NEW YORK CITY, New York: At a Walmart Supercenter in New Jersey, buttercream borders and edible-ink cartoons aren't just about sweet treats—they represent some of the highest-paid hourly work in the store.

Across the U.S., Walmart has trained 6,200 cake decorators to turn pre-made, frozen cakes into customized creations for birthdays, graduations, and special occasions. While the cakes arrive from suppliers, the artistry is all in-store—and it's paying off. At US$19.25 an hour, cake decorators earn more on average than most other hourly roles at Walmart, according to a company spokesperson.

For Melissa Fernandez, the leap from the electronics aisle to the bakery was about more than just better pay. "I love baking at home. I love painting," she said. "I love doing anything artistic, and I just always wanted to be a part of it." Now, with 11 years at Walmart, she earns $24.40 an hour and has found a job that blends passion with precision.

Her store in North Bergen sees cake orders spike from 30 to 35 a day to over 50 during graduation season. "We're doing a lot more business because of just the viral sensations," said Michael DeMarco, the store's fresh food manager. He credits TikTok for fueling demand and repeat customers.

In fact, a video of Fernandez creating a $24 cupcake bouquet garnered nearly 500,000 views. The store's most popular designs now include sushi-style cakes, spaghetti-and-meatball illusions, and "burn away" cakes—where a paper image is set aflame to reveal a surprise image underneath.

Despite their popularity, Walmart's decorators have drawn backlash online. Some professional bakers accuse them of copying designs and undercutting prices, especially for cakes that mimic vintage lace patterns or other intricate styles.

A custom sheet cake that serves 96 people costs $59 at Walmart—about a third of what many independent bakeries charge. Optional fillings, like strawberry or Bavarian crème, cost just a few dollars more.

However, Walmart insists that decorators' skills are fundamental and not easily replicated. "There's a lot of pressure points that you have to practice in order to get the borders correct," Fernandez explained. "It's not the same as painting."

Others in the field agree. Tiffany Witzke, a decorator in Springfield, Missouri, has built a 912,000-strong TikTok following. "When I first started, it was basically just borders and writing," she said. "Now, everybody wants more and more and more."

For Marshal Cohen, retail analyst at Circana, Walmart's custom cakes are hitting a sweet spot: affordable indulgence. "We've gone into a period where the consumer is saying, ‘This is good enough,'" he said.

Customers seem to agree. "The price is fantastic," said George Arango, who recently bought two custom cakes for $40. "I'm walking out with two cakes that look amazing."