Do Costco Cakes Need To Be Refrigerated?
You may have purchased a cake you do not intend to consume immediately. When you buy these cakes, you are concerned with how best to preserve them.
In this article, I will explain all you need to know about refrigerating your Costco cakes and whether or not you need to do so.
Costco cakes do not need to be refrigerated. Although depending on when you need them, your Costco cakes can stand for up to five days without going bad. And if you decide to refrigerate them, they can last even longer in the refrigerator.
Should Costco Cakes Be Kept In the Fridge?
You can keep your Costco cake in the refrigerator. There is no harm in doing that.
Although you can leave Costco cakes at room temperature, it is still best to refrigerate them.
Leaving your cake in the refrigerator depends significantly on the type of cake you have purchased.
Since Costco sells different types of cakes in stores, knowing which of them You can preserve in the refrigerator is important.
Aside from the cake types, there are also a variety of cake flavors. These flavors also determine if the cake should be refrigerated or not.
Some of the flavors available at Costco include lemon, vanilla, and coconut flavors. You can combine these flavors in cheesecakes, marble, and pound cakes.
You can also find chocolate chip muffins and many other delicious cakes on display. The combination of these flavors on any cake is significant.
When the cake you ordered has a frosting, then you should refrigerate the cake after purchase.
The frosting is like cake icings and must be kept in the refrigerator. If you leave cakes with frostings in the open, they will melt.
Once these cakes melt, it changes their appearance and taste. In other instances, the cakes may get spoilt if you do not refrigerate them.
Cakes that get spoilt when left unrefrigerated includes whipped cream or cream cheese.
Whipped cream cakes need to be in the refrigerator; the refrigerator slows down the growth of the bacteria in the cream. The bacteria are responsible for the spoilage.
Even if the whipped cream does not get spoilt, when left unrefrigerated, it falls out of the whipped state by separating into water and white goo.
In this disintegrated state, the whipped cream no longer looks appealing. It may not necessarily change the taste of the cake; it will alter its appearance.
How Long Do Costco Cakes Last?
Your Costco cake can last up to five days outside the refrigerator. It can last for a longer period if kept in the refrigerator.
The duration of a Costco cake depends on the ingredients you use. Some Cakes contain ingredients that spoil easily.
The constituting ingredients of these cakes are important in determining how long the cake can last.
When you make a cake with ingredients that easily spoil, the cake will not last for too long.
Cakes with some types of toppings can last for up to 3-4 days. These toppings include buttercream or ganache and can stay up to 3-4 days outside the refrigerator.
If your cake has cream cheese or whipped cream, you should handle it carefully. These ingredients spoil quickly and may only last for 1-2 days.
How Long Is Costco Cake Good For In the Fridge?
Your Costco cake can last beyond five days in the refrigerator. The refrigerator can keep your Costco cake longer than the predetermined three to four days.
The refrigerator lowers the growth of bacteria in the cake and keeps the cakes viable for a while.
Costco makes ready-made cakes waiting for the pick-up from you. You must know the shelf life of the cake you are to purchase.
This information gives you a fair idea of how long to preserve it. When a cake goes past its shelf- life, it becomes dangerous to the health when you eat them.
What makes these cakes dangerous is the fact that bacteria grow on them. You can see obvious changes like changes in color, consistency, and texture.
Another factor determining how long your Costco cake will last is the state where you store them. Cakes are stored in their whole state and tend to last longer.
The cake will not last if you eat it in slices even though you store it in the refrigerator.
The cakes spoil faster because they come in contact with the surfaces of utensils that may not be free from bacteria.
Another factor that gets them quickly spoiled is their exposure to the atmosphere.
These microorganisms are present in the atmosphere and will drop on them when opened.
How Long Does Costco Chocolate Cake Last?
The Costco chocolate cake can last up to five days from the date Costco packages it. The chocolate cake can last up to five days when kept cold in the refrigerator.
The cake can last for more than a week when kept frozen. There is no problem with freezing the chocolate cake because the constituting ingredients do not get spoilt when frozen.
Even with the possibility of this longevity, You should eat the cake within six months. All the ingredients used in making the cake will not remain edible after six months.
It is also important to remember that chocolate cake lasts longer as a whole than when fragmented in parts.
Once you cut the cake, ensure to finish it within the shortest possible time.
One possibility to look out for is the cake drying out. When a cake is cut and kept for too long, the surfaces exposed can get dry.
When the cake surfaces dry up, the cake’s taste, texture, and appearance are altered.
When these alterations occur, the cakes can no longer last for long.
| Types of cake | Viability Outside the Fridge | Viability In the Refrigerator |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate cake | 3-4 days | 7 days |
| Whipped cream cake | 1-2 days | 3-5 days |
| Cheesecake | 1-2 days | 3-5 days |
Can I Return Costco Cake?
You can return the cake you bought from Costco. Before you can return the cake, you must be a registered member of the store either online or in person.
You only need to bring the cake to the Costco warehouse, and a membership assistant will be assigned to help you through the process.
Ensure that you still have the receipts of payment, or you can come with the package of the cake you bought.
Once you can validate the purchase, Costco will collect the cake from you and return your money to you in full.
It is important to read and understand the Costco return policy fully so you do not get to violate them.
If you violate the Costco return policy, your membership may be flagged. Once your membership is flagged, you can no longer return any cake you purchase.
There is a warranty period of 90 days, within which you must return the cake you bought.
You must also return the cake intact without slicing it or taking a large chunk.
Final Thoughts
Costco cakes do not need to be refrigerated. If you want to have them for a few days, you can keep them in the open.
Once refrigerated, they can last for up to seven days or more. You can return the Costco cake if you still have the purchase receipt and membership registration.
