This Viral Trader Joe’s Cake Hack Requires No Baking

Just because you don’t want to turn on the oven in the summer heat or have time to bake from scratch doesn’t mean you need to show up to your next social event empty-handed. Instead, all you need to do is try out the viral no-bake Trader Joe’s sheet cake hack that will leave everyone impressed.

The trend is as simple as it gets. As Amanda Hernandez (@amandamaehome), who often shares creative hosting and gift ideas, DIYs, and easy Trader Joe’s recipes, first shared, it all starts with grabbing a few pre-made mini sheet cakes from the fan-favorite low-cost market. Any flavor will do, though the brand’s lemon and strawberry sheet cakes are outstanding selections for the summer season. 

Then, simply stack a few on top of each other, smooth out the top cake’s frosting (or scrape it off to reuse it later to coat the entire cake), and add some decorative toppings for that “wow, how did you make this?” factor. 

In the original video, where she first introduced the cake hack to her followers, Hernandez stacked three Chantilly Cream Vanilla Bean Mini Sheet Cakes and topped them with dried orange slices, turning a dessert that cost just a few bucks to make into a high-end sugary sensation.

In another recent video, Hernandez, after stacking three Strawberry Mini Sheet Cakes, took galette cookies and freeze-dried strawberries, placed them in a bag, and crushed them up for the perfect crumble topper. Here’s what else you need to know to make this hack work for you.

What mini sheet cake flavors are available at Trader Joe’s?

The mini sheet cakes Hernandez uses from Trader Joe’s are not only affordable (they are all priced under $6) but also come in a variety of flavors: Chantilly Cream Vanilla Bean ($5.49), Dark Chocolate Ganache ($5.49), Yellow Mini Sheet Cake ($5.99), and, just in time for summer, the limited-edition Strawberry Mini Sheet Cake ($5.99). Each sheet cake comes in an 18-ounce rectangular shape, making it easy to cut and serve.

How can you decorate your sheet cakes?

There are a few ways to try this dessert trick, but the general idea is simple: Once the cakes are stacked, use whatever toppings you’d like. 

One TikTok user recreated the hack using two Lemon Flavored Mini Sheet Cakes (a seasonal flavor) from Trader Joe’s. After scraping off the lemon cream cheese frosting, she layers the cakes together, then frosts the now-combined cakes with the icing. She tops it off with a mix of blueberries, strawberries, and cherries, which could make for an ideal dessert this barbecue season.

Another creator added a layer of sliced strawberries in between the two sheet cakes before topping it with more strawberries, lemon slices, and a sprinkling of camomile flowers and rose buds for that perfect decorative touch.

Need more ideas? Try garnishing your cake with lemon zest, peach slices, crumbled cookies, coconut flakes, or even edible flowers to give it a next-level summer feel. Then, peek around TikTok for even more inspiration and also look out for fruits that’ll be in peak season this summer, like plums, apricots, or raspberries.