inside costco
Kirkland Signature cakes rise above the rest
BuyingSmart
Consumer reporter Pat Volchok
gives a behind-the-scenes look at
Costco products and services. Send
your questions about this article to:
buying smart@costco.com.
More in archives
On Costco.com, enter
“Connection.” At Online
Edition, search
“buyingsmart.”
92 ;e Costco Connection MAY 2011
IT’S CELEBRATION SEASON for grads and
newlyweds, Mother’s Day moms, Father’s Day
dads, Memorial Day service members and
our country’s independence. And nothing
says “celebration” like cake!
Batter up
Of the 36 Kirkland Signature™ items
baked fresh daily in every warehouse, five are
premium fresh filled cakes.
The two most popular of these ( 1 million
are projected to be sold between May 1 and
the Fourth of July) are Costco’s decorated,
fresh-each-morning vanilla and chocolate
half sheet cakes.
Though they measure the traditional 12
by 16 inches, the cakes weigh
9. 5 pounds (the
industry standard is 6 pounds), which includes
2 pounds of vanilla cheesecake or chocolate
truffle mousse filling. They will serve up to
48 very happy guests.
Costco demands the highest-quality
ingredients for all their baked goods. The
sheet cakes use cake flour (known to produce
a smoother, lighter texture than regular flour),
real confectionery sugar (sifted 10 times to
make sure the icing is velvety smooth), vanilla
and eggs. What isn’t in the recipe is trans fats
(more on that later). Additionally, old-world
handcraft techniques are employed; skilled
FRANCE FREEMAN
decorators hand-apply the thick yet light and
fluffy fillings, rich buttercream icings and
detailed decorations.
Sue McConnaha, vice president of Costco
bakery operations and Food Courts, tells me,
“Many retailers are quietly downsizing their
sheet cakes. Some are freezing their cakes
off-site and then thawing, not including fill-
ing or charging extra for it. Not Costco.”
Costco’s sheet cakes can be purchased
directly out of the refrigerated case or special-
ordered with one day’s advance notice. There’s
no difference in price, selection, freshness or
quality between the cakes in the case and those
special-ordered; personalization is free. (There
