There’s a New Trader Joe’s Mini Sheet Cake to Try

Trader Joe’s snack aisle is undefeated, but the store is no slouch when it comes to desserts, either. Their Japanese Taiyaki? A cute, custard-filled dream. Their little cookie ice cream sandwiches? Sublime (literally). And please, don’t even get me started on that cranberry pie they had in the frozen section during the holidays.

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But when it comes to versatility, Trader Joe’s Mini Sheet Cakes can’t be beat. They come in a handful of flavors (including some seasonal varieties that come and go). And did you know you can just buy three of these suckers, stack them on top of one another, frost them, and then pass them off as a layer cake you made with your own two hands? Listen, I’d never promote dishonesty, but this seems like a victimless cake crime, so go for it.

What flavor is Trader Joe’s new Mini Sheet Cake?

It’s coconut! Toasted coconut, to be precise. You get coconut cake scattered with actual toasted coconut shreds and a coconut flavored cream cheese icing. That’s a lot of coconut (complimentary). Like, tell me this description doesn’t sound incredible:

“You get the wonderful essence of that giant tropical palm seed in a couple innovative ways. First, instead of buttermilk alone, the Cake recipe calls for Coconut milk. Coconut milk’s high fat content curbs gluten formation, helping to create a creamy, tender texture in the crumb, while also contributing a light, Coconut flavor.”

Sounds great, but what are people who’ve tasted it saying?

A post about the new Mini Sheet Cake on the Trader Joe’s Subreddit is generating some conversation. The OP wasn’t wowed by it, saying, “It’s not bad, it’s not great, I don’t regret my purchase though,” but folks in the comments were more enthusiastic. One wrote, “We loooove this cake! Ours was extremely moist, and we thought the coconut flavor and amount of actual coconut was perfect. 10/10 We will buy again and again.”

I’m a coconut freak (Mounds is my favorite candy bar for a reason), so I can’t wait to try this. You?

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.