National Cupcake Day 2025: Ranking local grocery store cupcakes

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

Aldi Bake Shop mini vanilla - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio—December 15 is National Cupcake Day, and while we’d all like to believe we have the time and talent to bake from scratch, most of us are stopping at the grocery store on the way home.

Whether you forgot about a school bake sale, need something sweet for your kid’s class or are celebrating something at work, grocery store cupcakes are often the easiest solution.

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

Heinen's Vanilla Cupcake - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

To mark National Cupcake Day 2025, we tasted and ranked cupcakes from local grocery stores, judging each one on two things that really matter: the flavor of the cake and the frosting.

So which store’s bakery is worth your money — and which ones should you skip? We also ranked grab-and-go cupcakes for those times when you only need one or two, or maybe a pack of minis.

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

Dave's Vanilla Cupcake - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Here’s how they ranked.

Store bakeries

No. 6: Acme

Where we bought it: Acme

Price: $7.99

Servings in a pack: 6 cupcakes

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

Meijer Vanilla Cupcake - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Our Thoughts: The frosting was very sweet, but there wasn’t too much of it. The cake, however, was on the dry and crumbly side.

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

Giant Eagle Buttercream Vanilla Cupcake - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

No. 5: Walmart

Where we bought it: Walmart

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

Walmart Vanilla Cupcake - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Price: $4.48

Servings in a pack: 6 cupcakes

Our Thoughts: These taste like boxed cake mix. Nothing to get excited about. The frosting was too sweet, but if you’re on a budget, these were the cheapest cupcakes we tried.

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

Acme Vanilla Cupcakes - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

No. 4: Giant Eagle

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

National Cupcake Day 2025: Ranking local grocery store cupcakes - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Where we bought it: Giant Eagle

Price: $7.99

Servings in a pack: 6 cupcakes

Our Thoughts: These were a bit inconsistent. On some cupcakes, the frosting was so close to the container that it was hard to remove them without making a mess. The buttercream wasn’t overly sweet and was lighter than some of the others, but the cake was thick and lacked much vanilla flavor.

No. 3: Meijer

Where we bought it: Meijer

Price: $9.99

Servings in a pack: 12 cupcakes

Our Thoughts: Almost as much frosting as cake. The frosting was smooth, creamy and not too sweet. The cake was dry and didn’t have much flavor. The frosting also stains, which is something to keep in mind if kids are involved. They were a bit small, but the price was good.

No. 2: Dave’s

Where we bought it: Dave’s

Price: $7.99

Servings in a pack: 6 cupcakes

Our Thoughts: The frosting was smooth and not too sweet, with lots of sprinkles. The cake was buttery, thick and moist with a good vanilla flavor.

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

Target Favorite Day bakery vanilla cupcake - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

No. 1: Heinen’s

Where we bought it: Heinen’s

Price: $7.99

Store bakeries, No. 6: Acme, No. 5: Walmart, No. 4: Giant Eagle, No. 3: Meijer, No. 2: Dave’s, No. 1: Heinen’s, Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged, No. 7: Bake Shop bakery, No. 6: favorite day bakery, No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free, No. 4: two-bite , No. 3: Whole Foods, No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens, No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

National Cupcake Day 2025: Ranking local grocery store cupcakes - Photo by Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

Servings in a pack: 6 cupcakes

Our Thoughts: Very thick, smooth frosting with just the right amount of sweetness. These won’t put you into an immediate sugar coma. The cupcake itself was sturdy, with a pound cake-like consistency and a slight vanilla flavor. If you have a Heinen’s nearby, these are worth ordering for your next party. They cost the same as cupcakes from other stores and taste better.

Store bakery shelve, pre-packaged

These are the cupcakes found on bakery shelves — the ones you grab when you don’t have time to pre-order or just need something quick.

No. 7: Bake Shop bakery

Where we bought it: Aldi

Price: $3.49

Servings in a pack: 12 mini cupcakes

Our Thoughts: The frosting was overly sweet and leaned toward sugar overload. The cake was dense with an artificial vanilla flavor. Sometimes a good price doesn’t mean the best taste.

No. 6: favorite day bakery

Where we bought it: Target

Price: $4.49

Servings in a pack: 12 mini cupcakes

Our Thoughts: The frosting was very thick but not overly sweet. The cake was dry with a mild vanilla flavor. This one is easy to skip.

No. 5: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free

Where we bought it: Trader Joe’s

Price: $3.99

Servings in a pack: 12 mini cupcakes

Our Thoughts: Very thick frosting that was also very sweet. The cake was moist but not very flavorful. You wouldn’t know they were gluten free, but they were a bit boring overall.

No. 4: two-bite

Where we bought it: Dave’s

Price: $5.79

Servings in a pack: 12 mini cupcakes

Our Thoughts: The frosting was sweet and sugary with an odd aftertaste. The cake was crumbly with a hint of vanilla. There was about the same amount of frosting as cake, making for an even ratio.

No. 3: Whole Foods

Where we bought it: Whole Foods

Price: $4.29

Servings in a pack: 1

Our Thoughts: A large individual cupcake with light, whipped frosting that was a bit too sweet. There was as much frosting as cake. The cake was darker in color and slightly dry.

No. 2: Whole Foods Market Kitchens

Where we bought it: Whole Foods

Price: $3.29

Servings in a pack: 1

Our Thoughts: A small individual cupcake with sturdy, very sweet frosting. There wasn’t an overwhelming amount of frosting, which helped. The cake was very moist with a vanilla-forward flavor. You wouldn’t know it was vegan.

No. 1: Kimberley’s Bakeshoppe

Where we bought it: Lucky’s Market

Price: $6.49

Servings in a pack: 4

Our Thoughts: These stood out among the pre-packaged options, with good balance between cake and frosting and a more bakery-style taste than the others.

Whether you’re planning ahead or making a last-minute stop at the grocery store, National Cupcake Day is a good excuse to treat yourself — and now you know which cupcakes are worth bringing home.

©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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