Revisiting the Best Cupcakes in Hong Kong

Hands down the article on the blog that gets the most traffic is my Top 5 Cupcakes article. I get like 100 hits a day on it. You all are cupcake obsessed so I felt I needed to update my opinions on it. I posted this article up about a year and a half ago and the landscape of HK's cupcake market has drastically changed since then. I can tell you some of my choices are still firm. Yes, I stand by my choice that Sweet Secrets does have the best Red Velvet and now I also add they also have the best Carrot Cake. But I'm a little bit biased toward them because they are nut free and being terribly allergic to peanuts I appreciate knowing that my baked goods are nut free~!

My new love!!!

Swift still has some of the best cupcakes when it comes to ingredients but they are more expensive. They have everything organic and free range which does make a difference in the taste. I think their chocolate cupcakes are some of the best in the city. Although the Awfully Chocolate Cupcakes on Stanley St. are a pretty close second. They are expensive but SUPER HUGE!

I'm now taking back my choice of Complete Deelite. I have had some really bad experiences with them. They are an extremely successful business now and sell out almost every day. I can understand they are busy and that they have a lot of return customers. I have found egg shells and hair in my cakes in the past year. Also they have not resolved the crappy transport box issue. No one wants to see their cupcakes they have paid hundreds of dollars for smashed in together because the company was too cheap to buy decent boxes. There are now tons of places to give your cupcake business too. I would recommend you find places other than Complete Deelite. They are lovely people but I think they are just seem understaffed to give the customers the attention they deserve for the ammount of money they are paying.

Cupcakes shouldn't cost 30HKD a piece. That's just ridiculous. Cheap cupcakes are available in HK and I think your best options is to run to Three Sixty grocery. They are 18 HKD a piece and they have several different flavor options and colors. They are the closest thing in town to kids birthday party cupcakes we remember.  They also have a bit of a discount if you order a half dozen or a full dozen. They do run out quickly though. So, if it is a special occasion go early. They only make one batch per day. Three Sixty has locations in Central and at Kowloon Station. They also make really good macaroons!

We have had so many new places pop up recently: Most of them are only ok and run about 25 dollars a cupcake. The one major disappointment I had was with Christina's Creations in LKF. She had a really genius idea of putting the cakes in actual cups so you wouldn't put crumbs all over yourself but her cakes are really dry and the frosting to cake ratio is WAY OFF. They simply don't taste good and aren't worth the money!

Surprisingly good are the cupcakes at Cafe O, the chain organic shop with locations all over town. About 20 HKD a piece they are light and fluffy and the frosting has organic cream cheese in them which gives them an extra bite.

Also new on Wellington St. was Cakalicous which had many colors and flavors to delight! They do some of the more unusual combinations! They tasted more home made then others but often run out by the end of the day! They are also super kid friendly! Look how cute they are!

Some of the best cake shops and bakers though are actually not in store fronts at all but private bakers who run out of their homes. They can't afford the pricey store fronts and cook from home with love! If you can find a local baker who is still working out their house they often will work with you on your budget and try to accommodate more on your strange desires.  I recently had an order with a lovely housewife from Tung Chung. She made me some cakes for a charity event. Because she knew they were for charity she gave me a discount and was willing to help me out! I like working with the baker one on one and helping them grow their business when they are small. Also, most of them are moms so you get this great home made taste!

I had a bad experience with The Baking Maniac a couple years ago but since then have had several wonderful experiences with this home spun empire that is run by a teenage boy and his mother! I would highly recommend giving your business to a budding artist such as him.