Has Costco Stopped Selling Chocolate Cakes? Why?

Costco is a fantastic business with fantastic goods. Many of those goods end up in American families’ traditions. One of those foods is the classic American chocolate cake. This adored chocolate cake was a go-to favorite for birthdays, holiday gatherings, Mother’s Day celebrations, and more for many years. It is easily large enough to feed 20 or more guests. Recently, without prior notice or explanation, Costco discontinued this product. What makes Costco discontinue its sale of chocolate cakes? Keep reading to find out the answers.

Has Costco Stopped The Sale Of Chocolate Cake?

First off, we’ll give you the good news: The cake is still available at Costco. The bad news is that the chocolate cake isn’t the same as what it used to be known for.

Costco discontinued its renowned All-American Chocolate Cake in 2020, so it’s currently unclear why they haven’t reinstated it.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they decided to stop selling this cake. To discourage big gatherings and because they were losing money, Costco also stopped selling sheet cakes during the lockdown.

But now that the pandemic lockdowns have ended, I’d bet that Costco will eventually resume making its All-American Chocolate Cake. Unfortunately, the business has not specified a potential timeframe for this.

Thankfully, they did begin selling a miniature version of this well-liked cake in 2021, and it is still on sale at the Costco bakery. Although inventory may differ depending on the warehouse, Costco currently offers 6-count packs of cupcake-sized All-American Chocolate Cakes as well as a slightly larger single-cake variety.

The larger mini cake has been described as “smaller than the original cake but bigger than a muffin” by After settling that, let’s get back to the exciting news: Eat This, Not That! These are currently $7.99.

Costco still sells a 10″ round chocolate mousse cake in their bakery for $12.99. As shown in the image above, these cakes are offered both plain and decorated. And as always, if you’d like a particular decoration theme, Costco’s cakes can be ordered especially with at least two days’ notice.

Reasons Costco Stopped Selling Chocolate Cakes

A Global Pandemic Meant Fewer Cake-worthy Celebrations

Have we mentioned that 2020 will be a terrible year? Add “decreasing demand for big birthday cakes” to our laundry list of complaints.

In fact, as reported by AdAge, the category of cakes and other sweets increased in 2020 as consumers turned to comfort foods during difficult times.

However, it should be remembered that the All-American Chocolate Cake wasn’t just any cake. It was a huge cake designed for celebrations. And, as you might have guessed, 2020 also stole many of our parties.

In fact, according to research cited by the New York Post, 6 in 10 people felt at ease attending events only online in 2017. Consider the effect just in terms of birthday cakes.

Although the math is shaky, let’s assume that each and every one of the 331 million people in the U.S. According to the Census Bureau, having a birthday party was something that Americans planned to do in 2020.

There would have been no need to purchase more than 198 million birthday cakes if six out of ten of those individuals had chosen to celebrate virtually instead (unless, of course, they were single-serve; more on that later).

Not to mention the rescheduled family gatherings, graduation parties, and Groundhog Day events.

Holiday celebrations suffered as well. According to Good Housekeeping, only 27% of Americans in 2020 planned to spend Thanksgiving with family or friends outside of their homes, and many people skipped Christmas as well. All missed opportunities for both the American Chocolate Cake and us.

People Everywhere Became At-home Bakers

The phenomenon of pandemic baking comes next on our list of reasons why the All-American Chocolate Cake might have died out. People all over the world embraced their inner baker because they spent so much time at home.

Flour was flying off the shelves faster than it could be restocked, according to The Atlantic, and sales of baking-related products like baking chocolate shot up 24% (via Prepared Foods).

The advantages of pandemic baking were threefold: it gave us something to do, sweet treats are frequently nostalgic and comforting to eat, and, for many, the actual act of baking or giving those baked creations away can be rewarding and stress-relieving, as well.

A contributor to Time shared her own experience with pandemic baking in a love letter to a cake that expressed the feeling well: “It feels helpful to gather ingredients and create something that might make someone else’s day sweet when you’re waiting and worrying.”

So, as this roundup in The New York Times shows, people started embracing homemade cakes everywhere. Some of these cakes were wackier than others, and Us Weekly revealed that even famous people had to get inventive when making birthday cakes at home.

All excellent news for us amateur bakers, but not so good for the All-American Chocolate Cake, the protagonist of our tale.

Huge Cakes Aren’t Great For Social Distancing

Where the dimensions of the All-American Chocolate Cake mentioned? Together, its four layers weigh an astounding 7 pounds. In essence, that is a newborn. Unfortunate social distance was another aspect of 2020 that was prevalent.

According to NPR, many cities advised hosting events for no more than ten people, but the typical All-American Chocolate Cake could serve at least twice that many guests with leftovers. Even if you did get together, the idea of singing happy birthday, cutting a cake, and then eating it after someone literally blew on it seemed insane.

As a result, the single-serve cake gained popularity. Sales of snack cakes increased by $347M (11.7% more than the previous year, according to Commercial Baking), and miniaturized cakes and other celebratory baked goods gained popularity.

In fact, Datassential discovered that as gatherings grew smaller or loved ones sent single-serve cakes cross-country for virtual celebrations, sales of miniature grocery cakes, which are 1/8 of the standard size, increased by 12%.

The demand for smaller cakes was so high that an entirely new industry emerged around “quarantine cakes” (reports People).

These are cakes that serve just one or two, many that came with safety PSAs or pandemic-related sayings on top — like “wash your hands” or, a personal favorite, “you can’t spell quarantine without U-R-A-Q-T” — and bakeries across the nation were quick to jump on the trend.

It Started Focusing On Its 10-inch Cakes

In addition to ceasing to sell its All-American Chocolate Cake in 2020, Costco also urged customers to try its 10-inch round cakes after announcing that it would stop selling its equally well-liked half-sheet cakes.

For just $19.99, Costco’s half-sheet cakes could feed up to 48 guests and were completely customizable, making them ideal for weddings, graduation parties, and other occasions where you need a budget-friendly but crowd-pleasing option. (via Taste of Home)

It’s likely that Costco’s half-sheet cakes perished for the same reasons that the All-American Chocolate Cake did: fewer occasions where we needed to feed 20 or more people and a preference for smaller cakes over larger ones.

Additionally, it’s likely that they were challenging to bake and decorate because Costco’s bakers were observing public safety regulations regarding social distancing.

But let’s get back to those 10-inch round cakes. These can be found at Costco in both chocolate and vanilla varieties, and with two layers as opposed to the All-American Chocolate Cake’s four, they are better suited to the 10-person gatherings we were getting used to.

Although the chocolate version resembles the All-American Chocolate Cake in some ways (it has a chocolatey base and frosting), it is filled with chocolate mousse rather than fudge. On Reddit, the opinions of the fans are split, but the majority believe it to be inferior.

It Could Have Been Related To Supply Chain Issues

Around the time the All-American Chocolate Cake vanished in 2020, Costco was dealing with supply chain issues, just like many other businesses were (and regrettably still are).

The members-only warehouse was having trouble keeping items like sanitizing wipes, baking yeast, and laptops on the shelves, and in order to make more room for these in-high-demand items, it had to reduce other offerings that weren’t as popular (says Wall Street Journal).

In an effort to control inventory, boost sales, and reduce costs during a chaotic period, Costco wasn’t the only retailer to streamline what they were stocking. These effects were felt throughout the entire industry and some of the compromises that were unavoidably necessary involved food products that were not as in demand as pantry essentials or products like paper towels.

In fact, according to Food Dive, market research firm IRI discovered that the volume of non-edible products like paper towels has increased by 10% at retail over the course of the pandemic. While many of the products they replaced have since made a comeback, it’s not true for all of them.

Maybe People Just Didn’t Like The Cake Anymore

Even though it is a pretty ridiculous example, we had to include it. After all, this cake sparked a petition, and a quick glance at the comments on Change.org and the numerous Reddit threads devoted to the discussion of the All-American Chocolate Cake will show you that people have never stopped praising this rich confection.

This was a cake that stirred up feelings, with one petitioner emphatically declaring it “the best cake IN THE WORLD.” All caps, full stop.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there are numerous Reddit threads devoted to imitation recipes, ensuring that true fans will never be without the joy that an All-American Chocolate Cake brings.

One Redditor recommends John Kanell’s Chocolate Cake Recipe from Preppy Kitchen as a comparable place to start if you want to try making Costco’s chocolate cake yourself. You should also give this Costco Sheet Cake Copycat Recipe a shot while you’re at it.

You’ll start salivating just by looking at the pictures and wishing that today, tomorrow, and the rest of the week were your birthday (for the record, we’re totally in favor of celebrating half-birthdays and even quarter-birthdays, too).

Costco Discontinues Items Fairly Often

Don’t forget that Costco discontinued products before there was a pandemic that affected the entire world. Therefore, it is always possible that without the assistance of the virus-that-must-not-be-named, the All-American Chocolate Cake would have become extinct.

In fact, compilations of all the incredible Costco products we’ve had to give away over the years, from the Polish Dog whose disappearance profoundly shook the nation to a house brand body soap that people apparently loved with a passion, are a fairly common occurrence.

That might speak more to the devotion that Costco customers have for their preferred goods than to how frequently those goods disappear, though.

Thankfully, there is a way to determine which of your favorite Costco products are about to disappear. According to Reader’s Digest, the price tag of any item that the wholesale store does not intend to restock will have an asterisk in the upper right corner.

Therefore, make room in the pantry and stock up if you see one of these asterisks on a shelf-stable good you can’t imagine living without.

Costco Released A Mini Version Of Chocolate Cake

The All-American Chocolate Cake was said to be gone in 2020. A Change.org petition was started to support its return after some Costco customers noticed that the cherished cake wasn’t being restocked. More than 7,200 people have joined the campaign so far to show their support.

Costco earlier this year made people happy all over the country by bringing back the All-American Chocolate Cake in a smaller, unquestionably cuter miniature version.

These miniature cakes are made with the same chocolate cake, fudgy icing, and chocolate shavings that made the original All-American Chocolate Cake the huge success that it was for so many years.

Additionally, the new cakes are offered in packs of six for only $7.99, compared to the standard size All-American Chocolate Cake’s price of $16.99.

FAQs

How Many Servings Make Up A Chocolate Mousse Cake From Costco?

Each 10″ chocolate mousse cake sold at 16 servings is available at Costco.

How Long Is Costco Chocolate Cake Good For?

A week or so is about how long chocolate cake should last. A chocolate cake’s likelihood of drying out and becoming stale before it molds is due to its high sugar content. Chocolate cake should be stored in the refrigerator at all times because it contains dairy and eggs.

How Many Inches Is A Costco Chocolate Cake?

Costco’s chocolate mousse cake is 10″ in diameter.

Have Nuts Been Added To Costco Chocolate?

No. However, it is made using the same machinery that is used to process sesame seeds, peanuts, and tree nuts.