Costco cakes

[MartyB]

We just made a birthday party today for my 4 year old granddaughter at her gan. We bought a cake from Costco, 1/2 sheet, serving 48, for $16.99. People were making a comment that if I would have bought it from a place like Zomicks it would have run me $75. Just why are cakes so expensive at the local kosher bakeries or is the question why is it so cheap at Costco. The cake is fully customizable (white/chocolate cake, Vanilla Cheesecake/Chocolate mousse/Strawberry mousse filling, White buttercream/Chocolate buttercream/Cream cheese icing) and includes writing on the cake.

[cappucino]

I have always attributed the great taste to butter. Really head and shoulders above the rest. But, I don't do dairy cakes at birthdays. Invariably, there is one kid who is Cholov Yisrael and I am sad whenever I am at a party where the kid can't eat. Due to Costco's great prices, this scene has been happening more often. One kid sitting there with no cake at every party. And then, there are the dairy allergic. So, I'd rather spring for the pareve cake.

[websterhall1994]

You could buy the Costco cake and get a tray of the Beigel's brand mini cupcakes (also sold at Costco) and still come out cheaper than ordering from a kosher bakery. The Beigel's cupcakes are dairy free and nut free.

[MartyB]

Thats right, you can even buy a smaller cake from your local frum bakery, should cost you another 8-10 dollars. You are still way ahead of the game. If the kid is young enough you could even tell him/her that they are so special that you got them two birthday cakes.

[cappucino]

We did that exact thing with the last birthday party, actually.

[weinstein5]

The question I have is I did not realize costco cakes were made under anyone's supervision -who does the supervision?

[Bzdhkap]

Not all Cosco bakeries are under supervision. I believe that the one in the Five Towns, and possibly the one in Brooklyn are. I'm sure someone else can provide the info. on who gives the supervision to these.

[DebbyT]

The one in Hackensack, NJ is also under supervision. The baked goods are all dairy.

[cheesecake17]

The one in Brooklyn has supervision. Not everything is kosher though. I think it depends on where the baked goods were made.

[Kosher Critic]

The below-listed Costco bakeries are under OK supervision.

[shoelace]

i think the better question is why are costcos cakes so much better than anything youd end up getting at one of the frum bakeries

their prices are a heck of a lot higher for two reasons, 1- chalav yisroel ingredients, and 2- bc people will pay the crazy prices they charge

[DeisCane]

Great post, shoelace. Spot on.

[ferret]

"1- chalav yisroel ingredients"

Even at the extreme end of the pricing scale that's just a few bucks.

[GilaB]

Are the Costco cakes made with butter? Most kosher bakeries make pareve cakes with margarine, and in a white cake or plain buttercream frosting, there's nothing there to provide flavor without butter.

[MartyB]

If the recipe calls for butter then I see no reason why Costco shouldn't include it, after all it is a dairy cake.

[GilaB]

Margarine is cheaper, but most of it is technically milchig, meaning that it'll be a dairy cake, but still butter-free. If Costco's cakes are very, very cheap, they might be cutting corners on the butter.

[MartyB]

Well if they want to cut corners then "gezunta heit" as long as the price is reasonable. Since I will be eating one tiny fraction of the cake and since the cake is really for the show, I would rather have a cake that tastes ok for $17 then pay $75 for a spectacular cake. I don't have to impress a class full of 4 year olds.

P.S. The cake was delicious.

[shoelace]

i bake, i know cake thats not made with butter, its butter

gila- youve never had a costco cake?

[GilaB]

Nope. I tend not to eat much in the way of sheet cake.

[HungryJew]

Well part of the reason that the cake is cheaper that we all seem to be missing is that Costco is a price club that we pay for. You must add in the price of membership into that cake price.

[sja]

pay.

[sja]

Assuming that the poster uses the membership all year round then its cost is probably less than a penny per item which hardly explains the price difference
The real reason is probably somewhere between Costco's philosophy of being really cheap, their volume business, the high costs of running a private Kosher bakery and charging what the market is willing to pay

[MartyB]

" ... charging what the market is willing to pay ... " - Bingo!

Well count me in the part of the market that is NOT willing to pay!

[Maven123]

I live in Manhattan and we don't even have an option for decent pareve cakes, especially on the UWS. Everything is packaged and not particularly
fresh. In addition, there is no variety. The same brands and cakes appear at
every store. We need a kosher Bakery. Fairway is great for dairy, but
nothing pareve, other than the same packaged stuff.

[mrmoose]

rents make it virtually imposable for a shomer shabat bakery to make it in Manhattan

[Full tummy]

I've eaten Costco cake, and while there may be some butter in it, I urge you to check the ingredients list. It is cheap because it's mostly vegetable oil shortening, which to my tastebuds, at least, is disgusting.

Please note that I am from Canada, and I am referring to Canadian-purchased Costco cakes; however, I would be very surprised if U.S. cakes were made with superior ingredients.