Walmart's 'Vintage Heart Cake' Drama Is Out Of Control—What To Know
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We're used to food drama being piping hot, but sugary sweet? Now, that's a new one.
The latest food drama taking over TikTok involves a decadent treat that's recently soared to viral fame: "vintage" heart cakes. If you've ever scrolled through TikTok, you've likely spotted the adorable confections. Shaped like hearts, these treats feature intricate piping and ruffles. Sometimes they're decorated with bright red cherries or dainty bows—straight out of the 1950s.
Well, it appears that Walmart wants in on the vintage heart cake trend, too, and indie bakers aren't too happy about it. Ready to take a deep dive? Here's everything you need to know about the heart-shaped drama brewing.
Does Walmart Really Sell "Vintage Heart" Cakes?
Yes, select Walmart locations are now selling heart-shaped cakes decorated in a vintage style. The store began pushing the cakes around Valentine's Day and, although the holiday has passed, the Walmart website still has a handful of the heart-shaped cakes on its website for around $25, like the Pink Valentine's Day heart cake and the I Heart You heart cake. You can customize the dessert to include your preferred flavor, filling, and icing style. There's also the option to add a message onto the cake.
A video shared on TikTok showcasing the various vintage heart cakes available at Walmart has received 1.5 million views and has been flooded with positive comments.
"I ordered mine for my birthday Saturday and let me tell you it’s beautiful in person I got all white w glitter," one person wrote. "I love this!!! Not everyone can afford or wants to spend $150 on a heart cake and this makes it accesible for most people 💕💕💕," gushed another.
"Ordered one for my wedding and it was 13 dollars, loooved it 10/10," read another comment.
Why Are Bakers Upset?
Across social media, bakers appear to be upset about Walmart's cakes for a variety of reasons. They've questioned the quality of Walmart's cakes and ingredients, and also accused the store of paying its bakers minimum wage—thus undercutting the competition. One home baker in particular—who seems to think that the big box store is undermining smaller bakers who have to choice but to charge more—garnered quite a lot of backlash after she said that a birthday cake is a "luxury" and not a "need."
"What is actually grinding my gears here are the people in the comments under videos the cake complaining about what home bakers are charging for vintage heart cakes...Especially when having a birthday cake is a luxury. It is not a need," said TikTok user @birdysbakery.
That same creator went on to claim that the Walmart vintage heart cakes are available for as little as $5, and that bakers at the store are likely being underpaid.
Not everyone agreed: "Birthday cake is a luxury 🤣 what a load of rubbish," scoffed one person. "If you think a birthday cake is a luxury then you need to check yourself, If anyone’s undervaluing people here it’s you," said another.
But others have come to the baker's defense, including one person on Reddit who knows firsthand the impact such a move from Walmart has on bakeries.
"My family owned a bakery back in the '80s. We went out of business due to the rise of supermarkets that had their own bakeries. It was the ability of the corporate chains to buy the raw ingredients in bulk that snowed us under. Our product was superior, but almost twice the cost and nothing we could do about it," the user wrote.
Are Walmart's Vintage Heart Cakes Really Only $5?
We weren't able to find any for that low price, and one creator on Instagram said the same. They also did some digging into pay rates for Walmart cake decorators.
"They were claiming Walmart was selling these cakes for $5. I couldn't find any listed for $5, personally...According to my research, at least in our area for Walmart, the starting salary for the cake decorator is between 19 to $25 bucks," said user @andraberghoff.
"'Its at least 30 dollars for the ingredients alone,' yeah so why tf would i buy that when i can buy a walmart cake for way less that the ingredients alone," asked another, sort of proving the TikToker's point.
Whose side are you taking with this dessert-y drama?
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