Cake coup: ‘Don’t tell your friends’

Remember that one time The V Word was excited about Safeway stores having vegan chocolate cakes in its bakery, but they were practically never in stock? Well, they have them now. Sort of. Just Desserts bakery’s Vegan Chocolate Midnight isn’t in every store yet, but in theory, can be ordered. These are smaller than the ones carried earlier this year (6-inch diameter vs. 8) and pricier (about $13 vs. $9). But the cakes, made by a San Francisco-based company, are fancier in the finishing touches, especially in the packaging: The cake rests on golden cardboard on an elevated platform in a square box. Recently, I spied a coupon for the baked good in a store flier, and when the checkout guy said, “This can’t be right,” and then, “It’s $2.99, I guess. Don’t tell your friends.” I gave the man three bucks and ran out of the store before he found the error. Cake d’état!