Walmart bakery decorators lead the pack in hourly store wages within the company.

Sweet Dreams on a Plate: Walmart's Cake Decorators and the Impact on the Cake World

Inside a bustling Walmart store in New Jersey, a team of icing artists labor over cakes, transforming pre-made frozen desserts into masterpieces tailored to customers' whims. These cake decorators, the highest-paid entry-level workers in a typical U.S. Walmart, are the unsung heroes of the nation's largest retailer's cake business.

Melissa Fernandez, a 36-year-old cake decorator, started her Walmart journey in the electronics department before moving to the wireless services and finally the deli area in search of a better paycheck. But her goal was always to land in the cake decorating team. With two months of training under her belt, she joined the team in 2021 and now earns about $24.40 an hour, a significant leap from her starting wage.

However, Walmart's cake decorators have courted controversy on social media. The company promotes its personalized baked goods on TikTok, and the workers behind such creations share their own profiles. Some critics have accused these decorators of stealing ideas and undercutting the work of professional cake artists with their low-priced products.

Prices for customized sheet cakes at Walmart start at $59 for a cake that can serve 96 people—about one-third to half the price that a nationwide sample of independent bakeries charge for similarly sized cakes. With strawberry or "Bavarian creme" fillings, the cost reaches $64.20. Despite the criticism, Walmart's cake decorators manage to turn out over a million cakes during May and June alone, according to company estimates.

The debate over Walmart's impact on the cake market has raged on social media, with some seeing the retailer as a symbol of capitalist excess and others arguing that it meets the needs of the masses. The negative press, however, seems not to affect Walmart's cake sales, both online and in-store.

Customers interviewed at a Walmart store said they were satisfied with the quality of the cakes and the low prices. One customer, George Arango, even noted that he saved money by purchasing cakes from Walmart instead of researching other options.

The competition from Walmart has presented challenges for independent cake artists. Many have accused the retailer's cake decorators of replicating their designs and undercutting prices. Despite this pressure, some independent cake artists, like Liz Berman of The Sleepy Baker in Natick, Massachusetts, remain optimistic. Berman charges $205 and up for a half-sized sheet cake and $110 for bouquet cakes made up of two dozen miniature cupcakes, all crafted from scratch and designed personally by her.

For Walmart, the cake decorating business offers higher profit margins than other sectors such as groceries and electronics. However, it also offers an affordable luxury that appeals to shoppers looking for something special, even in troubled economic times.

Scrumptious Facts

Walmart reportedly decorates over a million cakes during May and June.
One in four cakes sold in the U.S. comes from Walmart.
Walmart cake decorators earn an average of $19.25 per hour, making them the highest-paid entry-level workers in a typical U.S. Walmart.
On TikTok, a video showing Melissa Fernandez designing a customized bouquet cake garnered nearly half a million views.

Competitor Watch

Seattle-area homebuyers are turning skittish amid high rates and economic uncertainty.
Amazon is reportedly planning to raise the minimum wage for all U.S. workers to $35 per hour, significantly increasing the pressure on other retailers to match or surpass the move.
Target aims to hire 100,000 people during the holiday season, as consumers return to brick-and-mortar stores after a pandemic-induced shift to online shopping.

Artisanal Recipes

Libby's German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:- 1 3/4 cups sugar- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour- 3/4 cup butter or margarine- 1/2 cup water- 1/2 cup buttermilk- 2 eggs, separated- 1 teaspoon baking soda- 1 teaspoon baking powder- 1/2 teaspoon salt- 1 cup flaked coconut- 1 cup pecan halves finely chopped

For the frosting:- 1 cup sugar- 1/2 cup butter or margarine- 1/2 cup evaporated milk- 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract- 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.
Combine sugar, flour, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Stir in water and buttermilk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat; set aside.
Beat egg yolks until fluffy; stir into the warm sugar mixture. Combine baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture, stirring well. Stir in coconut and pecans.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the sugar-coconut mixture. Pour batter evenly among greased and floured pans.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans and let cool completely.
To make the frosting, combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, then return all of the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until frosting is thickened and carries a slight BOIL for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract, coconut, and pecans.
Spread about 3/4 cup frosting between the layers and over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until frosting is set.

Melissa Fernandez, who originally worked in Walmart's electronics department, now creates decorative cakes in Seattle, Washington, having transferred to the deli area in search of better pay and eventually joining the cake decorating team in 2021.

In contrast to Walmart's cake decorators, Liz Berman of The Sleepy Baker in Natick, Massachusetts, charges higher prices for her artisanal cakes, crafted from scratch and designed personally by her.