Who knew that a simple dessert could stir up such controversy? But let me back up. Heart-shaped cakes have been incredibly trendy in the last year. Think weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and, of course, Valentine’s Day. But because they are trendy, you can’t just go pick one up from your local grocery store for a low price. You have to have it made by a local baker — until now.
Last week, ahead of Valentine’s Day, Walmart’s heart-shaped cakes blew up on TikTok because of their affordability. A customer can purchase the cake online or in-store for around $24 to $28 with an array of options. Customizations include the flavor of the cake as white, chocolate, or both cake flavors, a filling of strawberry or bavarian creme, and a choice of frosting or buttercream or whipped cream. The Walmart heart cakes can also have a custom message with a max of 50 characters with no additional charge.
The internet went crazy for them, including user @R7_Phantom, who was shocked by the price. Some even took this opportunity to purchase the cake but add some of their own special touches to them, like creator @spill.the.chi did when she added some red bows on her birthday cake.
But the cakes have not been without backlash, specifically from small business bakers who know how much these cakes cost to make. The rave over the Walmart version of these cakes is rooted in affordability, but TikTok creator @birdysbakery believes the price of her cakes matches up with the work put into them.
“I just find [comments complaining about the price of cakes] highly disrespectful to everybody putting so much time and effort into their cakes,” she said in a video where she is designing a marbled heart-shaped cake she sells for more than $25 according to her comments. “Especially when having a birthday cake is a luxury, it is not a need.”
The number of home-based food businesses increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and so did social media usage, which made it possible for creators to display and sell their work. But the rising cost of ingredients (hello, eggs) means these bakers can’t compete with the Walmart price of cakes. According to TikTok baker @vavivia, who charges $90 for an eight-inch heart cake, ingredients and decorations for her heart-shaped cake costs $27.79 to make and that’s not including her labor.
But TikTok user @reyahthelastdragon argued that store bought cakes can be just as delicious as those that are custom made. However, she also pointed to the fact that these viral Walmart heat-shaped cakes could be taking customers away from small businesses.
At the end of the day, the cake debate boils down to convenience versus craftsmanship. Whether a cake is worth $95 or $28 depends on what the customer values and looks for the most at the time of purchase.