Seattle's got coffee, Austin's got barbecue, and San Francisco has cupcakes. [X]press Magazine's resident cupcake authority takes you on a tour of the best cupcakes in the Bay.
Best All-Around
Teacake Bakeshop
5615 Bay St, Emeryville
To be completely honest, the best cupcakes in San Francisco aren't even in San Francisco. To get to cupcake nirvana, you'll have to catch a ride to Emeryville.
Teacake keeps it simple. Though they shuffle their flavors around from day to day, they hardly ever get any fancier than vanilla or chocolate. Teacake understands that cupcakes, by nature, are not fancy. Nothing beats an afternoon with their vanilla cupcake (with seasonal sprinkles) and a coffee on the sunny side of the Bay. Also, if you feel like straying from cupcakes, their cookie sandwiches are hell for your waistline, but highly recommended.
Miss Popularity
Kara's Cupcakes
900 North Point St
It's hard to go wrong with Kara's. The standout 'cupcakery' (yes, it's a word now) in the Bay Area, Kara's has two locations in San Francisco, two in the South Bay, and one in Napa. So wherever you are, you can get your fix.
Prom Queen
Miette Confiserie
449 Octavia St
Miette doesn't even have to try to be perfect. Miette specializes in old-fashioned desserts and imported European candy...not cupcakes. You'll try to find flaws, and want to talk about her behind her back, because it's hard to believe a cupcake can be this perfect. Believe it.
Goody Two-Shoes
Love At First Bite
1015 Walnut St, Berkeley
Love At First Bite does not care if you are on a diet. Classic American flavors that hearken back to the Betty Crocker cookbook are putting this Berkeley hole-in-the-shopping-center on the proverbial map. In a town known for opposing the establishment, Love At First Bite is a cozy haven of Americana.
Rookie Of The Year
Kingdom Cake
Everyone loves a small business. Kingdom Cake is etching out its place in the vicious world of cupcake delivery services (there are far more than you might imagine in San Francisco alone). With flavors like Mojito, Thai Tea, and Pancakes 'n' Bacon, you might consider shooting Kingdom Cake an e-mail when your birthday rolls around. contactus@kingdomcake.com
Class Clown
American Cupcake
In a town with a surprising amount of cupcake catering services, American Cupcake has come out on top. For now, you can only order in batches of fifty or more, but expect a storefront--and a frenzy--soon. American Cupcake and their zany cast of flavors, which include banana pudding and bubble gum, is poised to conquer San Francisco's collective sweet tooth.
events@americancupcake.com
Most Likely To Succeed
Cups and Cakes Bakery
When American Cupcake opens their store, the smart money is on Cups and Cakes to take over SF's reigning cupcake catering service. Straight outta Potrero Hill, Cups and Cakes's concoctions are a little pricey, but worth every bite.
jennifer@cupsancakesbakery.com
Most Unique
Sugar Beat Sweets
The Bay is an especially nice place to be a vegan. Out here, you can find vegan replicas of just about anything--even some very tasty cupcakes. Sneak a Sugar Beat sweet in with a batch of butter-and-eggs cupcakes and even Ted Nugent couldn't tell the difference. Sugar Beat Sweets has it down to a science.
info@sugarbeatsweets.com.
