Vanilla Pod Specialty Cake Kitchen, Albion: We’re choosing to start with one of Brisbane’s longest running cake shops, Albion’s Vanilla Pod. For more than a decade, this Sandgate Road staple (which first opened in Ascot in 2005) has been hailed as a source of some of the best cupcakes in Brisbane. With a long history of whipping up specialty cakes that are positively drool worthy, Vanilla Pod scores top marks in the decorative stakes, with its online store showcasing a range of custom cakes you can order for your next gathering. If you’re keen to try, we suggest popping in and grabbing a lucky-dip assortment to share or hoard – we won’t judge!

Botanica Real Food, various locations: Although Botanica earned its popularity thanks to its ever-changing selection of gourmet salads, we’d be lying if we said we’d never popped in on occasion just to grab a sweet treat. Botanica stocks a range of indulgent and gluten-free treats, including heavenly cupcakes coated in the most irresistible frosting ever created. Strawberry, chocolate, vanilla bean – these bites prove that sometimes there’s no beating a classic!

The Cupcake Patisserie, Albion: You may know The Cupcake Patisserie from its long-running outlet at Westfield Chermside or its new boutique cake shop in Albion. If so, you’re probably already well acquainted with the outlet’s top-notch range, but those yet to sample are in for a real treat. White-choc raspberry, choc-mint slice, red velvet, rose and pistachio, fairy-floss unicorn and rocky road are just some of the flavours you can mix and match, with The Cupcake Patisserie’s core selection rotating regularly.

Jocelyn’s Provisions, various locations: A go-to location for cakes of all sizes and artisanal treats, of course Jocelyn’s Provisions would have the goods as far as cupcakes are concerned. Head to any Jocelyn’s location and press your face against the cabinet to have a perve at these bad boys – we’re talking gooey salted caramel, decadent chocolate, eye-catching raspberry and classic vanilla-bean cupcakes, just waiting for you to come and pick them up.

Cake & Bake, Newstead: Jocelyn Hancock’s Commercial Road cake shop has everything from brownies and tarts to bar cakes and croissants, but keep an eye out for the cupcakes – they’re absolutely sublime! Cake & Bake stocks a small collection of flavours to try, including Red Velvet Butterfly, Choc Sour Cream, gluten free chocolate and orange cupcakes and gluten-free orange and almond cupcakes.

Sweethearts Cupcakes, Paddington: A newcomer to the cupcake scene, Paddington’s Sweethearts Cupcakes is a gorgeous pink-and-white-hued cake store stocking a range of classic, gluten-free and vegan-friendly cupcakes. Grab a box to go and fill it with your choice of fluffy vanilla-bean with raspberry icing, apple-crumble, lemon meringue, chocolate and salted-caramel, orange, and the always popular red velvet cupcake. If there’s a crown for the best cupcakes in Brisbane, this crew is gunning for the title.

Veganyumm, Everton Park: Brisbane’s first entirely vegan bakery and cafe, Veganyumm is an incredible resource for anyone with dietary restrictions and a potent sweet tooth. Being vegan-friendly is no restriction to imagination and flavour – Veganyumm stocks the likes of vanilla cupcakes topped with whipped chai cream, lemon and poppyseed cupcakes, choc mud-cake bites topped with whipped Ferrero cream and salted caramel cupcakes.

Cakes & Shit, Fortitude Valley and Enoggera: Cupcakes with a cheeky side – that’s how we’d diplomatically describe Cakes & Shit. These dirty minded dessert deviants live by the mantra that not all cakes are sweet, and the selection of outrageous eats are proof of this. Pop in to either Cakes & Shit store and gorge on the appropriately named Big-Ass Cupcakes, or order some custom treats with a cheeky message of your own placed on top.

Petal + Peach Bespoke Cakery, Wellington Point: This artisanal cake creation service doesn’t do things in half measures – if you get cakes here, you’re getting some of the best cupcakes in Brisbane. Petal + Peach has created cakes fro specialty activations for brands and event vendors, with melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes often the centrepiece of each soiree. Full-sized cupcakes are available in flavours such as vanilla bean, rosewater, milk chocolate and red velvet.

The Cupcake Parlour, West End: Got a function coming up that can only be complete with a batch of custom cupcakes? The Cupcake Parlour should be high on your list of spots to check out. This West End locale are specialists in corporate branded cupcakes, able to produce thousands of decorated cupcakes made from high-quality ingredients and baked fresh to order. Birthdays, kid’s parties, baby showers, bachelorette parties – if you’ve got an occasion, these dessert artisans have a cupcake for you.

Cupcakes by K, Chermside West: Known for creating delicious, handmade cupcakes to order, Cupcakes by K is one of Brisbane’s best suppliers of custom cakes. Kellie – a contender for the title of Cupcake Queen – has been making cupcakes since 2006, which means she’s probably whipped up hundreds of thousands of cupcakes (a conservative estimate) in the near decade and a half of baking. If you’ve got an occasion that requires a hearty dose of cupcake goodness, Kellie can match icing and decorations to match your theme, with flavours including vanilla buttercake, chocolate, lemon curd, lemon and elderflower, and chocolate Nutella.

Mr T’s Bakery, Grange: Another top-tier custom cupcake outfit is Grange-based Mr T’s Bakery. If you need some cupcakes stat, Mr T’s delivers across Brisbane, and you can also order online in a snap. Order a box of creamy Oreo cupcakes, Tim Tam cupcakes, salted-caramel butterscotch, passionfruit or more elaborately decorated cakes and be the saviour of any party.

The Cup Cake Taste, Graceville: Cake artist Sammy Gollschewski is the mastermind behind The Cup Cake Taste on Park Terrace, and when we say artist, we mean it – the cupcakes here are almost too good to eat. With a recipe book of inventive flavours, you’re likely to always find one or two curious flavours in The Cup Cake Taste’s rotating selection of eight daily flavours. Classic options such as red velvet, choc-mint and cookie dough are often available alongside the likes of lime splice, pomegranate, musk stick, jam doughnut, Redskin and more.

Dello Mano, Brisbane City and New Farm: It’s an already well-established fact that Brisbane brownies don’t get much better than the kind made at Dello Mano. Turns out they aren’t slouches when it comes to cupcakes, either. If you’re keen to sample, pop in an buy a box of colourful white-chocolate mudcake covered in beautifully piped rainbow cream-cheese buttercream – divine!

Sweeties, Everton Park: Sweeties has been serving its sought after range of sweets, cakes, pastries and bread for more than 12 years, and with a new Everton Plaza location now open, it’s set to continue long into the future. Sweeties owners Nguyen and Thuy Le operate with the mantra ‘enjoy life, eat cake’, so you just know that the range here is to die for.

Little Birdy Cakes, custom orders: Does your coworker have a birthday coming up and you’re in charge of the cake? Easy – hit up Little Birdy Cakes and order a box or two to be delivered straight to your workplace. Each month Little Birdy Cakes announces a new set of flavours. In March, you can enjoy chocolate Tim Tam, Lamington, lemon and cookies and cream – all incredible choices. Little Birdy Cakes also caters to vegan, gluten or dairy intolerant folks, so no one need be left out!

Is there a dynamo cake store or custom cupcake service we’ve missed? Drop us a line at [email protected] and let us know your fave!