JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Every year in Florida, hurricane season occupies the minds of residents from its inception on June 1 to its conclusion on Nov. 30; however, there have been recent calls for the return of a once-popular bakery item that used to accompany the state’s powerful storms.
On Change.org, a petition, which has garnered over 34,500 signatures as of Friday, asks Publix to bring back “hurricane cakes,” a pastry intended to lighten the mood in Florida homes as they prepared for the impact of an oncoming storm.
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“Once upon a time, Publix gave us something magical: Hurricane Cakes,“ writes petition starter Tim Lawler. ”Not just delicious — these cakes were edible morale boosters...For reasons unknown, Publix stopped making them. And frankly, we don’t care why — we just know they made hurricane prep a little brighter.”
Lawler’s petition continues, calling on Publix locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia to make hurricane season “a little bit sweeter again.”
The petition currently has 34,557 signatures and has a goal of reaching 35,000.
In 2019, as the state braced for the impact of Hurricane Dorian, Publix received backlash for its creation of “hurricane cakes” after social media posts of the bakery items were greeted with comments from users who deemed the designs insensitive.
The designs that were the subject of scrutiny included circular cakes with “Go Away” or “Leave Florida Alone” written in white frosting, or cakes that were designed in a shape akin to how hurricanes appear in radar models typically seen on weather reports.
“We need to move away from hurricane parties, toward go-bag-water-flashlights-and shutters checklists,” wrote one social media user.
“They’ll be great to eat if you still have a home left,” wrote another.
Conversely, there were many users who supported Publix’s attempt to make light of otherwise serious circumstances.
“I love your cakes! All your bakeries are awesome. And Hurricane Cakes are funny. Times are stressful, people need to lighten up. Thank you for always being a great store with great employees! Never change Publix! #Publix #HurricaneCakes #HurricaneDorian,” someone wrote.
Someone else wrote, “I want a Publix cake right now, hurricane-shaped or not #Dorian.”
Soon after, Publix issued an apology to those who were offended by the cakes.
Hi, thank you for your feedback on the cakes. It is never our goal to offend anyone with the products we offer and I apologize that we let you down. Individual locations did make some of the hurricane cakes you’ve seen and I will personally share your feedback on this cake design
— PublixHelps (@PublixHelps) August 29, 2019
And according to News4JAX sister station WKMG in Orlando, the company stopped selling the cakes entirely following Hurricane Ian in 2022, which killed 150 Floridians.
According to a statement sent to WKMG in 2024, a spokesperson for Publix at the time said that the organization makes “every effort” to support customers in weather events.
Oftentimes, this includes finding ways to delight them with their favorite Publix items as they prepare for uncertainty. For these requests in particular, it is our company policy to not produce bakery cakes that would make light of a natural disaster.
We have sent communications to our stores reminding them of our policy. We regret if a store has not followed policy, and we are working to rectify the situation.
Publix in statement sent to WKMG in Orlando in 2024
News4JAX reached out to Publix for a statement on the potential return of “hurricane cakes” and its response to the petition, and is waiting to hear back.