You Can Customize These 3 Grocery Store Birthday Cakes at No Additional Cost

Picking up a customized cake from a local bakery is always a great option for when you’ve got something to celebrate. And you get at least two things out of it: You’ll be supporting a local business and are almost guaranteed to enjoy a delicious dessert. However, there are two limiting factors: purchasing custom, professional cakes isn’t accessible for everyone, and you may need to order them several days (or even weeks) in advance. 

Fortunately for those on a budget, without a local bakery, or who forgot to plan ahead, many grocery stores offer deals on high-quality, customizable birthday cakes that everyone will love.

Several major supermarkets even offer free cake customizations — ranging from choosing the cake flavor you want to adding personal messages — online or in stores at no extra cost. So, if you find yourself headed to a birthday party and suddenly remember that you were responsible for the cake, don’t stress. Just head to one of these beloved chains.

Walmart

By ordering through the Walmart website, you can design your own Vanilla Dream Round Cake to suit whatever occasion you’re celebrating. The round layer cake is available in three sizes: 6 inches (12 servings) for $19.98, 8 inches (16 servings) for $22.98, or 10 inches (24 servings) for $34.98.

To personalize this adorable dessert, choose from cake options like chocolate, vanilla, or a blend of both. To elevate it further, you can opt for strawberry or Bavarian cream fillings for a small additional fee. For the icing, select either whipped cream or buttercream-style frosting based on your desired level of sweetness. Lastly, you can request a custom message to be piped on top, limited to a maximum of 50 characters, with a variety of decorative colors available.

You can also save time by customizing your cake in advance through the Walmart app, as store employees have noted online. If you need same-day cake customization, it may be easiest to visit your nearest Walmart location in person so you can consult them on what the fastest option is.

Wegmans

The Round 2 Layer Gold Cake with Buttercreme is available for purchase at most Wegmans locations for $25 and serves eight to 12 people. The “moist gold cake” is typically offered in two decorative options, featuring either flowers or balloons piped on top. You don’t need to order this cake online — most stores have them prepared already. Instead, you can consult with the Wegmans’ bakery department in person and ask them to add a personalized message at no additional charge. This means Wegmans cakes are ideal if you need a dessert ASAP.

For dark chocolate lovers, the Wegmans Round 2 Layer Chocolate Cake with Buttercreme is priced at $25 and can have a personalized message piped on top for free. This option looks identical to the classic gold cake at Wegmans, but has moist chocolate cake inside.

Kroger

Kroger offers a variety of customizable cakes that you can select and personalize through its website. The exact options available at each Kroger location may vary, but at my nearest store, I can create a double-layered 8-inch round cake that serves 15 to 20 people for $22.99.

During the online customization process, you’ll choose from cake flavors such as chocolate, marble (a mix of white and chocolate cakes), white, or yellow. The available frostings typically include chocolate, plain buttercream, and whipped-cream varieties like cookies and cream, strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. 

Just like at Walmart, you can request a custom message in your preferred frosting color while designing this cake online. However, ordering cakes at Kroger may require a bit more advance planning, and the website mentions that you can pick up your cake in two days. If you’re really in a hurry, visit the Kroger bakery in person to explore what options they might have for same-day purchase.