Cupcakes.
Who doesn’t love ‘em? While Austin is known for breakfast tacos and BBQ, who would we be if we didn’t have a tasty treat to top off our southern fare? Here are the best cupcake shops you’ll want to keep on your radar when your sweet tooth strikes.
- Contributed by Rebecca West -
photo credit: Hey Cupcake!
1511 S Congress Ave
1720 Barton Springs Rd
Food trucks are one of the best ways Austinites showcase the city’s diverse, experimental and delicious cuisine. And Hey Cupcake is no exception to the rule. Located on South Congress and classic by menu, this cupcake trailer is a great way to show your guests that we’re not all brisket and Tex-Mex. Everything offered is top notch, but the Red Velvet small cake is what really steals Central Texas’ hearts.
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photo via instagram @thehayleycakes
1700 S Lamar Blvd
The custom cakes and beautifully-iced sugar cookies at this bright bakery are worth writing home about, but we're here today to talk about cupcakes. Hayleycakes and Cookies has plenty of those too, and boy are they tasty. From gingerbread to Texas Pecan, the flavors at this shop are unique and bold. Our favorite cupcake? The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor, topped with a decadent scoop of safe-to-eat cookie dough instead of frosting. HayleyCakes is a great place to order some dang beautiful custom-designed cupcakes for your next wedding, birthday party, or celebration.
photo credit: Sprinkles Cupcakes
3120 Palm Way
Sprinkles has Instagram-worthy cupcakes on lockdown - replete with a cupcake ATM - but what keeps people coming back is the moist texture and the variety of flavors like the classic Red Velvet or the Lemon Coconut. With vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free options, Sprinkles has the cupcake market colorfully cornered.
photo credit: quack's 43rd street bakery
411 E 43rd St
If a quality workspace is as much on your mind as a cup of coffee and a cupcake, then head over to Quack’s. This laid-back bakery and cafe in Hyde Park sells oversized baked goods (from cupcakes to gorgeous iced sugar cookies) & espresso drinks, all at reasonable prices. Quack’s is just as useful for weekend sweet treats as it is for on-the-clock weekday work. Hang out, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy the artsy space as you plug away at your workload. You’ve earned it.
photo credit: Sugar mama's bake shop
1905 S 1st St
Available only on Sundays, the French Toast Cupcake at Sugar Mama’s is your ideal brunch treat. According to this small, local bakery, this particular cupcake is “the single most requested cupcake in Sugar Mama's cupcake history.” So you know it’s good. If you find yourself in the bakeshop on a day other than Sunday, we recommend literally any other flavor - you can’t go wrong here. These cupcakes are a moist, sweet delight in a wrapper.
photo credit: Upper crust bakery
4508 Burnet Rd
True to type baked goods, a comfortable and open atmosphere, and a friendly neighborhood vibe make Upper Crust Bakery a breakfast go-to. Perfect for when you’re having a good, bad or in-between day, this spot will always be a constant for cupcakes and other luxuries. Seriously, the UC cinnamon roll is the standard by which Austin should judge all other cinnamon rolls. With top quality ingredients and presentation, Upper Crust Bakery knows how to bake one hell of a sweet treat.
photo credit: capital city bakery
2211 E Cesar Chavez
Everything at this spot screams trendy East Austin. Capital City’s top priority is to dish out daily pastries that keep not only health in mind, but also preserve the planet’s natural resources. Not to mention, everything made at Capital City is 100% vegan and equally delicious. All in all a cute little shop to check out and spend some dough, no matter your dietary preference.
Photo credit: Zucchini Kill
701 E 53rd St
Surprisingly there is no killing and only some zucchini involved with this bakery. What they do have: completely vegan and gluten-free treats. If you have strict dietary restrictions or food allergies and still want to fulfill your sweet tooth cravings, check out Zucchini Kill.
OTHER GREAT SPOTS FOR A SWEET CUPCAKE:
2826 Rio Grande St
8650 Spicewood Springs Rd
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