McDonald's Sells Sheet Cakes Apparently (And Has For A While)
If you grew up in the '80s or '90s, you probably remember the joy of attending a McDonald's birthday party. You'd run around the PlayPlace, eat cheeseburgers and McNuggets (which are oddly connected to the royal family), and most importantly, you'd get a slice of cake with Ronald McDonald's smiling face on top. But did you know that you can still get those cakes? According to TODAY, a McDonald's spokesperson confirmed that all McDonald's owners and operators can order the cakes from their local distribution center.
While most are used for employee or customer celebrations — like the parties you might have attended as a kid — they're not officially on the menu, nor are they available at all McDonald's locations nationwide. Some restaurants allow customers to purchase them if they have them in the back, though, and they come in both vanilla and chocolate flavors. It's worth noting that while the cakes may bring back memories of childhood parties, they're not exactly the same as you remember.
In recent years, McDonald's has seemingly scaled back the design of the cake, opting for entirely white frosting and a simple image of Ronald juggling what appear to be red diamonds. Still, if you're feeling nostalgic for a taste of your childhood, it might be worth giving one of these cakes a try.
How to order a McDonald's sheet cake
So how can you get your hands on one of these secret menu sheet cakes? Your best bet is to call your local McDonald's ahead of time and ask if they have any in stock. Some locations may allow you to order one in advance, while others may not offer them at all. One TikTok user posted a video of her asking for the McDonald's sheet cake in the drive-thru lane, urging others to do the same to surprise their friends on their birthdays or any other special occasion.
While the video shows her presenting the cake to her friend with decorative icing on it, that's something you'll have to add if you want to spice up the flavor or decoration. The regular sheet cakes are served plain with just Ronald in his iconic red and yellow clothes on top of the white frosting. The only customization it appears you can do when ordering a McDonald's birthday cake is to ask for vanilla or chocolate.
As for the flavor, the TikTok user said she'd "give it a solid 6/10 for flavor" but gave the nostalgic white frosting-topped vanilla cake a "10000000/10 for decoration." Regardless of what they taste like, at an affordable price of just $9 (although it's worth confirming that with your local McDonald's), it's quite a steal for a decent-sized cake you can customize to fit your party needs and (literal) tastes.
More about McDonald's birthday parties
Want to ensure you're able to snag a McDonald's sheet cake for a special occasion? Call ahead and request to have a birthday party at one of the McDonald's PlayPlaces. Most locations offer a birthday package that takes care of everything from decorations to activities. Not all of their birthday packages include cakes, but you can always inquire with the manager at your nearest McDonald's to ask about pricing, times, and scheduling information.
Be sure to mention that you're interested in a cake so you can ask for the right flavor ahead of time. Similar to the cakes you'd get if you purchased one from the drive-thru, the sheet cakes served at McDonald's birthday parties also don't appear to come customized or personalized in any way. So plan ahead and bring some extra icing if you want to add a special message or the birthday guest's name.
Or, if you really want to go all out, skip the birthday party and order just the cake. Take it to a cake decorator and have them work their magic to spruce up the regular sheet cake, or purchase icing at a grocery store and do it yourself. Either way, you'll get to enjoy a classic McDonald's sheet cake at a pretty fair price. Just hope that — as one TikTok user pointed out — they don't claim their "sheet cake machine is broken."