Whole Foods Cakes

[Anonymous]

We need a cake for a baptism lunch this weekend. Anyone try and like Whole Foods special occasion cakes? We'd be ordering from the Rockville store.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

We had one for our DD's baptism last month from the Tenleytown whole foods. The frosting was a little too sweet for my taste but the cost was not too bad compared to specialty stores like Just Cakes. Too be honest, I wish we had paid less and just did a Giant or Safeway cake.

[Anonymous]

In my opinion, they are really bad. The frosting they use always tastes like commercial frosting. The fruit pies and breads are great, but I will never buy anything with frosting there.

[Anonymous]

I'd have to agree--their pastries are good but cakes are bad.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks for the comments. We'll go with Safeway or a local bakery.

[Anonymous]

In Rockville I think Stella's mousse cakes are great.

[Anonymous]

I too am routinely disappointed in Whole Foods cakes, though the Cappucino cake is not bad or the Strawberries and Cream. Other local recs include: Cakelove--Silver Spring, Bread and Chocolate on Upper Connecticut and Patisserie Poupon in Gtown.

[Anonymous]

Try Creative Cakes in Silver Spring. Yummy. I like the cakes from the Whole Foods in Tenleytown, but I have to let them sit at room temperature for a while or else the frosting tastes like solid butter. Their tres leches cake is delicious.

[Anonymous]

The Safeway on Thayer Ave in Silver Spring has by far the best birthday party cake in the area. Their cakes are not fancy but taste incredibly delicious and moist.

[Anonymous]

Whole Foods cakes suck. Furins in Georgetown has delicious cakes, if that's not too far.

[Anonymous]

Whole Foods can be hit or miss. I got one of the round cakes from inside the glass case it is was absolutely terrible. But recently my MIL got a cake there and everyone thought it was excellent. Turned out that she called ahead to ask what cakes were made fresh daily and she made sure she got one of those.

I really like the Giant sheet cakes, and they can put cute decorations on them. But they can be too sweet for some people.

[Anonymous]

OP here -- went with a Safeway cake from the store in Kensington and it was delicious (and cheap!). We did get some party platters from WF though and they were terrific.

[Anonymous]

The icing on Whole Foods' cakes is butter-based icing and is meant to be enjoyed, like the rest of the cake, at room temperature, when flavor and texture are optimal.

I do not particularly like cakes from Whole Foods, but I can guarantee they and any real cake (yummy Balducci's, etc) will taste better if left to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. It is reflection of this country's struggle with food that so many otherwise intelligent people with a habit of eating artificial supermarket cakes simply do not know what quality ingredients go into a real cake and have to re-learn how to appreciate them.

This makes me nostalgic for French bakeries... I lived in Paris for many years - you pop into a bakery, drawn by the heavenly smell steaming outside the door, and choose one (just one!) cake out the many gleaming confections on display. The baker puts it into a cardboard box (often decorated), ties it with pink ribbon so that you can hold it by the bows, and reminds you to let it sit on the table for so many minutes, depending on the amount of cream, icing, etc in the cake. He or she moreover suggests a good wine or champagne to go with it, if the occasion is particularly festive. Appreciation for that particular cake is heightened because knowledge passes directly from the baker to you.

[Anonymous]

From Whole Foods, I just love the pear tart, and the raspberry mousse cake.

[Anonymous]

Oh man we got two wf cakes for a graduation party and one was moldy. When we returned it, I was miffed by how unsurprised the customers service people were.