Tomorrow is my son's 5th birthday party. He's currently obsessed with firemen and fire trucks, so the whole theme of the party is built around that, and I was going to make him a fire truck cake (with several examples printed out from cakes posted here on CC).

Then last week my oldest son came down with a stomach virus.

Two days later my husband came down with it.

Two days later, the 5 year old came down with it.

Two days later, *I* came down with it.

That brings us to yesterday, with time running out to make the fire truck cake, and REALLY, do I want to be making and serving food for 15 preschoolers and their parents from this sick, sick household? There was no time to order a custom cake. So I had to rely on good ol' Costco. I went down there yesterday afternoon and placed my order for a "soccer ball" design, and it was ready today at 1:00 for $16.99. What a lifesaver!!

The down side, of course, is that my 5 year old still wants his fire truck cake (growing up with a caking mom has spoiled him! ). I had to tell him that they don't know how to make fire trucks at Costco. Fortunately when he actually saw the soccer ball cake, he thought it was pretty cool.

I've never tasted a Costco cake, but I ordered chocolate cake with vanilla cheesecake filling and white buttercream frosting. I will be anxious to taste it and compare it to mine.

Sounds like you had a tough week! But as far as store bought goes...Costco's is pretty good cake! And you really do get a lot for your money. I think we got a carrot cake, with creamcheese icing and apricot filling last Christmas for work and everyone loved it.

Oh my, with everyone sick who's left to make the chicken soup and open up the gingerale.

You certainly have my sympathies.

BTW, I also purchased a Costco carrot cake... It was pretty good, and the apricot mousse filling was very tasty.

Saveur magazine rated Costco bakery's sheetcake at #25 (out of 100) but that thread was lost due to CC crash....

Hope everyone is feeling better soon.

I've never tried Costco's, but I actually like Sam's cakes......I'm not really a fan of cake period, so I like that Sam's cakes are kind of dense and wet, plus, I like their icing. Please don't shoot me!

When I am short of time I buy Costco cakes. They are lifesavers. Last week one of my friends eloped in Las Vegas that last minute. She and her husband are pastry chefs in New York. Well, they were here for only 24 hours in California. I wanted to have a little party for them. Thanks to Costco I purchased the chocolate cake with strawberry filling, bought freshed baked pizza combo, wine, deli sandwiches, chips and dips, salad. I had a buffet spread my friends. They tasted costco cake for the first time and said it was delicious.

I guess if pastry chefs love costco cakes then they are good.

Listen...a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do, right? I would have done the same thing. Hope everyone is all better now.

One time I was in the middle of making a car cake and I got so frustrated because it wasn't coming out the way I imagined I called my sister and asked her to buy me one on her way to my son's party. It was when I first started making cakes and I didn't start making the cake until the day of the party. It was crazy. But I learned my lesson. Start a day or two in advance.

I like Pepperidge Farm cake. . Especially when it's still a little frozen.

I really like Mc Rib from McDonald's for $2, and I really like the County Line BBQ restaurant at $25 for the "cadillac" meal. Two different things, but both really good.

I really like Costco cake, and Sam's is OK... but a well decorated, elegant, dessert cake with special fillings......mmmmmmm.

There is a time and place for eveything! no guilt, no shame.

I'm sorry to hear about you and your family getting so sick! Hopefully everyone has recovered!

It's been a while since I had a store bought cake but I do remember Costco cakes taste great. I love any kind of cake!!

I really like Mc Rib from McDonald's for $2, and I really like the County Line BBQ restaurant at $25 for the "cadillac" meal. Two different things, but both really good.

I really like Costco cake, and Sam's is OK... but a well decorated, elegant, dessert cake with special fillings......mmmmmmm.

There is a time and place for eveything! no guilt, no shame.

this past year, i remember asking what kind of cake my kids wanted for their birthdays(theme, flavor). 3 out of 5 asked for costco cake. i love the apricot mousse. ours doesn't offer it anymore. i wonder if all costco's are the same??? guess i'll have to find my own recipe for apricot mousse.....

Hope everybody is feeling better.
It's a shame that you did not see the fireman design they have at costco, it would have been perfect for your party.

Patty*

The last 2 years my son has had a store bought cake.

2007 I was recovering from having had a baby.

2008 I was recovering from having had a broken ankle and was trying to deal with frosting that wouldn't stick to his cake.

He's been a good sport about it but thankfully I'm not doing cakes full time so he didn't feel cheated. I felt like he was but he could have cared less. There was cake and he didn't care where it came from.

Hope you all are feeling better.

Thanks everyone... the party was a success, although a chaotic one (what else do you expect with seventeen 5 year olds, their parents and assorted siblings, grandparents, babies, etc?). I was still recovering from the virus and could only manage one bite of the cake, but I have to say....pretty tasty.

My Costco didn't offer a fire truck design, that would have been perfect!!

My son is extremely allergic to milk, so every year I have to make him a "private" cake anyway. This year I made it with Earth Balance soy margarine, and Silk soy milk. It was like a brick. My poor son is going to grow up thinking cake is horrible. Anyway, I just did a little cake with a FBCT, and he helped me design the sides so I'm attaching pictures of both the cakes. See the cute fondant dalmation who was going to sit beside the awesome fire truck cake that didn't get made?