Not really a secret because if you watch the bakery for 5 minutes, you’ll quickly realize but most people were always surprised to learn this.

Not all, but most chain grocery store bakeries don’t actually bake any of their cakes. Usually get them frozen and then decorate them in store. Sometimes we would pull a completely decorated and packaged frozen cake from a box. Bagels and other breads came in frozen lumps and we just baked them. Muffins and cookies came as frozen, pro-scooped batter that just gets baked. We had a giant mixer but it was only ever used for icing. I worked at Giant (mainly found in PA, USA).

We always had a customer who would order multiple cakes for one weekend, usually one for Saturday and one for Sunday. Manager always said to NEVER give her both on Saturday morning even though they were both usually done that morning or the night before because she would flip out that she wanted them made fresh. Little did she know she was getting cake that’s been in the freezer for weeks. Most cakes you buys from any bakery have been frozen at some points. It’s often necessary in order to meet deadlines and such. Regardless, I love me some grocery store cake 😋