You're Better Off Leaving One Costco Dessert In The Bakery

Costco is revered for its affordable price tags and bulk buys, but its bakery section has a fanbase of its own. Widely regarded to be one of the best bakery departments across all American supermarkets, Costco's sweets section is filled with treasures — whether it's sheet cakes that have a cult-like following, legendary pumpkin pies which make an appearance every fall, or those Kirkland Signature cinnamon pull-apart rolls which rank among the best fresh baked goods at popular grocery chains.

However, even Costco can have a few misses, and its chocolate cake is one of them. Priced at $15.99 for a little over 3 pounds, this dessert might certainly appear to be a bargain at first. But when Food Republic ranked 13 Costco bakery desserts to find which ones topped the charts, the chocolate cake was placed last.

Sure, our taste testers agreed that the cake is delicious for shoppers who need a last minute-fix. The mousse filling is light, the sponge layers are rich, the frosting is fudgy, and the whole thing is satisfyingly chocolatey. However, Costco's bakery aisles are packed with heavy-hitters that are just so much more exciting in terms of taste and appearance. When pit against those, the chocolate cake fails to leave a lasting impression. Plus, its thick layers of frosting can quickly get a little too sweet. If you want a dessert that will truly leave you wanting more, you'd be far better off skipping that chocolate cake for another, more impressive treat.

Why settle for Costco's acceptable-but-not-spectacular chocolate cake when you could be picking far more magnificent desserts sitting right next to it? If your heart is set on a chocolate showstopper, there's the Tuxedo Mousse Cake to consider. After all, it did snag the number one spot on the other end of Food Republic's ranking. 

Made from layers of dense chocolate cake, two different types of chocolate mousse (one of them even has chunks of brownie bits), and a silky layer of ganache, the dessert is rich and dark without being overly sweet. It has a contrast of flavors and textures, and neat, structured layers that also make it visually stunning. With a price tag of $17, the tuxedo mousse cake far exceeds anything you'd expect from an average supermarket dessert — which can't be said for its more basic chocolate counterpart.

Then, there are those flaky, buttery Costco almond Danishes which are reminiscent of frangipane tarts — second only to the chain's super soft New York cheesecakes, which are just as exquisite when plain as they are in their seasonal flavor variations. The Carrot Mini Cakes are another dessert worth skipping the chocolate cake for. They have the right balance of carrots, nuts, and spices, and a generous slathering of thick cream cheese frosting that may leave you wishing that there were more than six cakes in the $11 box. When you consider these Costco standouts, the chocolate cake just pales in comparison.