A breakfast cupcake sounds like our kind of cupcake. The base of this sweet and savoury treat from My Delight Cupcakery in Ontario, California, is a corn cake loaded with bacon bits and sweetcorn kernels. It's topped with a honey butter frosting, more bacon, honey drizzle and black pepper. This version was a special but their regular breakfast cupcake is just as good, with a buttermilk sponge instead of corn. The bakery encourages online ordering where possible for faster pick-up and delivery is available via Grubhub, Postmates and Uber Eats.
Trophy Cupcakes is one of Seattle's most famous bakeries and sells a range of themed mini cupcakes and individual flavours – and this one certainly lives up to its name. Life of the Party was created for the bakery's 10th birthday and has become a menu staple. The cupcake is topped with vanilla buttercream and piled high with candy like macarons, cookies, lollipops and more. You'll need to pre-order for your special occasion as they don't stock them in the shops usually. The bakery encourages online or phone ordering where possible for faster pick-up and local delivery is available.
Fancy a Thanksgiving dinner in cake form? At Cupcake Charlie's this year, you could with turkey and all the trimmings on top of delicious cupcakes. It was a special in November and we hope it returns next year. In the meantime, there are plenty of over-the-top flavours available like Oreo Delight and Chocolate Raspberry Surprise. The four locations in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island are open for takeout, pre-order for pick-up and delivery (availability of flavours may vary).
Made famous thanks to an appearance in Sex and the City, Magnolia Bakery in NYC has no shortage of inspired cupcake flavours. This special, which seems to pop up every so often at the bakery's locations in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, really pushes the boat out though. Crushed bits of Reese's Pieces candy are sprinkled on top of the thick swirl of frosting. Magnolia Bakery stores are open for local pick-up and delivery, and some products are shipped nationwide.
A cocktail and a cupcake in one? Yes please. These boozy Mango Margarita cupcakes are available at Flavor Cupcakery in the small town of Bel Air in Maryland. A lime cake has a tequila-infused mango compote filling and is covered in a tequila and mango frosting. Flavor Cupcakery also sells other cocktail-inspired cupcakes including Cosmopolitan and Pina Colada. There's a monthly cupcake menu for buying in smaller quantities but the full list of flavours is available for advance ordering. Customers can stop by the shop or order online for pick-up.
Yummy Cupcakes has a whopping 400 flavours of cupcakes on rotation at their three bakeshops. They can be found in Bloomfield Hills in Michigan, and Burbank and Encinitas in California. One of their most unique flavours is Buttered Popcorn which looks good enough to take to the movies. Other flavours, which are available seasonally, include Apple Blue Cheese and Mango, Lime, Chilli and Salt. There's a daily cupcake menu with limited flavours but the full list is available for advance custom ordering. Customers can stop by the shops or order online for pick-up and local delivery.
Another treat Yummy Cupcakes is known for is the famous Cupcake in a Jar. These whopping creations feature four cupcakes stuffed into a jar, along with layers of frosting, fruit and flavoured fillings. There are vegan options available too. These are available for nationwide shipping, as well as pick-up.
One of Trophy Cupcakes' best-looking specials is Bananas Foster, an organic banana cake filled with spiced rum and brown sugar caramel. It's topped with a mountain of toasted marshmallow meringue (also spiked with rum) and a crisp banana chip. The bakery encourages online or phone ordering where possible for faster pick-up and local delivery is available.
This enormous Fat Cupcake from the bakery of the same name is so big that it serves 12 people! But there's no judgement if you eat it all by yourself... Located in Portland, Happy Valley and Oregon City, Fat Cupcake also sells regular-sized cupcakes. Call to place orders for pick-up or stop by one of the stores. Delivery is also available via Grubhub.
These cute cupcakes from hello, cupcake take inspiration from the flavours of the delightful retro treat, root beer float. A seasonal summer special, they're made from a root beer sponge and topped with a scoop of root beer and vanilla buttercream, and a red and white-striped paper straw. When it's not on the menu, regular flavours like Chocolate Hazelnut and Snickerdoodle are great options. The store is open for takeout, plus online ordering for pick-up and local delivery is available.
A controversial cupcake from Nadia Cakes, with locations in Minnesota and California, is this Dew-Rito cupcake. The Mountain Dew sponge is topped with Mountain Dew frosting and ringed with Dorito crumbs. Are you brave enough to try it? There's a daily cupcake menu with limited flavours but the full list is available for advance custom ordering. The stores are open for walk-up service and delivery only.
These bright cupcakes look (almost) too good to eat. The delicately-piped flowers in gorgeous pastel colours sit pretty atop the sponge. Trophy Cupcakes created them as a seasonal special for spring – here's hoping they'll make another appearance on the menu. For other flavours, the bakery encourages online or phone ordering where possible for faster pick-up and local delivery is available.
You may have had a cookie cupcake before but have you had a whole scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough heaped on top of icing, on a cupcake? This Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cupcake is one of the everyday flavours at Sweet Box in Philadelphia, which specialises in cupcakes and flavoured cookie dough. The bakery is open for walk-in orders and delivery is available via Caviar and DoorDash.
You may have heard of cupcakes inspired by the flavours of pancakes or peanut butter and jelly, but have you ever seen cupcakes topped with real mini pancakes and PB&J sandwiches? The Ultimate Bake Shoppe of Wayne in& Pennsylvania created this as a special flavour but we hope to see them on the menu again (you could call and ask whether they'll make it as a custom order). The bakery is open for takeout or call ahead for curbside pick-up.
You'll have to be quick to catch this magical cake from Nadia Cakes – it's only available around April Fool's Day. The rainbow vanilla-flavoured sponge is topped with vanilla icing made to look like grass and a fondant unicorn 'poop'. However, we hear that it may make a special appearance any time of the year if you order in advance. The stores are open for walk-up service and delivery only.
This year there were more hilarious cupcakes at Nadia Cakes to celebrate April Fool's Day. In addition to Unicorn Poop, there were various food-themed sweet treats. Pictured from left to right, the bakery served Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup (red velvet cake); Chocolate Donut; Cheeseburger whoopie pies; Ramen (lemon cake); and Snow Cone (strawberry cake).
Zucchini Kill Bakery is one of America's most eco-friendly cupcake shops – the cupcakes are all vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and contain no artificial flavours or colours, plus they only use compostable packaging. One of their most unique offerings at the end of 2019 was this CBD Toffee Almond Caramel cupcake. Other out-there flavours currently on the menu include Mint Cookies N Cream and Churro Bite cupcakes. Pick-up and local delivery is available.
At Cupcrazed Cakery, you don't have to choose between cupcakes and cookies. Order the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cupcake and get two for the price of one. There's even a slice of cookie on top of the thick swirl of frosting. Stop by the bakery or order for pick-up and delivery.
Can't decide between strawberry, vanilla and chocolate? Have all three in this fun Neapolitan cupcake special from Trophy Cupcakes. A rich chocolate cake is topped with a tall swirl of strawberry and vanilla buttercreams. The finishing touches are confetti sprinkles and a cherry on the top. The bakery encourages online or phone ordering where possible for faster pick-up and local delivery is available.
Me want cupcake! Channel your inner Cookie Monster with this cupcake inspired by everyone's favourite sweet-toothed Sesame Street character. A clever swirl of blue icing creates the effect of a hungry Cookie Monster munching on his beloved snack. It was one of My Delight Cupcakery's flavours of the month in September but we hope it gets a permanent spot on the menu. For signature and seasonal flavours, the bakery encourages online ordering where possible for faster pick-up and delivery is available via Grubhub, Postmates and Uber Eats.