.
But given the price (so cheap!) and good flavour and texture, I'd get this again. I'd potentially buy some extra fresh fruit to add to it, but it's a good value-for-money option.
- Price: $5.98
- Size: 5-inch (but shorter than the Loblaws 5-inch)
- Design: 6/10
- Rating: 7.5/10
Costco takes the win on this round, with Walmart coming in as a sneaky, unexpected runner-up. And honestly, at these price points, no birthday is even necessary to enjoy this sweet treat. Go forth and enjoy your cake!
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.