Costco’s Cult-Favorite Half-Sheet Cakes May Be No More
Are the big, rectangular cakes ever going to make a comeback?
Francis Dean/Getty
It’s a birthday tradition in my house: the Costco half-sheet cake. We also enjoy the massive, majorly delicious cakes for graduations, holiday parties and occasionally, just when the mood strikes. Leave it to buttercream to brighten a bad day.
But time moves on, things change and some traditions require updating. The Costco half-sheet cake — rectangular and for so long reliably available — is apparently one of those traditions. The members-only warehouse chain has announced on Facebook that half-sheet cakes “are currently not available to order or customize” at U.S. store bakeries. What’s more, this is apparently the new normal: The company has said it has “no immediate plans” to reintroduce the half-sheet cakes.
Instead, Costco is now offering a 10-inch round cake — available in both vanilla and chocolate, judging from an accompanying video posted on Facebook — for people in need of a substitute to mark a special occasion.
The news of the cake’s sudden, shocking disappearance sparked an outpouring of love for the cakes and despair (and yes, a great deal of denial) when confronted with the concept that they may never come back.
“PLLEEEEEEEEEASSE bring back the half sheet cakes!! Best cakes ever! Worth the price of membership on its own! Birthdays are disappointing without one!!” pleaded one commenter.
“The sheet cake was the main reason I even got a membership!” wrote another.
“We LOVED the old chocolate cake, bring it back!!!” begged a third.
Meanwhile, one commenter had the presence of mind to calmly request an explanation.
“Why are sheet cakes not available?” she inquired.
Costco responded: “To help limit personal contact and create more space for social distancing, Costco has reduced service in some departments. At this time, we are not making sheet cakes for special order. Thank you for understanding.”
Related Links:
