Costco's Mocha Crunch Bar Might Be Its Best Cake Yet

If you are a regular shopper at Costco, you likely already know that the bakery at this warehouse retailer is top-notch. In fact, it is one of the reasons many of us maintain our memberships year after year. Not only can you find a wide array of cookies, pastries, and breads on display, Costco is well-known for its cakes. Some of these are staples, like its custom cakes that have a surprisingly antiquated ordering system straight out of the 1980s, while others are limited-time-only specialties that only come around during the holiday season. 

This year, Costco is introducing a new cake to its roster of offerings. The behemoth Mocha Crunch Bar Cake may well go down in history as one of Costco's biggest desserts. The cake, which shares a lot of similarities with its iconic Tuxedo Cake, is currently available at select retailers nationwide. It features a chocolate cake base that is smothered with alternating layers of mocha-flavored mousse, a mocha crunch layer, cappuccino mousse topping, and is garnished with a dark chocolate swirl and white chocolate shavings. Each cake, which can serve roughly 16 people, retails for $18.99 plus tax, though prices may vary by location. 

I have had the good fortune of sampling Costco's Tuxedo Cake for a previous ranking of the brands best chocolate desserts, and it scored high marks, so I was eager to give this cake a try. Read on to discover if you should add this cake to your next Costco grocery list. 

Based on the name of this cake, I was prepared for plenty of coffee accents to be at play, which suits me just fine, as I happen to be a coffee lover. I also know that coffee can be one of the best flavor enhancers for any chocolate dessert, so I anticipated a lot of different taste elements to commingle in this dessert. I was not disappointed. 

Aside from the fact that this dessert is visually-stunning, it has an alluring aroma that is evident from the moment you remove the plastic lid from the packaging. It smells like the most decadent classic coffee shop mocha you can imagine. When I cut a slice of the cake, I was pleasantly surprised by the juxtaposition of textures, which range from fluffy to creamy to crunchy. The cake itself is perfectly light, moist, and has a tender crumb that melts in your mouth. The cappuccino mousse is airy, yet has enough body to it to hold up to the cake. The cappuccino mousse is somewhat lighter and helps to bind everything together. Perhaps my favorite element was the mocha crunch layer, which reminded me of a chocolate and coffee-flavored toffee. 

From a flavor perspective, this cake hit all the right notes. While the coffee was there, it didn't dominate the other flavors. And, though this cake was plenty sweet enough, I didn't find it cloying. Everything felt well-balanced and harmonious. 

If you love chocolate and coffee, I can state unequivocally that this may be the best dessert I have sampled from Costco hands down, and it might be yours too. I felt that it delivered on all fronts, including texture, flavor, and value. You would be hard-pressed to get something this flavorful from a bougie bakery for a price that is even remotely comparable that would serve this many people. If you are an avid baker, you could certainly try your hand at making something similar at home, though it would be quite labor-intensive and expensive to replicate. 

If you are interested in this cake, but don't happen to be entertaining anytime soon, I'd still pick one up. First, this cake can be kept for up to a week in the refrigerator. If you can't eat one in a that time frame, or perhaps your cardiologist advises against doing so because he is a party pooper, you can also store the leftover cake in the freezer to keep on hand for impromptu guests. The best way to do this is to cut the cake into slices and place these on a baking sheet. Flash freeze the slices for a few hours and then encase each slice in plastic wrap. These can be placed into a freezer bag and labeled. Frozen cake slices should be consumed within three months for best quality. Thaw the frozen cake slices in the refrigerator overnight before serving.