Costco cakes are seriously underrated, you guys. We’re talking under $30 for cakes that taste like they came from a small mom-and-pop bakery, not a warehouse store. But here’s the thing—not all Costco cakes are created equal. We tested literally EVERY cake Costco has (yes, our blood sugar was a problem), and we’re ranking all of them from worst to best. From birthday classics to show-stopping tres leches, here’s the ultimate guide to Costco’s bakery section.
13. Seven Layer Honey Cake – Dairy-Free
Okay, we have to be honest—this one’s at the bottom. Visually? Stunning. Seven gorgeous layers that look incredible at parties. The fact that it’s dairy-free is impressive because they somehow made a creamy filling without dairy. But here’s the problem: honey is the only flavor you taste, and honey alone is just sweet and flat. The cake is really dry, and if you don’t like honey as a primary flavor, you’re not going to enjoy this. It might work as a dairy-free alternative at parties, but taste-wise? One out of five. Sorry, honey cake.
12. All Butter Pound Cake – $6.99ish
Pound cake is just not the most exciting cake to begin with. This one’s super flavorful—definitely doesn’t lack on flavor—but it’s DRY. Like, classic pound cake dry. If you’re a die-hard pound cake fan, you might love this. But for everyone else, it’s just missing that moisture we want. Could use a little more oil in the recipe. Two and a half out of five.
11. Chocolate Muffins (from variety pack) – $6.99
Good chocolate muffin, but same note as the loaves—we wish it was a little moister. The best part about any muffin is the muffin top, and we’re suckers for a crispy muffin top. This one could be crispier. Still decent for a quick breakfast or snack. Two out of five.
10. Cinnamon Coffee Cake – $6.99ish
Excellent flavor—five out of five on taste. Strong cinnamon flavor without being overpowering, nice sweetness from the streusel top and that little drizzle. The problem? Texture. The cake needs to be moister and that streusel top doesn’t have the crispy bite we want. Coffee cake is supposed to have that crunchy top with soft interior contrast. This one’s missing that. Flavor gets five, texture gets three, so we’re splitting the difference at four out of five.
9. Pumpkin Muffins (from variety pack) – $6.99
Strong cinnamon flavor, nice pumpkin taste—and this is coming from someone who hates pumpkin (long story involving childhood trauma and pumpkin guts). If you actually LIKE pumpkin, you’d probably rate this even higher. Imagine if someone who liked pumpkin tried this. Three out of five.
8. Vanilla Birthday Cake – $17.99
This is giving grocery store cake but elevated. Simple vanilla on vanilla, but what Costco’s done is add this creamy filling on the inside that tastes like thick Bavarian cream—not just vanilla frosting. They’re doing it better than any other grocery store, and that includes Whole Foods. The frosting on top is pretty saccharine (very sweet), which is fine if you’re someone who eats around the frosting anyway. Honestly wish that Bavarian cream filling was all around the cake because it’s more pleasing than the super-sweet frosting. This is a big cake—maybe 10 inches round—and it’s $17.99. Solid four out of five.
7. Corn Muffins (from variety pack) – $6.99
Much moister than the other muffins. Basically like cornbread, which is perfect. Love that moistness. Three and a half out of five.
6. Premier Protein Pancakes – $6.99ish
Okay hear us out—pancakes are literally “cake you make in a pan,” so they’re in this ranking. Fifteen grams of protein, 210 calories. You can taste that protein powder taste in the back of your mouth as an afterthought, but they genuinely taste like pancakes. Normally we’re against putting protein in everything, but pancakes are breakfast food and morning is a good time for protein, so this actually makes sense. Would be really nice with jam or peanut butter spread on top. Three out of five for the cake category (would be 4.5 in the breakfast food category).
5. Blueberry Muffins (from variety pack) – $6.99
The best muffin of the bunch. Big blueberries, decent streusel top, and they literally SOUND MOIST when you open the package. All the muffins could stand to have crispier muffin tops and more moistness, but this one comes closest. Three point nine out of five. You get eight huge muffins for $6.99, which is a screaming deal.
4. Chocolate Birthday Cake – $17.99
Deep dark chocolate frosting on the outside, more milky filling on the inside. Here’s what sets this apart: most chocolate cakes have that mouth-drying feel that sort of dries you out. This one doesn’t. Eat it with a glass of milk and you’re in business. Can’t believe this is a grocery store cake—if someone told you this was from a fancy bakery, you’d believe them. Definitely beats the vanilla version. Four point five out of five, easy.
3. Chocolate Tuxedo Mousse Cake – $18.99
Look at those little chocolate rolls and layers—this is impressive. Very rich chocolate flavor, chocolate on chocolate on chocolate. There’s some sort of cream cheese buttercream that gives it that tuxedo brownie vibe (you know, like a brownie with cream cheese on top). The textural delight is real. The only note? Those little chocolate bits on the outside look like they’d be crunchy, but they’re actually more like brownie or fudge. Would love chocolate crunch pearls or even nuts inside for actual crunch. Everything turns into mush in your mouth, which is nice but not quite perfect. This is $18.99 and you get a significant amount—like you could cut a big slice and still have plenty left. Four point four out of five.
2. Mocha Crunch Bar Cake – $18.99
This is INSANE. You’re telling me Costco made this? Chocolate cake, cappuccino mousse, mocha crunch layer, and chocolate drizzle. Something tastes almost like toffee. Everything marries together perfectly, and there’s actual CRUNCH—unusual crunch that tastes like wafer cookies or something. This could be served at a fancy dinner and pass as gourmet dessert. No question. The crunch layer is really good and textural. This is $18.99. Four point nine out of five. On any other day, this would be first place.
1. Caramel Tres Leches Cake – $17.99 – WINNER
Right at the buzzer, we have a real switcheroo. THIS IS IT. The top cake. Wedding material—you could literally serve this at a wedding. The top looks like crème brûlée, and somehow Costco layered tres leches without it crumbling (which seems impossible because tres leches is so soft and milky). One bite and it tastes like a hybrid of flan meets New York cheesecake. Caramelized flavor that’s almost nutty. Really thick cream. The tres leches is dripping, and we’re dripping over this cake. The texture is flan-like. Part of the fun of tres leches is that soft milky quality, so unlike other cakes, this one doesn’t need textural difference—it’s supposed to be like this. Nearly perfect. PERFECT FIVE OUT OF FIVE. This is $17.99 and it gets Johnny Cakes’s stamp of approval.
Honorable Mention: Costco Cheesecake
We need to talk about the famous Costco cheesecake separately because people LOVE this one. Just about the creamiest cheesecake ever. The bite of the crust, the creaminess inside, and this almost gelatinous top that tastes like mirror glaze with a different texture. Definitely cream cheese flavored. If we had one note, the crust could be a little snappier—we want the crust to really CRUST. But this is definitely the best thing we had all day at one point. Four point eight out of five. Easily first place material.
Honorable Mention: Funnel Cake Fries – $10.99
From the frozen section—air fry at 350° for 4-5 minutes. They smell divine and come with powdered sugar. Not overly sweet, crispy exterior, chewy glorious interior. Here’s the thing: funnel cakes aren’t that interesting by nature. You get them at fairs and stuff. These are begging for fruit dipping sauce—jam, jelly, fresh berries. Serve with blackberry or boysenberry sauce and suddenly you’ve got a perfect dessert. Four out of five. There’s three packets in the box, so you get a lot for $10.99.
Honorable Mention: Castella Cake – $13.29
Japanese-style baked sponge cake that’s fluffy with just a hint of sweetness. No oils or additives. Not a strong flavor profile, which is the point—Castella is popular in Japanese tea ceremonies and meant to be enjoyed with tea or coffee. Some premium versions can go upwards of $60-$80 per cake, so getting this at Costco for $13 is wild. It’s shelf-stable, which makes it lean more into snack cake territory. Also, opening it is fun—there’s paper on top (don’t eat that). Three point eight out of five.
What About the Dubai Chocolate Cake?
We tried to get it and called Costco customer service (shoutout to the guy with the southern accent). Bad news: they don’t carry it anymore. The brand was called David’s, and it went viral on TikTok with the kids raving about it. The rep said to keep checking the website because it might come back, but for now, it’s gone.
Top 3 Costco Cake Ranking
- Caramel Tres Leches Cake – $17.99 (5/5)
- Mocha Crunch Bar Cake – $18.99 (4.9/5)
- Costco Cheesecake (4.8/5)
Solid Choices:
4. Chocolate Tuxedo Mousse Cake – $18.99 (4.4/5) 5. Chocolate Birthday Cake – $17.99 (4.5/5) 6. Vanilla Birthday Cake – $17.99 (4/5) 7. Cinnamon Coffee Cake (4/5) 8. Funnel Cake Fries – $10.99 (4/5)
Decent Options:
9. Blueberry Muffins – $6.99 (3.9/5) 10. Castella Cake – $13.29 (3.8/5) 11. Corn Muffins – $6.99 (3.5/5)
Skip These:
12. Pumpkin Muffins (3/5) 13. Premier Protein Pancakes (3/5) 14. All Butter Pound Cake (2.5/5) 15. Chocolate Muffins (2/5) 16. Seven Layer Honey Cake (1/5)
I am a professional blog writer, interested in retail shopping trends, new Costco arrivals, Dollar Tree product launches, and money-saving deals across U.S. stores. My content focuses on spotting trending items early, comparing prices, and helping readers maximize savings while shopping smarter.