Inside a Walmart store in New Jersey, employees put the final touches on custom cakes, showcasing their skill in cake decorating during the busy graduation season. While the cakes themselves are pre-made, frozen, and supplied from external vendors, Walmart places significant importance on its personalized cake business. Cake decorators at Walmart are among the highest-paid hourly workers in the store, earning an average of $19.25 per hour, compared to $18.25 for other non-managerial staff.
Melissa Fernandez, who started in electronics before moving to cake decorating full-time in 2021, said she enjoys the artistic side of the job and now earns about $24.40 per hour after 11 years with the company. Despite their high status within Walmart, these decorators have faced criticism on social media, with some accusing them of copying ideas and undercutting professional cake artists due to Walmart’s low prices.
Walmart promotes its customized cakes on TikTok, where videos showcasing creative designs like heart-shaped cakes with vintage-style borders have gone viral. Some independent bakers have responded by explaining why their cakes are more expensive, sparking debates about affordability versus artistry. Walmart’s cakes are priced significantly lower than many independent bakeries; for example, a large sheet cake serving 96 people costs $59 at Walmart, roughly a third to half of what bakeries charge.
Walmart’s share of the celebratory cake market is large, with about one in four cakes sold in the U.S. coming from the retailer. During graduation season, the number of cakes decorated daily at Fernandez’s store nearly doubles to 50-60. The store’s fresh food manager credits the decorators’ talent and TikTok presence for this growth, noting a rise in repeat customers.
Fernandez shared that TikTok helps her keep up with trends, and customers often request popular designs seen online. Some of her most popular creations include bouquet cakes made of decorated cupcakes, heart-shaped cakes, and novelty designs like cakes that look like sushi or spaghetti and meatballs. She also creates “burn away” cakes, where an edible image on top is set on fire to reveal another image underneath.
Decorating cakes by hand requires skill, Fernandez explained, as controlling the buttercream frosting with precision takes practice. Tiffany Witzke, another Walmart cake decorator with over 900,000 TikTok followers, noted that customers now expect more elaborate designs than when she started in 2016, when decorating was mostly limited to borders and simple writing.
Meanwhile, independent bakers like Liz Berman of The Sleepy Baker emphasize that their business model is different, focusing on from-scratch cakes and custom designs using premium ingredients. Berman charges much higher prices for her cakes but believes her attention to detail sets her apart.
For Walmart, the cake decorating business generates higher profit margins compared to other departments like groceries or electronics. It also appeals to shoppers looking for affordable indulgences. Market expert Marshal Cohen said consumers today are often satisfied with good-enough products rather than premium luxury.
Customers at the North Bergen store appear pleased with their purchases. George Arango, for instance, bought two customized cakes for work celebrations after comparing prices online and appreciated the value Walmart offered, paying $40 for both cakes.
