November 16, 2022 /
Published by Finn Hayden
A birthday doesn't feel like a celebration without a great cake, and over the years it seems people have taken their birthday cakes to the next level. For some people, a shop-bought cake will no longer suffice - it has to be custom-designed, hand-finished, and expensive.
Well, we're not about that. We know that you can still buy great birthday cakes from UK supermarkets, without compromising on taste and without spending lots of money. We wanted to highlight some of the best supermarket birthday cakes that you can buy here in the UK, let's get into the guide:
Marks & Spencer Balloon Cake
When you think of a UK supermarket producing great quality food, M&S is usually one of the first that comes to mind. Unsurprisingly, we think that a number of the cakes from the M&S range could be perfect for a birthday cake. but their Balloon Cake definitely fits the bill in terms of the design. We think this would be ideal for both young and old - not only does it taste great, but it also looks great. See it here - marksandspencer.com
Tesco Stars Party Cake
This fun cake decorated with stars is another great birthday cake option from Tesco. It's cheaper than the ballon cake from Marks & Spencer (almost half the price at just £8) but it still tastes great as it's made with buttercream and jam. One thing we would say is that this cake isn't quite as nicely decorated as the M&S cake, which really does feel like it was hand-finished. In contrast, the stars on this cake from Tesco feel like they were just plonked on without much thought. Learn more and buy it here - tesco.com
Co-op Super Chocolatey Birthday Cake
The Co-op is another supermarket which is often associated with great food, and we've previously raved about their range of pizzas. Similarly, the Co-op has an excellent range of cakes too, including their Super Chocolatey Birthday Cake. This is one of the only cakes in our guide which actually has the words 'Happy Birthday' on it, so if you're looking for a chocolatey birthday cake which does exactly what it needs to do, this is a great option.
Marks & Spencer Under The Rainbow Cake
This is the second cake from M&S in our guide, and although this one doesn't really scream birthday in the way that some of the other cakes in this guide too, it's really good looking and colourful and we think it would make a great birthday cake, particularly for young kids. The cake is topped with sprinkles and a rainbow, and the decoration is immaculate. It'll cost you about £15 which isn't cheap, but isn't a lot either for so much fun and great design.
Sainsbury's Happy Birthday Madeira cake
Similar to the cake from the Co-op, this birthday cake from Sainsbury's says 'Happy Birthday' in big writing on the top and is ideal if you're looking for a simple, great-tasting cake. It's also got that classic birthday cake makeup - Madeira with raspberry jam and frosting, nothing too complicated but bound to please everyone. For £12 it's somewhere between the price of Tesco and the price of M&S, which we think is totally resonable. See it here - sainsburys.co.uk
Asda Vanilla Party Cake
If you visit a larger Asda, you'll usually find an in-store bakery and a whole range of interesting cakes that you won't find at smaller supermarkets, including some excellent birthday cakes. This Vanilla Party Cake from Asda is definitely one of the best supermarket birthday cakes that we found in terms of taste and design - as you can see from the image, the 'Happy Birthday' on the front is simple but does the job. Learn more and buy this cake here - groceries.asda.com
Final thoughts
So hopefully the above list has shown you that you don't need to spend big to get a great birthday cake - most of the UK supermarkets have at least one great birthday cake offering, and there is something for all ages and tastes. Let us know your favourite supermarket birthday cake in the comments!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.
