“Freshly Baked” Is a Myth: I Used to Work in a Grocery Store Bakery — Here’s What Every Shopper Needs to Know

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I learned a lot during my years baking in boutique bakeries after culinary school, but I got the best education when I worked for six years as a cake decorator at a Whole Foods in New York City. The store offered a huge lineup of baked-in-house products, freshly baked sourdough, and a wide variety of cakes that would give most fancy bakeries a run for their money.

Day in and day out, I baked the desserts you’ll find in the bakery case, plus specialty cake orders. After a short time I noticed that some customers deeply misunderstood how to order from the bakery counter, and others just weren’t taking full advantage of everything we had to offer.

Here are the five things I wish I could tell people before they place their next cake orders.

You’ve probably had this experience before — you buy a 9-inch cake for your birthday party with 12 guests, and half of the cake is left over. Cakes serve a range of portions, and it’s more than you might predict (maybe even more than the cake order form suggests). A half-sheet cake might seem right for your 50-person event, but it can actually be cut in up to 100 slices.

Save money by buying the appropriately sized cake. Consider how hungry people will be if you’re serving other food. Are you ordering a tall cake? Cakes over four inches tall can serve more people. Lastly, don’t fall into the traditional wedge cutting practice for round cakes; you can cut a nine-inch cake into 30 rectangles! If you’re unsure, just ask. Bakery employees are more than happy to help you plan out your menu.

I adore whipped cream. I can’t blame anyone for falling for the towering strawberry shortcakes or mango cream cakes in grocery stores. I’d just caution against buying those cakes from the cold case (without calling ahead).

Most bakeries have a “par list,” which includes every item they expect to sell and just how many of them. Unsold items are often kept around for the next day. While that’s absolutely safe and delicious, whipped cream and fresh fruit wilt, dry, and degrade after a day.

Instead of picking these specific cakes from the cold case, place a special order in advance. Sure, it takes some forethought, but it’s well-worth it. We’d always assemble the special-order whipped cream cakes on the day of their pickup — which means no risk of bleeding fruit or deflated cream.

Speaking of whipped cream, make sure your filling and frosting go together — and not just in terms of flavor. Does the filling need to be refrigerated? Then you might want to reconsider a frosting that doesn’t.

Many customers wanted a buttercream frosting with a whipped cream or mousse filling. Buttercream frostings are hard and have a dull flavor when chilled, but whipped cream and mousse need to be refrigerated. It’s not the end of the world to have cold buttercream, but it’s certainly not how the flavor or texture was intended to be. Again, if you don’t know what frosting and filling combinations go together, just ask!

The question on everyone’s lips, “Was the cake baked today?” No. And it’s better that way. Trust me. The bakers wouldn’t be able to do anything else if they were freshly baking cake layers every day. Most cake layers are baked in bulk and then wrapped to be frozen, or at the very least refrigerated, in advance. It’s good for business, sure, and it’s better for cake assembly if the layers are cold and firm.

The same goes for all of the other components too, like frostings, ganaches, mousses, and icings. By the way, just because it was made in advance and frozen doesn’t mean it’s bad or low-quality. Refrigeration and freezing is common practice and food service’s greatest ally.

As I’ve teed up throughout this list, when in doubt, ask for advice. It wasn’t uncommon for customers to call and ask to speak to me directly when placing an order. In fact, I actually preferred it. Customers asked for my opinion or to see if a particular type of design or decoration was possible, and then we could discuss the options.

Sometimes you’ll be able to ask for an off-menu flavor or bring in a special decoration or garnish for your order. If you can’t speak directly to the decorator working on your cake, ask the counter service staff for help. They also have a ton of experience, and can relay your message to the decorator to ensure your order is exactly what you’re looking for.

What’s your favorite shopping tip? Tell us about it in the comments below.