Sheet cake for 150 people--is Costco the best price?

[ranthony]

like donut holes or cookies...

You could even make chocolate chip cookies now and freeze them.

What we have done before, is make cookies for everyone, then we lay some on a cookie tray and write HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOUR NAME HERE (one letter per cookie) on the cookies on the tray.

We then put one or two candles in several cookies (to get to the appropriate number).

It is really so much easier for the camp staff -- handing out a cookie or two to each kid...

I love some of these ideas...they are very appropriate considering your user name.

I don't HAVE to bring cake for all the campers, I volunteered to do it. (Although I will admit I did not expect 150 to be the number of people to serve!) These are all kids that my son has been spending alot of time with over the past 2 years--even the bigger tweens/teens will often help out in the younger kid's classes. Their Sesei (karate instructor) makes a big deal of every kid's birthday in front of the group. I love it--and it really makes each kid feel special. They have a special song and dance they do all led by the older karate students from the dojo.

Even though this is a sleep away camp it's only about 15 minutes from our house so it wouldn't be a prolem to keep the cake cool until serving time.

I was thinking cupcakes would definately expedite the serving process that's why I was considering those instead. Then there are no forks/plates/cutting of the pieces needed.

I'm going to call Costco now and see what they say about paying the upcharge.

 

[Green Tea]

The Costco cakes are very good and worth the $$, but I don't think you'll get 70 pieces from one cake. I think maybe 60. We love the vanilla cake with choc. mousee filling.

Costco cakes serve 48 people (small squares as shown on the diagram at the order stand) So 3 of those, $15.99 each. They have white or chocolate cake, strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla mousse filling, and chocolate or vanilla icing. You can make any combinations with the choices.

 

[brekin67]

Email the Cake Boss in New Jersey. Maybe he will hook you up.

 

[ranthony]

Email the Cake Boss in New Jersey. Maybe he will hook you up.

I don't think that would be very budget friendly but I bet the cake would be awesome!

 

[kimsuenew]

My DS will be at karate camp for his birthday this year. I asked his instructor if I could bring cake for the campers and he said 'sure'. He then proceded to tell me there would probably be around 150 people. That was double of what I expected!

Oh well...I have to do it now because my DS overheard me asking.

I priced out sheet cake at our local A&P and it would be over $150 for a plain (non-filled cake) to serve that many. That's ridiculous!

I then priced out cake at the closest Super-Walmart and it was around $75. Less than half of A&P! I could live with that and the cupcakes were an even better deal at 12/$5.

I was talking about all of this with some of the other moms at pre-school and one of them said she had just gotten a full sheet cake (serves about 70) for $15 at Costco for her daughter's birthday...and it had filling!

I tried to look it up on-line but there are no bakery prices on their site. Is this true? Could I really get enough cake for $30 at Costco? I don't have a membership and the closest one is around 30 miles away. I'll call them in the morning to confirm but I was wondering if anyone out there could confirm this? If so...those A&P prices are even more ridiculous!

She got a great deal then! We just ordered a full sheet cake at Sam's Club for our DS graduation and it is $35.00 (a full feeds 90 something people at 2" pieces they told me). I also added 30 cupcakes to the order for $12.00 and some cents (it went up exactly the same every multiple of 30 cupcakes... there was no price break the more you ordered). Do you have a Sam's Club nearby? I am guessing Costco would be similar to Sam's in their offering. I liked that for both the cake, and the cupcakes, we could get 1/2 chocolate and 1/2 white so everyone (almost) could eat! Good luck!

 

[BeckyScott]

My personal experience with sheet cakes:

If it makes a difference in price to get one cake "fancy" and one cake just plain iced, do that. Then you can go ahead and cut up the plain one and have it plated by the time everyone comes to get served, and no one will be the wiser.

Ask the bakery if they can score the cake for you. It's so much easier to cut the right amount of pieces. It's very hard when they say "okay, you'll have x-amount of 2x2 pieces" and then you're standing there with a cake trying to cut straight lines every two inches. I never can make them exactly two inches. Then some people get bigger pieces, and it throws your total off. Even if you accidentally cut the rows 1/2" bigger, which would be easy to do if you were just eyeballing it, that would throw the whole cake off by several pieces. Get it scored for you so there is a guide you can follow. It's the only way you can be sure of how many pieces you'll have in the end.

 

[horseshowmom]

IIRC A&P told me a full sheet cake serves 55-70. So I'd definately be cutting it close with 2 cakes. I'll have to confirm with the instructor a week or so before the camp and order accordingly.

I'm hoping his estimate is a tad high. Otherwise, perhaps I could get 2 full sheets for the campers and then a regular 'fancier' cake for my DS to blow the candles out on and share with the instructors. The 150 estimate included the camper and the instructors.

What about cupcakes? Does Costco or Sam's offer cupcakes and does anyone know the price? The cupcakes at Wal-mart were about 42 cents a piece and that would expedite the whole serving issue.

If it were me (even if they cost a little more), I would go with the cupcakes instead of the cake. I've done that before with large groups, and it was just so much easier than the cake (remember the kids have to wait around while you cut out those 150 pieces plus there's the added expense of plates, forks, etc.).

Good luck and happy birthday to your son!

 

[fakereadhed]

Just FYI Costco cupcakes are extra huge. DH brought home a tray of cupcakes from there and they weighed 8 lb!!! Each one was the size of at least 3 cupcakes. We had to split them in half for the kids in the class so they wouldn't be sick. Sams cupcakes are a reasonable size.

 

[brekin67]

Just for fun, I emailed the CAKE BOSS in New Jersey. That's Carlos bakery if you don't watch the TLC channel. Here is their response.

Hi,
a 1/2 sheet feeds 40 and cost $75.
a 3/4 sheet feeds 50 to 60 and cost $110.
a full sheet feeds 80 plus and the cost is $145.
Thanks Grace

 

[MosMom]

Wow, that is a lot. I charge $35 for a half sheet and $60 for a full. If only I could get away with $145 for a full.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I paid King Kullen 35 for 1/2 sheet cake,
REAL whipped cream, REAL strawberries not that "stuff". It was an AMAZING cake and worth the money.

But I think for kids at a camp setting, I'd go the route you already have planned.
Have a great celebration!!!