Visiting Cake Boss – a Trip to Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, NJ

Last updated on July 23, 2024

One of my fondest memories from when I lived with my parents were evening TV sessions with my mum. Among the shows we used to binge watch together was Cake Boss. It followed Buddy Valastro who runs Carlo’s Bake Shop, a family-owned bakery where he whips up out-of-the-world, state-of-the-art wedding and specialty cakes for virtually any occasion.

The outside of Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey

Throughout the seasons, he repeatedly proved that his creativity and craftsmanship know no bounds and revolutionised the way we think about cake and pastry making. You want a replica cake of your cow that you can actually milk? You’re in the right place. Or maybe you’ve been dreaming of a 5-tier wedding cake that features special effects lighting… Say no more.

Although the show stopped airing on TLC back in 2017, it earned Buddy Valastro an almost cult-like status that reaches well beyond the US. He recently came into the limelight again when alongside her pregnancy announcement, Gigi Hadid revealed that Buddy was the mastermind behind her 25th birthday cake, making a big dream of hers come true.

A woman with a Carlo's Bake Shop tote bag on her lap

Being a huge admirer of Buddy’s extraordinary talent myself, I’ve always wanted to combine my very first NYC holiday with a trip to Hoboken, New Jersey to visit the bakery… and since that holiday fell around my mum’s birthday, what better way to surprise her than with a box of goodies from Carlo’s Bakery!

Are you looking for another unique foodie experience in New York City? Read my blog post describing what it’s like to have breakfast at Tiffany’s!

How to get to Carlo’s Bakery from New York City

Yes, Carlo’s Bake Shop is located in another state, but don’t let that scare you away – getting to Hoboken from NYC is actually no more time-consuming or harder than moving around Manhattan. Hoboken is only a short PATH train ride away from the heart of New York – it takes 10 minutes from the World Trade Center site and 15 minutes from the Midtown area.

Manhattan skyline seen from the Hoboken waterfront

At the time of writing, a SingleRide ticket costs $2.75 and you can purchase one from ticket machines in any PATH station. You can also opt for a more convenient solution available in selected stations – a 2-Trip MetroCard for $5.50. Unfortunately, you cannot use unlimited MetroCards on PATH trains, but if you have a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, you’re good to go!

Do you have to queue outside Carlo’s Bake Shop?

Given the unflagging popularity of Cake Boss, I wanted to do some research on estimated wait time so that I could plan our trip to Hoboken accordingly. I couldn’t find much information, but I did come across one source that showed a sign in front of the bakery pointing to a massive line starting right around the block.

As we were going on Sunday afternoon, we prepared ourselves for increased traffic by scheduling in some extra time… So, imagine our surprise when we arrived at our destination and there was neither a sign nor a single soul in sight!

A girl in a floral dress standing outside Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey

After we took some mandatory photos outside the bakery, we finally went inside, where we were one of the few customers. We took our time walking back and forth between the display cases and taking sneak peeks inside the baking area, which brings us to…

Can you meet Buddy or other family members at Carlo’s Bakery?

I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but meeting Buddy at Carlo’s Bake Shop is highly unlikely and borders on impossible. Due to numerous other projects and commitments, he’s hardly ever present at the bakery. However, his sisters Mary and Grace often serve customers and I have seen many photos of people who got to meet them – even the official website says you’re always free to ask if any of the cast members are around! We weren’t lucky enough, but it’s definitely worth a shot!

Women having cakes and coffee at Carlo's Bakery with framed Valastro family photos behind them

How much does it cost to buy a cake from Carlo’s Bake Shop?

I know this is probably the number one question on a lot of people’s minds, and I’ll openly admit many Cake Boss episodes left me frantically googling “how much does it cost to have a cake custom made by Buddy?” so I could figure out when to start saving… Well, your guess is still as good as mine based on various online sources and testimonies of past customers. I’m more than willing to shed some light on buying pastries and cookies from Carlo’s Bakery though (baby steps…)!

The waiting area, baking area and display cases at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ
Display cases filled with various cakes and pastries at Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken, NJ

When we walked through the door, we were faced with an overwhelming choice of cakes, pastries, and desserts, each looking more scrumptious than the other. Sadly, as we were leaving New York the next day and had a long journey ahead of us, we decided to get just a pastry each and a gift for my mum. That didn’t stop me from admiring the contents of each display case, trying to tackle the impossible task of narrowing down my choices to just one thing. The famous cannolis, mouthwatering lobster tails, and don’t get me started on the red velvet slices (I’ve already spoken candidly about my affinity for red velvet anything)… can I just get one of each, please?!

What are the prices at Carlo’s Bake Shop like?

Prior to our visit, I’ve seen many people online complain about the prices at Carlo’s Bakery without giving any specifics. I thought the visit would burn a hole in my pocket, but frankly speaking, I found it didn’t differ much from the other places we visited during our time in NYC.

Cupcakes, tartelettes and cannolis on display inside Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey

At the end of last year, the prices of cupcakes ranged between $2.95 and $3.50, while most cookies cost either $3.25 or $3.50. Pastries were slightly more expensive, but still fairly affordable considering the bakery’s level of fame – majority of them cost between $3.75 and $5.95, with just one going above that amount.

Salted caramel cake and cookies & cream cake on display inside Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ
Carrot cake and red velvet cake on display inside Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey

All individual desserts were priced at $6.95, while cake slices set you back $7.95. And if, like me, you’ve been dreaming of having a cake custom made by Buddy, but don’t quite have the occasion or means yet, you can settle for one of the pre-made options starting at $26.95. There were also a number of souvenirs available, such as T-shirts and mugs, so it’s also worth budgeting for if you’re a die-hard fan of the show!

And finally… is it worth the money?

I decided to go for a classic cannoli and a box of assorted butter cookies for my mum (I was meeting her the following Friday and sadly, there was a limited choice of things that could survive this long) – the cannoli was $4.50, while the cookie box was around $25. My mum kindly let us all try the cookies – I’m not a fan of sprinkle cookies, so they missed the mark for me, but the cannoli was easily the best I’ve ever had. That golden crispy shell filled with light, fluffy cream haunts me to this day!

A girl holding a cannoli from Carlo's Bake Shop with the Manhattan skyline in the background

The prices will likely keep changing over time, but I hope you will find this estimate helpful anyway. Again, if you’re anything like me and would gladly have one of each, the total price can easily build up, but it was an experience I would happily pay for over and over again if I lived closer – I have a feeling it will become a staple during my future NYC trips…

Have you ever watched Cake Boss? If you could get any kind of cake custom made by Buddy, what would be your first choice?

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26 Comments

  1. April
    September 18, 2023 / 9:59 pm

    I watched the show on family channel 294 I wish I had a cake

    • Dominika
      Author
      September 19, 2023 / 8:49 pm

      Buddy’s cakes are absolutely stunning! Hope you can visit one of his bakeries someday x

    • Dominika
      Author
      June 22, 2022 / 12:45 pm

      That was 3 years ago 🙂 Unfortunately, I haven’t been there since!

  2. Dianna
    April 18, 2022 / 8:57 pm

    We’re from lake Charles Louisiana if I can let me know a date and time I can probably go sooner

    • Dominika
      Author
      May 3, 2022 / 6:40 pm

      Also, Buddy did some official meet and greets with the fans in the past, so maybe you could check if there will be any events around the time you’re going to be in Hoboken?

  3. Dianna
    April 18, 2022 / 8:56 pm

    We’re playing the trip the second week of May my daughter loves buddy the cake balls she does not miss none of his shows I will love to be able to get her to meet and greet with Buddy if someone can please contact me

    • Dominika
      Author
      May 3, 2022 / 6:38 pm

      How exciting! I’ve heard Buddy is hardly ever at the bakery these days, but I hope you’ll at least get to meet other family members!

  4. Jenny Staecker
    January 22, 2022 / 2:31 am

    I’m Huge cakeboss fan of buddy Valastro because I used to watch cakeboss Reality tv show and my father had been Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken New Jersey I wish meet buddy Valastro, Maddalena Castano, Mary sciarrone in Person some day

    • Dominika
      Author
      January 23, 2022 / 9:25 pm

      I really hope you get to meet them in person too!

  5. Sonia Vega
    December 15, 2021 / 10:31 pm

    On what day of the week did you go and what time? I’m about to visit over there and would love to not have to stand in a long line!

    • Dominika
      Author
      December 19, 2021 / 10:07 pm

      We went on a Sunday – can’t remember the exact time, but it was probably around noon! It was pre-Covid though, so I’m not sure what the situation looks like now. I hope that you have the best time visiting Carlo’s Bakery and that you don’t have to wait too long! I’d love to hear what your experience is like xx

  6. Dorothy Scott
    July 25, 2021 / 12:39 am

    I would like to have Buddy to make me a Conway Twitty head cake so I can kiss it and tell everyone I kissed Conway Twitty

    • Dominika
      Author
      July 26, 2021 / 10:09 pm

      If there’s anyone that can make it happen, it’s definitely Buddy!

    • John twitty
      February 18, 2022 / 3:45 pm

      Hi I would love a Conway twitty cake
      My name us John twitty
      From uk.

      • Dominika
        Author
        February 19, 2022 / 6:42 pm

        Buddy could definitely make a cake for you, but the delivery part could be tricky 🙂

    • Dominika
      Author
      August 16, 2020 / 6:05 pm

      I really hope you get to go one day! What dessert would you pick?

    • Dominika
      Author
      August 16, 2020 / 3:06 pm

      I can totally relate – I would gladly have one of each! Do you have your favourite cake flavour?

  7. August 3, 2020 / 7:56 pm

    OMG I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO HERE . everything looks so yummm
    shy -https://www.shyyshianne.com/

    • Dominika
      Author
      August 4, 2020 / 10:30 am

      I really hope you get to visit Carlo’s Bakery one day! What would be your dessert of choice?

    • Dominika
      Author
      July 21, 2020 / 9:10 am

      Same here, I could easily spend hours in there! What would be your dessert of choice?

  8. June 26, 2020 / 3:14 pm

    Looks so good! I would have visited this if I knew about it in NYC. There’s one in Las Vegas too and my son whose name is Carlo wanted to swing by there.

    http://www.busyandfab.com

    • Dominika
      Author
      June 27, 2020 / 4:49 pm

      What a cool coincidence that your son’s named Carlo! You should absolutely visit Carlo’s Bakery with him once all this is over – what would be your dessert of choice? x

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