Costco Pumpkin Bar Cake Review
Author’s note: Not sponsored. No affiliation with Costco. Nada. These are my own silly opinions.
Take my grubby money.
No. I don’t get tired of pumpkin-spice food. Stop asking.
Is this the “Pumpkin Spice” version of the infamous Costco Tuxedo Cake? Sort of. Yeah. Costco’s new Pumpkin Bar Cake has three layers: whipped cream icing, pumpkin mousse, and a spiced pumpkin cake.
You all know how I feel about cream. This is real whipped cream, stabilized with cream cheese. And there’s a lot of it! It has a light sweetness, and buttery-rich smoothness. It’s cool and light. The layers make this dessert feel like something you’d scoop out of a trifle dish. Decadent, but airy.
The actual pumpkin cake has a textural crumb, almost like a carrot cake. But without carrots? The real pumpkin puree is fabulous. Weirdly moist, but structural. Modest sweetness. Vaguely molasses-like flavor. Almost a gingerbread. If you liked the spiced flavor of Costco’s Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, you might like this, too. It’s strong, but not overpowering. Mostly cinnamon. But with a whiff of nutmeg?
I like the “pumpkin mousse” layer best. It’s like a soft, whipped pumpkin pie. Creamy smooth and flavorful. It melts on the tongue. It reminds me of the swirled pumpkin filling inside Sam’s Club Pumpkin Cheesecake. Sadly, there’s only a thin smear of this magical pumpkin cream in some parts of the cake. I definitely want more of this.
Serving the cake
The top is garnished with simple white chocolate curls. Like snow drifts. It’s a simple presentation. Not the show-stopping presence of a Publix decorated cake. But, elegant.
Like all the Costco bar cakes, this one has petite slices. Due to the “lightness” of the cake, it doesn’t stretch as far with hungry guests. I recommend serving this cold, so the whipped cream has maximum volume.
(Oddly, Sam’s Club has their own version of this cake, too: a Pumpkin Spiced Latte Bar Cake. Haven’t tried. But, if you have, let me know how it compares. I still don’t have a Sam’s Club membership!)
Ingredients in Costco Pumpkin Bar Cake
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients from the label:
- Cake (Whipping Cream [Cream, Milk, Carrageenan], Sugar, Bleached Enriched Flour [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Eggs, Water, Pumpkin Puree, Canola Oil, Cream Cheese [Cream, Nonfat Milk, Salt, Guar Gum, Carob Bean Gum, Cheese Culture], Nonfat Dry Milk, Fructose, Leavening [Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate], Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavor, Fruit Juice [color], Modified Tapioca Starch, Spice, Salt, Molasses, Corn Starch, Calcium Sulfate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Annatto Extract [color], Sodium Alginate)
- White Chocolate Curls (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Lactose, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla)
- Artificial Colors (FD & C Yellow #5, Red #3, Blue #1, Red #40, Yellow #6, Blue #2, Blue #2 Lake, Yellow #5 Lake, Yellow #6 Lake, Red #40 Lake)
Most of this is pretty decent. It’s just that hot mess of dyes at the end that bother me. I’m scratching my head over that. I think it’s possible the dyes are only present in the gaudy, decorated cakes. You know, the ones that say “Happy Thanksgiving!” or have brightly-colored icing balloons on top. Not the regular ones. But I don’t know.
Gollum voice: “We hates it!”
Price and Servings
I snagged my Pumpkin Bar Cake on sale for $12.99. I’d hazard there are around 10 slim slices in this bar cake. Since the 40 ounce cake costs $16.99 at the regular price, each serving would be about $1.70.
This is a “Kirkland Signature” (Costco store-brand) item, and the product # is: 2067640.
Shelf Life
The “sell by” date on my package allowed 5 days to consume. The whipped cream eventually deflates. So this is an item best purchased within a day or two of serving, for maximum yum.
Dramatic Conclusion
I loved this cake. But, how could I not? It combines two of my favorite things: whipped cream and pumpkin spice! It’s flavorful, with fabulous textures. While it doesn’t stretch as far as other Costco bakery desserts, it’s a light, satisfying dessert. I would buy it again.
But I wish Costco would sort out the artificial dye situation. Only label the dyes if they’re really there! And why are they there?! It’s 2026. We have other options. Come on, Costco!
Regardless, the Awesome-o-Meter rates this Pumpkin Bar Cake an enthusiastic “Yaaaas.” Go spend yer grubby money on it.
The End.
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