We Tried Trader Joe’s New Gingerbread Sheet Cake

Come 12:01 AM on November 1, it seems that all of society had declared that the holiday season had begun. So, even though it would be easy to come on here and say that Trader Joe’s is being ridiculous for completely transforming their shelves into anything and everything holiday-centric whilst we’re still cleaning up from all of the Halloween parties, they are really just in-line with most major retailers here in the United States.

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That said, as an avid lover of all things holiday-forward (holiday flavors in particular), I wouldn’t be caught dead complaining about finally getting to indulge in all of my favorite flavors that I wish were more socially acceptable to take part in all year round. Gingerbread is one of those things that feels so profoundly festive that would feel strange to eat out of season. But starting the beginning of November, I was ready to dive in head first. Luckily for me, Trader Joe’s always has my back. But, just to make sure that their Gingerbread Mini Sheet Cake actually lives up to our expectations, we figured we would try it out for you all here today. So without further ado, this is our official Sporked review.

Our Holly-Jolly Thoughts

Pros — It’s my personal opinion that it’s pretty hard to mess up gingerbread. Even if one person’s ratios are a little bit different from the next iteration, the basic components of gingerbread don’t really vary that much on a case-to-case basis. It’s only when you start to really dip into artificial and super fake tasting gingerbread that we start to get a little judgy. And, we couldn’t be more delighted to report to you dear readers that our experience with this Gingerbread Mini Sheet Cake was nothing short of exemplary. 

Not only is it tiny and adorable as all of the mini sheet cakes at Trader Joe’s are, but this sheet cake continues the legacy of simple and classic design that we’ve come to know and love. There’s also an inherently homemade feel to these cakes since they are sold (and in our case served) in the same paper container that they are baked in. But, you and your loved ones didn’t have to put any work in to get the same high-quality payoff as you would get from a homemade treat.

While the look of this sheet cake is quite delightful to us overall, I can’t say it’s necessarily anything new. What is new is this delightful and fantastic flavor. The spicy, complex gingerbread flavor comes through strongly in both the cake itself and the icing. But in the cake in particular, the deep, rich molasses-y flavor takes center stage. Plus, the tender and delicate texture of the cake is spectacularly melded with the creamy frosting. 

Cons — Honestly, it is hard to find something that we could criticize about this sheet cake. But, I will say that the cake is a tad dry. It doesn’t at all affect the tenderness or flavor. But since it is a commercially produced cake, it is a touch more dry than perhaps would be the dream scenario. That said, it won’t deter us from enjoying and repurchasing this cake throughout the remainder of the holiday season. When this leaves the shelves, we will be thoroughly remorseful.