Can You Still Get A McDonald's Birthday Cake?

When people think of McDonald's, they tend to think of savory fare, like the extensive menu of McDonald's burgers (all of which we have ranked). However, there's a lot to be said about the desserts at McDonald's (which we have also ranked). From cookies to apple pie, the fast food chain has a lot of delectable sweets to round off your meal.

One of the most overlooked desserts at McDonald's is its birthday cake, also known as the Ronald Birthday Cake. It comes as a surprise to many that McDonald's carries these sheet cakes to begin with, since the item's heyday was during the chain's birthday parties of the 1980s and 1990s. Today, these cakes are technically on the chain's secret menu and only appear on the menus of some locations. If your nearest McDonald's happens to have the cakes in stock, you can absolutely order the cake whenever you want, no proof that it's your birthday required. All you have to do is ask; you can even order it from the drive-thru.

If you didn't know that McDonald's ever had birthday cake at all, don't feel bad. It wasn't exactly broadcasted in advertisements or menu campaigns. However, posts on TikTok in recent years have brought some spotlight to the cake, so customers are starting to try it for themselves. Next time you're at a McDonald's, keep this McDonald's secret menu item in the back of your mind and give it a try if your location has it.

First things first, you need to confirm if your nearest McDonald's even carries birthday cakes to begin with. There's two ways to check for this: Look at the menu or ask the employees. Locations that serve the cake will actually already have it listed on their official menu. Alternatively, if you don't want to drive to your nearest McDonald's to look at the menu, you can always try calling and asking instead.

If your nearest McDonald's does carry birthday cake, you then have a couple different options. The cake comes in either white or chocolate, both of which are then topped with white frosting. The frosting is then embossed with one of two potential images: a picture of Ronald McDonald juggling or phrases like "Happy Birthday" or "It's time to party" with confetti around it. It isn't exactly clear what determines which image you will get or if you can request a specific one.

The cakes also come in small or large sizes, which does directly affect price. Prices can vary from location to location, but the general range they tend to fall in is $9 to $15 for a small cake and $15 to $20 for a large cake.