What Happens To Nothing Bundt Cakes' Leftover Food?

It's hard not to drool when just thinking about the picturesque wares from Nothing Bundt Cakes, let alone being confronted with these delicious, pretty bundt cakes in person. Betty Crocker, the best-selling cake mix in America, will make you a fine cake when cooked to specifications, but we don't know that even the most flawless homemade cake can hold a (birthday) candle to NBC's selection. That led us, naturally, to wonder what the bakeries do with their leftover cakes. After all, pastry of all types is highly time-limited and is only retail-worthy for a short amount of time, right?

Foodie's sister site, Tasting Table, received an official statement from Nothing Bundt Cakes regarding cakes remaining at the end of the business day: "Decisions regarding the donation or disposal of unsold cakes are handled at the individual bakery level." In other words, the restaurant's franchised locations are allowed to make their own decisions as to whether they donate or toss unsold cakes. They are bound by state or local laws regarding the distribution of prepared food, which vary by municipality. It's kind of a nothingburger in terms of concrete information, at least on a nationwide level. 

Nothing Bundt Cakes isn't alone in not having an official food donation or disposal policy — chicken chain Popeyes lacks a national leftovers policy as well. However, some limited social media anecdata presents conflicting accounts concerning the fate of unsold cakes. Of course, social media forums are full of unsubstantiated allegations and are not an official source for Nothing Bundt Cakes, but it's interesting to hear what people have to say. In one case, photo evidence tells a fairly damning story, but some other users tell a different tale, suggesting that there really is not one solid answer. 

According to the Cake Care page on Nothing Bundt Cakes' website, its bundt cakes of all sizes are intended to be served at room temperature, but should be refrigerated until just before consumption. The cakes will keep for up to five days in the fridge, officially. What happens to cakes that don't beat the buzzer, so to speak? According to one Reddit thread, the pastries might hit the bin. The forum is dedicated to dumpster diving, and so showcased a picture of one lucky poster's reusable tote absolutely crammed with trashed bundt cakes, well over $100 in value, according to the website's prices. A comment beneath the picture seemed to corroborate the tale, claiming, "I worked as a lead baker for NBC for years. They throw out cakes ALL THE TIME, Tons of them!"

On the other hand, a different Reddit thread features multiple self-professed former employees of Nothing Bundt Cakes swearing that, since the cakes are frozen until sale, there is either no waste or very limited waste ... and that nothing is thrown out. Who to believe? Well, since NBC itself claims that the decision is left to individual locations, it might just be the case that cakes are trashed in some locales and frozen at others. There are some mistakes everyone makes when baking cakes; it turns out that making assumptions might be a mistake concerning store-bought cake. If you seek more clarity, you can always ask the associates at your local Nothing Bundt Cakes outlet and see what they have to say about the matter. 

Static Media owns and operates Foodie and Tasting Table.