Nothing tops off the party like a terrific cake, whether you’re celebrating a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or retirement. Costco sells famously large and cheap sheet cakes that are perfect for these occasions.

Costco sheet cakes are cheap (just $20), giant (they feed 48 people), and incredibly delicious, making them the perfect addition to any celebration.

But before you order one of Costco’s sheet cakes, you must understand what you’re getting. So, here are 15 things to know before buying Costco sheet cakes to ensure your next order is perfect!

1. You’ll Pay Less For A Costco Sheet Cake Than Anywhere Else

For most people, the most crucial consideration when buying anything is how much it costs.

Luckily, everything is priced competitively at Costco, and the massive sheet cakes are no different.

For example, you’ll pay just $19.99 (plus tax) for a half-sheet cake for either of the two flavors.

When you compare that to a few other grocery stores, like Wegmans, where a half-sheet cake costs $42, the savings are undeniable.

In comparison, Giant Eagle, another chain in the Mid-Atlantic region, charges $36. Walmart is also more expensive, with a half-sheet costing $30.

2. Costco Sheet Cakes Are Huge

Have you ever seen a half-sheet in real life? It’s enormous.

For example, when we think of traditional rectangular birthday cakes from grocery stores, most think of quarter cakes.

The half-sheet is twice that amount, and the cakes can serve up to 48 people at Costco.

So, clearly, Costco’s half-sheet cakes are not for a small family gathering. They are best served in party situations.

3. Costco Sheet Cakes Are Heavy

Naturally, a bigger Costco sheet cake will also be a heavier product; they’re dense, moist, and filled with icing, after all!

According to Delish, the sheet cakes at Costco weigh as much as nine-and-a-half pounds, the same as a newborn baby.

So, it’s best to bring help to carry it when you pick it up if you aren’t sure you can manage that beast all by yourself.

4. There Are Two Costco Sheet Cake Flavors

If you have a special flavor in mind for your cake, go elsewhere.

Costco’s sheet cakes only come in two flavors. As one choice, you can get chocolate with a chocolate mousse filling and chocolate buttercream frosting.

Or, you can get a vanilla cake with a layer of vanilla filling and vanilla buttercream frosting on top.

Moreover, limiting the selection makes it easier for Costco to accommodate the number of orders they receive.

But, in the past, there were more flavors, like carrot cake or fruity fillings.

5. There Are Ready-Made Costco Sheet Cakes

If you want a unique design on your Costco sheet cake, you have to order ahead.

But if you’re not picky, you can pick up a ready-made one at the bakery.

If it’s near a holiday, you might find some already decorated to celebrate, so keep an eye out!

6. You Must Make Custom Costco Sheet Cake Orders Ahead Of Time

As I mentioned, if you’d like customization on your Costco sheet cake, you’ll have to order ahead of time.

That could mean as little as one day, but you should order at least two or three days in advance to be safe.

For more on ordering a sheet cake from Costco, you can find further instructions below!

7. Customizations On Costco Sheet Cakes Are Free!

Customizations are included in the sheet cake price at Costco, and according to FrugalHotspot, you can request virtually any message or frosting design.

That’s right; you’re not limited to the designs on the ordering sheet.

So, if you’d like to include a special joke, an animal, or a shape not listed on the order form, just ask an employee.

8. Ordering A Costco Sheet Cake Means Visiting Your Local Store

Unlike many other grocery stores, Costco doesn’t take sheet cake orders online like many other grocery stores.

You can fill out the cake form at home instead, but you’ll have to bring it to the store to place the order.

At some stores, there’s a dropbox where you can leave it; others might prefer you hand it to a bakery associate (the latter is preferable if you have questions).

9. Head To The Back Of The Store To Order A Costco Sheet Cake

Costco stores are huge by design, but that doesn’t mean you’ll wander around for an hour before you find the bakery.

Instead, head straight to the back of the store where Costco usually keeps the bakery, near the meat department.

10. The Designs For A Costco Sheet Cake Are Plentiful

If you are still determining what kind of design you want, Costco offers several options.

For example, some of the designs in Costco’s repertoire include:

• Butterflies
• Bouquets
• Crosses
• Graduation
• Hockey
• Roses
• Soccer

Further, for a more complete list, check out this page.

As I mentioned before, you can customize your cake to your heart’s content, so if you want a rose and a butterfly, just ask!

11. You Can DIY Your Costco Sheet Cake

Some people with a creative flair purchase their Costco sheet cake plain or with some border adornments but nothing else.

This is because the sheet cakes are the perfect blank slate to take home and DIY the design yourself.

So, maybe your message is a bit more risqué (or vulgar) for Costco, or perhaps your decoration scheme is much too complex for a warehouse store.

Whatever the case, you can buy a plain Costco sheet cake to take home and decorate it yourself.

12. You Can DIY A Costco Sheet Cake For Weddings

A birthday party is one thing, but a Costco sheet cake as the main wedding cake?

Yes! Look at the gorgeous wedding cake someone DIYed from a few Costco sheet cakes.

What’s more, the price to DIY a wedding cake out of Costco sheet cakes can save you a lot of money.

For example, many wedding cakes cost up to $500, but with Costco sheet cakes, it’s only about $50.

13. The Costco Sheet Cakes Disappeared For A While

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Costco stopped selling its half-sheet cakes for a while.

However, the cakes have since come back, but this does mean that when there is a major world crisis, they could disappear again.

Instead of the regular sheet cakes, Costco pushed its round cakes during the height of the pandemic.

14. Costco Sheet Cakes Freeze Pretty Well

With a cake as big as the Costco sheet variety, you’ll be lucky if you don’t have many leftovers.

Luckily, some have found that the cakes freeze pretty well (as most cakes do).

However, remember that the sooner you freeze it after taking it home, the better the freshness will be preserved.

Further, you can wrap the remaining pieces of sheet cake in tin foil and put them in a freezer zipper bag.

To thaw, just remove them from the freezer and let them sit on the counter for a few hours (it usually doesn’t take cake long to defrost).

15. Costco Sheet Cakes Are Really Tasty

What good is a product if it is cheap but tastes horrible? Luckily, Costco sheet cakes have a reputation for being delicious and affordable.

For example, KnowMoreStuff goes so far as to say the Costco sheet cakes “taste great.”

Also, a Facebook commenter declared that the Costco sheet cake, not the fancy bakery cake, was the hit of her daughter’s wedding.

So, no worries—your $20 investment in a particularly enormous sheet cake from Costco is worth every penny and then some!