Costco Shoppers Have a Lot of Feelings About the Chain's New Controversial Strawberries & Cream Cake
A major food fight is going on this week over the Costco Strawberries & Cream Bar Cake. Grab some popcorn.
On second thought, grab some strawberries. June is prime time for the delicious red berries, which inspired the Costco cake in question, a striking dessert make up of layers of white sponge cake, sweet strawberry filling and fluffy whipped cream frosting. Cute little red-and-white striped white chocolate squares and white chocolate shavings make the dessert perfect for all of your early summer celebrations: graduations, bridal and baby showers, retirements and the first-of-the-season cookouts.
Shoppers agreed that the cake looks great, but reviews have been mixed since dessert lovers started sampling the treat. Let's dig into the Internet's thoughts.
Related: Costco Brings Back Fan Favorite Key Lime Pie Just in Time for Summer
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What Are Shoppers Saying About Costco's Strawberries & Cream Cake?
From early reports, it seems like commenters are pretty evenly split. It's clear the cake isn't a fan fave, like the Costco Key Lime Pie, but some folks are standing up for the fruit dessert.
Team Berry Good
"This white cake has a strawberry filling and sweet whipped cream! Definitely my new favorite Costco find!," @costcobuys wrote in a video that gushed about the cake.
Commenters on the post chimed in too.
"Tried it today at my Costco, BEWARE, you will eat the whole thing in one sitting," wrote one.
"I’ve literally already eaten two slices today…oops," said another.
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Over on TikTok, self-proclaimed Costco-obsessed mom @costcohotfinds hailed it, "One of the best desserts I've ever had...it's not too sweet, and it's nice and light, too," she raved.
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Then, there's this really awesome aunt, Auntie Sam, who posts "Taste Test Tuesday" videos with her toddler niece, Willow, under TikTok username @tw0andahalfw0men. The adorable pair dedicated this week's post to the Costco Strawberries & Cream Bar Cake, and we want to eat the entire video up.
A YouTuber is also Team Costco in the Strawberries & Cream Bar Cake debate. Like Auntie Sam and Willow, she filmed herself trying it and concurred, "Mmm, very yummy," she said simply between bites. "Costco is so much better now than years ago. Their bakery is as good as some popular bakeries like Paris Baguette and even Porto's."
Strawberry shots fired!
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Finally, it's been a long time since I took Spanish, but this TikToker's "must try" and "so yummy" stickers make it clear that it earned a gold star from their tastebuds.
Team Hard Pass
After reading all of that, you may be tempted to head to Costco immediately, but there's another side to this food fight. Some customers bought the Strawberries & Cream Bar Cake and won't be going back for seconds, including several posters in the r/Costco subreddit.
One user flagged that the strawberries are not the so-fresh kind people love this time of year.
"I did not like it. It's mostly strawberry jam and cream. It was overwhelming — not a lot of sponge. Looking at it, I thought they were fresh strawberries, but it's just jam," the Redditor wrote.
Another had tasted enough after a few bites — and that's not a good thing.
"I was really unimpressed with it. It just didn’t have a ton of flavor, and I threw my piece away after a couple of bites," the person wrote.
"Tasted like dishwashing soap — lemon flavor," said another, who clearly has the chops to be the next Chopped judge.
Speaking of lemon.
"It was just OK — wouldn’t buy again. The new lemon meringue cheesecake is to die for, though," wrote a commenter on @costcobuys' post.
How Much Does the Costco Strawberries & Cream Bar Cake Cost?
The high price tag is another gripe some customers have. Costco's brand-new Strawberries & Cream Bar Cake costs $17.99. So, while you don't have to roll up your sleeves and play Martha Stewart, you do have to take out your wallet.
In Costco's defense, a quick scan of other retailers' strawberry cake offerings shows it's comparable. Stop & Shop's 7-inch Strawberry Cream Cake, for example, is $19.99. A Carvel Lil' Love Strawberry & Vanilla Crunchie Ice Cream Cake is $15.99 at Shop Rite, and Wegman's has a shortcake for $19.59. Of course, you're not paying for a Stop & Shop, Shop Rite or Wegman's membership. The fairest comparison is Sam's Club. A Member's Mark 10-Inch Tres Leches Style Cake with Fresh Strawberries is $18.98.
Related: Flower Delivery, Discounted Gift Cards and Getaway Deals? Shh—12 Secret Costco Perks To Know About
Our Verdict
The hot takes on Strawberries & Cream Bar Cake are a lot to swallow, aren't they? People seem to love it or hate it without a middle ground. Based on these reviews alone, all we really know is that we're intrigued enough to give it a shot ourselves.