376709 Fri Mar 02 12:54:00 -0800 2007 78 7 Chicago Area 0 2346291 Much as I love Chicago, I went to Magnolia Bakery in NYC last month and ever since I've been searching fruitlessly for a comparable cupcake here in Chicago. So far, I've found Sweet Mandy B's frosting to taste too much of food coloring. And Southport Grocery's weren't all I'd hoped for either, despite the hype. Over a year ago, I went to Cupcakes in Lakeview and was sorely disappointed in the lack of Buttercream frosting. At least at that time. Any thoughts? Fri Mar 02 12:54:00 -0800 2007 78874 Snarkley 1 2346354 Magnolia Bakery is pretty fun isn't it? I agree with you on Sweet Mandy B's...I only eat the chocolate frosted ones (they also are oddly lighter tasting than the other buttercream ones). They do not always have them (so call ahead), but whenever Milk & Honey Cafe on West Division St has cupcakes, they are awesome. They've had them a lot recently. Let me know what you think. It's not the kind of place where you can go and buy a dozen like Magnolia Cafe, but if you just want to get your fix, it is perfect. Fri Mar 02 13:06:49 -0800 2007 2346291 43804 NDJ 1 2346657 I had a delicious red velvet cupcake at Fox & Obel Cafe. Because red velvet is so different from other kinds of cupcakes (and usually has cream cheese frosting, although frankly I don't remember if that was true at F &O), I don't know how it would compare to Magnolia (which I adore). Fri Mar 02 14:07:58 -0800 2007 2346291 26357 SuzMiCo 1 2347103 Haven't tried Magnolia, so this is a blind suggestion, but I've had multiple cupcakes from Alliance Bakery on Division just west of Ashland, and love 'em. Fri Mar 02 15:57:38 -0800 2007 2346291 79344 the brat 1 2347303 Well if you able to venture up to Highwood you will not be disappointed in the Bent Fork which has now forged a great reputation based on their cupcakes. The smaller versions are $1.95 while the larger versions are $2.95. My wife is a cupcake afficianado and she has declared the Bent Fork as her favorite spot. Fri Mar 02 17:11:07 -0800 2007 2346291 79072 dlpens 2 2388963 I agree. Bent Fork is definitely worth the trip. Great cupcakes especially the carrot and red velvet. Delicious!!! www.thebentfork.com Thu Mar 15 11:39:09 -0700 2007 2347303 83037 2phatties 1 2348535 I never made it to Magnolia when I was in New York. But I love going into Swirlz here, in Lincoln Park (somewhere near where Lincoln and Orchard Street intersect). Sat Mar 03 08:32:25 -0800 2007 2346291 68064 waxpaper 1 2348973 Have you tried Swirlz? I think it's on Belden. Interesting and intense flavors. they are about $3 per cupcake, but if you're in the mood for a good tasting cupcake it's worth it! Cute little shop too. they serve juices and coffee drinks. Sat Mar 03 11:47:12 -0800 2007 2346291 48324 keli 2 4085625 We ordered Swirlz cupcakes for a birthday in my office about a month ago and almost nobody liked them. They were way too cloying and nobody was sold on the Italian butter cream. I remember having a cupcake from Sarah's Pastries and Candies and really loving it. They have a location on Oak St. and one in the Macy's State St. store. Mon Oct 06 11:46:39 -0700 2008 2348973 50030 theuninvitedguest 1 2349007 RE: Sweet Mandy B's the only cupcakes I like there are the red velvet when they are fresh. I usually don't like red velvet otherwise. Good cream cheese frosting. Sat Mar 03 12:00:29 -0800 2007 2346291 25757 kauai2b 1 2349130 I was in Fox and Obel earlier today. They carry four kinds of cupcakes: the previously-mentioned red velvet, devil's food, carrot cake, and butter cake. They had all but the butter cake in the counter. They sometimes decorate them for the season; for example, last week, before last Sunday's broadcast of the Academy Awards, they had some decorated with an Oscar statue on top. Metromix lists three places specializing in cupcakes, but I don't know anything about them: Swirlz Cupcakes 705 W. Belden Ave Chicago, 60614 (877) 791-7594 www.swirlzcupcakes.com Cupcakes 'N' More 275 Old Orchard Center Skokie 60077 847-679-1490 http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/dining/119964,0,688940.venue Cupcakes 613 W. Briar Pl. 773-525-0817 www.chicagocupcakes.com Sat Mar 03 12:58:10 -0800 2007 2346291 55363 nsxtasy 1 2349584 Oh my gosh! I can't believe anyone hasn't recommended Dinkel's yet! They have the most awesome cupcakes! You must try them!! Sat Mar 03 15:58:33 -0800 2007 2346291 15700 ChicagoKat 1 2355447 I second Dinkel's . . . really good stuff. Mon Mar 05 15:26:23 -0800 2007 2346291 17507 rsmuckles 1 2358994 I live right around the corner from Magnolia in the City. I am actually moving to Chicago this summer. I used to LOVE Magnolia cupcakes, but I think they're overrated. If you ever find your way back to NY, I would HIGHLY recommend trying the cupcakes at Billy's Bakery (Chelsea) or Duane Park Patisserie (Tribeca). WELL WORTH it and no crazy lines! Tue Mar 06 13:56:40 -0800 2007 2346291 80163 scout1 2 3498295 I totally agree about Magnolia. The cupcakes are NOT anything special, Sex in the City notwithstanding. The thing about the place that has always creeped me out, is that customers are allowed to select their own cupcakes. Stand outside and watch through the window as these Carrie Bradshaw wanna-bes pick up a cupcake, decide they don't want THAT one, lick frosting off their fingers, pick up ANOTHER one, decide no, lick icing from THAT one off their fingers, pick up a different one...and so on and so on. I watched one little chickita do that about 7 times before she decided upon her cupcake. I related this to a friend who said she'd seen the same thing happen many times. Someone call the Health Inspector...! Sun Mar 16 12:22:11 -0700 2008 2358994 175228 amberleigh 1 2359005 OR! Alternatively, you can bake them yourself. There's a recipe from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. A friend of mine baked them using the recipe and they were pretty close! ENJOY! http://www.amazon.com/Magnolia-Bakery-Cookbook-Old-Fashioned-Sweetest/dp/0684859106 Tue Mar 06 14:09:38 -0800 2007 2346291 80163 scout1 1 2360912 Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone! I hope to hit them all. My first report: the Fox and Obel cupcakes are tasty. We had the devil's food and the coconut at F&O last night. The second in particular was a big hit. Excellent buttercream frosting (though it did pull off like a cap when jostled). Looking forward to trying the rest. Wed Mar 07 06:19:37 -0800 2007 2346291 78874 Snarkley 2 4062651 I disagree. Fox & Obel's baked goods in general leave a lot to be desired. The cake is dry and the frosting over powering. Their carrot cake was a huge disappointment to me -- dry, bland and the cream cheese frosting overpowered, rather than complimented the cake. And they are way over priced. As someone who enjoys baking, I would throw out something that came out like that rather than let anyone eat it. The only baked good that I have enjoyed is the occasional cookie from the cafe. Thu Sep 25 20:54:14 -0700 2008 2360912 228611 jamirblaze 1 2361300 Taste of Heaven on Clark in Andersonville. Totally different and delicious! Wed Mar 07 08:11:38 -0800 2007 2346291 80614 DorothyOz 2 2586324 I adore the cupcakes at Taste of Heaven, but they are nothing like the ones at Magnolia Bakery. Sun May 20 12:57:30 -0700 2007 2361300 86221 lulubelle 1 2361507 Doesn't Ina Pinkney still make great cupcakes? Wed Mar 07 08:55:48 -0800 2007 2346291 52499 ChefJune 1 2361555 If you're looking for a good butter cream, I definitely second Cupcakes over on Briar/Broadway. All of their frostings are butter creams, some more creative than others. Their menu changes frequently and my favorite so far has been poached pear and key lime. Wed Mar 07 09:07:29 -0800 2007 2346291 22699 SKing 1 2362114 Used to love Sweet Mandy B's but they seem to have slipped a notch. Second the opinion on Bent Fork. Best in the burbs up north by far. My favorite cupcakes though come from the Goddess and the Grocer at Delaware and Wabash right in the heart of the Viagra Triangle. The Red Velvet cupcakes are nothing short of awesome. Wed Mar 07 11:01:25 -0800 2007 2346291 80668 asg23 1 2369625 I aboslutely concur with the SWIRLZ recommendation. The flavors offered each day are fantastic and the decadent, addictive buttercream frosting and tiny little "extra" topping on each one make this - by far - my favorite cupcake in town. I had a "flavor of the day" cupcake one time that was something like honey-orange-cinnamon and it was unbelieveable. The almost-everyday flavors of red velvet and banana-nutella are fantastic. But the plain vanilla and chocolate versions are how I would measure/compare against other cupcakes and these definitely win, hands down. (My comparisons are to Alliance Bakery, Sweet Mandy B's, Dinkels...have not tried Cupcakes yet.) Fri Mar 09 09:56:34 -0800 2007 2346291 24517 SUSANinWP 1 2370670 I love Southport groceries...is there a particular attribute that you look for in a cupcake? Fri Mar 09 13:57:04 -0800 2007 2346291 20441 aliselara 1 2381363 Hmm, I disagree with the Swirlz recommendation. Both my sister and I are cupcake fanatics, and neither one of us liked the Swirlz cupcakes. Actually, I really like the yellow cupcakes from Foodlife, in Water Tower. They're huge and very good. And I've had it on good authority that their chocolate cupcakes are better than Sweet Mandy B's, which can be pretty bland. Tue Mar 13 11:50:42 -0700 2007 2346291 25874 manogirl 2 2382260 I'm afraid I didn't like Swirlz at all either. Last night, I bought a red velvet cupcake and a vanilla cupcake there. The cake itself was nice. Moist. Pretty dense. But I really didn't like the frosting. Although they call it buttercream, it's not what I think of as a buttercream. It doesn't taste very buttery. It tastes more like whipping cream with a hint of butter. And it's not very sweet at all either. Nor is it generous. For me, it was a big thumbs down. And the $3 price tag per cupcake didn't help the experience any either. Tue Mar 13 14:59:44 -0700 2007 2381363 78874 Snarkley 3 2401817 If you're up north, Deerfields Bakery (not surprisingly in Deerfield) has delicious cupcakes. My friend claims they're even better than Magnolia (a big statement I know)..... Mon Mar 19 17:35:23 -0700 2007 2382260 82592 froggy04 4 2402893 Have to disagree on this one - - I'd be wary of Deerfield's. Every product tasted from the Schaumburg location has been quite dry. Further, most everything is completely spackled with a less-than-appetizing frosting. Tue Mar 20 05:37:16 -0700 2007 2401817 11195 LAWoman 4 2564918 If you are up north Bent Fork is THE BEST, Deerfield pales in comparison. The Bent Fork has THE best cupcakes EVER! Sat May 12 16:27:46 -0700 2007 2401817 98194 greeniiiiz 3 2941208 I completely agree!! I really did NOT like Swirlz. Honestly, they should just sell cake. I thought the icing was terrible and actually scraped it off. It tasted cheap and very artificial. I also did not like how it was piped on the cake. The deliberate piping coupled with the bad tasting frosting made it seem like they were mass produced and should be sold for $1 a piece. Sorry, so harsh! But I feel like this place gets a lot of hype for no reason. Again, not that this helps, but if you REALLY want a good cupcake, go to Billy's in Chelsea. They do it right. Fri Sep 14 09:00:05 -0700 2007 2382260 80163 scout1 1 2402143 Have you tried Bent Fork Bakery in Highwood? Great buttercream in a variety of flavors. Mon Mar 19 19:20:39 -0700 2007 2346291 83037 2phatties 1 2564387 Bennison's Bakery in Evanston has always had smaller, traditional cupcakes. I noticed today that they now have larger sized cupcakes in "red velvet" and "carrot cake". www.bennisonscakes.com Sat May 12 11:23:29 -0700 2007 2346291 55363 nsxtasy 2 2586193 Bennison's is our local weekly stop for the miche (a hearty organic bread) and often cupcakes. The quality varies widely from week to week but the red velvet are the most consistently good. Unfortunately the icing on the flower cupcakes is a bit bland and doesn't have either the "so bad it's good" crisco icing or the flavor of a real buttercream. In general, their cupcakes don't hold a candle to Sweet Mandy B's. Sun May 20 11:52:56 -0700 2007 2564387 99959 sfcng 3 2941258 I wholeheartedly support the recommendation for both Dinkel's and the Foodlife (in the Water Tower) cupcakes! Both have AMAZING chocolate cupcakes (with chocolate frosting, of course). I always go to Dinkels, but my mother in law brought us some from Foodlife last weekend and they certainly were stiff competition! You can't beat Dinkel's old-school feel, though - great place! Fri Sep 14 09:10:58 -0700 2007 2586193 28099 DKS1 4 2941644 What about Sarah's in Gold Coast? I really love their simple vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. Taste nice and rich, quite good! Also, they offer their cupcakes "naked" showing how they are proud of their cakey creations...so you know they will be good. Fri Sep 14 10:41:58 -0700 2007 2941258 125188 matt krc 5 2949845 Sarah's does have great chocolate cupcakes and I actually like them with the chocolate buttercream. It's not too dense it's a lighter buttercream. Mon Sep 17 14:50:18 -0700 2007 2941644 25757 kauai2b 6 3346346 Sarah's cupcakes are great - my wife is a huge fan of the carrot cream cheese cupcake there. Absolutely worth a visit. To be honest, I think her pastries were much better when she first opened as compared to now, although they are still quite tasty. Tue Jan 29 17:23:17 -0800 2008 2949845 29469 drjimkim 1 2950282 Dinkels or Bittersweet And I'll add that the bite size cupcakes at whole foods are pretty darn amazing as well Mon Sep 17 16:59:19 -0700 2007 2346291 122264 blondie60614 2 3315685 We are visiting Chicago from San Diego and my brother arranged a Cupcake Crawl to 15 cupcake places. We thought Sensational Bites on Southport was the best, with a Boston Creme and Chocolate Mint cupcake. Also above average were Swirlz on Belden and Molly's on Clark. Sun Jan 20 20:35:32 -0800 2008 2950282 155886 nessy 1 3315995 if you like buttercream, i'm surprised you didn't like southport's vanilla cupcake. it is, by far, the best cupcake i've ever eaten. the cake is very dense, but moist. it has a slight almond flavor. and the icing is REAL buttercream. taste of heaven also has great cupcakes---try the almond joy or the whoopie pie cupcake. they are both made with a delicious buttercream filling. Mon Jan 21 00:43:58 -0800 2008 2346291 81277 emiliewasmyeve 1 3316729 Bennisons for there choclate choclate Mon Jan 21 09:13:33 -0800 2008 2346291 142938 imguido2000 1 3316810 This woman is out in Naperville, and does not sell retail - but she makes fantastic cupcakes for wedding showers, birthdays, or maybe just a dozen to eat as you would like. This is her website. www.rosepetalscakery.com Mon Jan 21 09:35:11 -0800 2008 2346291 159263 chowhound1122 1 3327305 I replied once before that Dinkel's and Foodlife (in Water Tower Place) are the best... But I recently tried the new place on N. Clark (2500 blk.), Molly's Cupcakes, and they are equally as fantastic! Really great storefront, too... If you are a cupcake fan, you MUST try these as well. They also have mini cupcakes for $1 - always a bonus! Thu Jan 24 07:16:41 -0800 2008 2346291 28099 DKS1 1 3330594 Sweet Cakes bakery on Damen, just south of Augusta are the best I've had. The mini ones are great! Thu Jan 24 21:29:15 -0800 2008 2346291 160413 bpharri1 1 3372312 I ordered cupcakes to be delivered to my law student son this week from Swirlz. They delivered on time and he was sooo pleased!!!! Loved the vanilla cupcake best with the candied sunflower seeds. The frosting, he said was awesome, and the cake (reduced sugar, even) was tender, very flavorful. I thought he'd like the carrot cake the best, but what do I know, I'm just the MOM! Wed Feb 06 20:27:01 -0800 2008 2346291 124370 PatBastrop 1 3582765 You should try Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique cupcakes, they have 24 flavors of cupcakes. Right now they just do catering and delivery, but they are opening a retail store this July near Millenium Park and Macy's. I really like their buttercream! Here is their website www.sugarblisscakes.com. Thu Apr 10 18:16:53 -0700 2008 2346291 182549 Cupcakes123 1 3960261 Who doesn't love cupcakes! Tough question considering there are so many yummy cupcake bakeries in Chicago these days. My favorite by far though is Southport Grocery's chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting. Apparently most people choose the vanilla (which is also delicious) but I prefer the chocolate...and they are enormous! Fri Aug 15 11:42:45 -0700 2008 2346291 218738 jpearson1018 1 4058946 Okay! I love to bake! I actually just made cupcakes for a friend's brother b-day (white batter with yellow dyed buttercream frosting and blue cream cheese frosting in the middle. letter made with melting candies bought at a bakery shop) But anyways I moved to Chicago and have been looking for cool bakeres. My sister bday is the 27th and I am going home so I was searching for a list of cupcake places to get here cupcakes from. here is my list below and I will post how each cupcake tasted to my sis, mom and I :) PLACES IN CHICAGO TO GET CUPCAKES 1. Swirlz Cupcakes 705 W. Belden Ave Chicago, 60614 (877) 791-7594 www.swirlzcupcakes.com 2. Cupcakes 'N' More 275 Old Orchard Center Skokie 60077 ( don’t have number, couldn’t find. Does it still exist?) 3. Cupcakes 613 W. Briar Pl. 773-525-0817 www.chicagocupcakes.com 4. Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique (would have to order a dozen, store doesn’t open until Dec 115 N. Wabash) www.sugarblisscakes.com 312-845-9669 5. More Neighborhood: Near North Side 1 E. Delaware Place (between State St & Wabash Ave) Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 951-0001 www.morecupcakes.com (opened September 12th) 6. Molly’s Cupcakes 2536 N Clark St Chicago, IL, 60614 (773) 883 7220 www.mollyscupcakes.com 7. The Bleeding Heart Bakery 1955 W Belmont Ave Chicago, IL (773) 327-6934 www.thebleedingheartbakery.com 8. Sarah’s Pastries and Bakery 70 E. Oak Street Chicago, IL, 60610 (312) 664-6223 www.sarahscandies.com 9. Sweet Mandy B’s 1208 W Webster Ave Chicago, IL, 60614 (773) 244-1174 10. Swirlz cupcakes 705 W Belden Ave Chicago, IL, 60614 (773) 404-2253 11. Twisted Sister Bakery www.twistedsisterbakery.com 1543 N Wells St Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 932-1128 12. Sweet Cakes Bakery sweetcakeschicago.com 935 N. Damen Chicago, IL 60622 (773) 772-5771 13. Milk and Honey Café www.milkandhoneycafe.com 1920 W. Division Street Chicago, IL 60622 773.395.9434 (yellow cake with chocolate frosting and deil food cake with white frosting) 14. Bent Fork Bakery 333 Waukegan Rd Highwood, IL 60040 (847) 926-4438 thebentfork.com 15. Swirlz Cupcakes www.swirlzcupcakes.com 705 W. Belden Ave Chicago, IL 60614 (773) 404-2253 16. Dinkel's Bakery www.dinkels.com 3329 N. Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 281-7300 17. Fox & Obel Food Market www.fox-obel.com 401 E Illinois St # 1 Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 410-7301 (call to see what they have) 18. Magnolia Cafe Inc www.magnoliacafeuptown.com 1224 W Wilson Ave Chicago, IL 60640 (773) 728-8785 19. A Taste of Heaven 5401 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60640 (773) 989-0151 20. Foodlife www.foodlifechicago.com (food court in watertower) 835 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 335-9580 21. Sweet Cakes Bakery sweetcakeschicago.com 935 N. Damen Chicago, IL 60622 (773) 772-5771 22. Southport Grocery & Café www.southportgrocery.com 3552 N Southport Ave Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 665-0100 LET ME KNOW IF THERE ARE SOME MISTAKES BC I AM UNSURE :) Wed Sep 24 14:38:18 -0700 2008 2346291 228289 doinwhatyodoes 1 4061898 I just found your post and I too am on a cupcake hunt. I like the cake at Mandy Bs but i agree with the colored frosting comment. try either straight up vanilla or the chocolate. honestly, i think they have some off-days. the whoopie pies are always spot on. But i have come to love sugar bliss cupcakes. they only do catering now, but they are opening up in loop soon. some of the frosting/cake combos need some tweaking, i.e. too many cream cheese frostings on fantastic cake, but it is Magnolia in NYC quality. the cake is wonderfully tasty and moist--you taste chocolate cake. and the buttercream is very very good. give it a shot and order some via the website. www.sugarblisscakes.com Thu Sep 25 14:54:21 -0700 2008 2346291 228538 danielle0israel 1 4064130 I hear good things about a place called The Bent Fork: http://www.thebentfork.com Fri Sep 26 12:35:51 -0700 2008 2346291 112406 Chew on That 2 4064618 The Bent Fork is in Highwood so not in Chicago but it's a wonderful little bakery. Husband and wife who are very nice do all the baking. The whoopie pies are incredible (so incredible that I have not gotten around to the cupcakes yet) but the cupcakes look outstanding. Fri Sep 26 15:54:53 -0700 2008 4064130 11195 LAWoman 1 4072907 ok so i went to mollys, more,twisted sister, sarah's, swirlz and cupcakes. more was the thickest and most interesting ones- i had the bacon, brie and strawberry- different and good! Now if you are looking to keep these cupcakes for a few days you have refrigerate them except for swirlz cupcakes. any cupcake with fruit has to be refrigerated. but reallly i wasnt the biggest fan or any of these places. swirlz was the best bc it was light. the gluten free lemon one was good. the rest taste like cornbread. really im done with cupcakes. cakes taste much better-easier to make moist! Tue Sep 30 15:17:28 -0700 2008 2346291 228289 doinwhatyodoes 2 4085652 I've been wondering about More Cupcakes since I saw job advertisements for them earlier in the summer with Gale Gand's name listed as a consultant. I still haven't been to Molly's, but I've heard good things. Mon Oct 06 11:54:34 -0700 2008 4072907 50030 theuninvitedguest 1 4399489 It's just my opinion and maybe its because I am in NY with some frequency but even New Yorkers are over Magnolia Bakery. Its old news there and many of the original folks who worked for them have moved on to start their own cup cake emporiums. Sun Feb 08 19:21:14 -0800 2009 2346291 264751 actnoid 2 4400040 New Yorkers may be over it, but walk by on a nice day and there's still a line out the door. Crazy! Mon Feb 09 05:40:49 -0800 2009 4399489 10117 leek 3 4400238 That's reminiscent of the quote by Yogi Berra, the former baseball player: "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded." :) Mon Feb 09 07:22:03 -0800 2009 4400040 55363 nsxtasy 1 4491292 I'm on a cupcake hunt. So far I've tried Swirlz, Southport Grocery and Sugar Bliss, and remotely Fox & Obel. The icing was great at Sugar Bliss but not much of it. So far I'm underwhelmed. I hope to try Dinkels and Foodlife and Sarah's next. Maybe making my own will be more fulfilling (and cheaper). Tue Mar 10 11:14:12 -0700 2009 2346291 57303 lvhkitty 2 4491523 You should really try The Bent Fork in Highwood, IL.... Really yummy cupcakes!!! Tue Mar 10 12:03:55 -0700 2009 4491292 83037 2phatties 1 4493215 I love sweet mandy b's as well and I've discovered the recipe so I can have them anytime I want. The recipe is in the junior league of chicago's cookbook - www.jlchicago.org and features the chocolate frosting. it is delicious! kind of neat cookbook too. Tue Mar 10 20:58:35 -0700 2009 2346291 273466 mbspasox 2 4505652 Dinkel's cupcakes - great value, cake very good, icing pretty good Highwood seems very very far away. Actually I had never tried Swirlz which had better icing than Dinkel's but twice the price. I mistook Molly's for Swirlz. So far Sugar Bliss is my favorite. Sat Mar 14 19:35:53 -0700 2009 4493215 57303 lvhkitty 1 4634723 I have a major sweet tooth and my 2 favorites by far are Sweet Mandy B's (www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-mandy-bs-chicago) in Lincoln Park and Phoebe's Cupcakes (www.phoebescupcakes.com) in Lakeview. I also tried Molly's), Swirlz and Southport Grocery, but Sweet Mandy B and Phoebe's win for taste and people being really nice (who wants to buy a cupcake from a grump). Mon Apr 27 22:18:53 -0700 2009 2346291 286720 afoodcritic 2 4677277 I just tried Phoebes today. Amazing. The cake is good as well as the frosting. It is so far neck and neck with Sugar Bliss. Tue May 12 12:22:11 -0700 2009 4634723 57303 lvhkitty 2 5052595 Just had cupcakes from Phoebe's. Tried the Red Velvet, German Chocolate and Salted-caramel. All were delicious. A friend had the blackberry and said it was quite good. I applaud them for creating a good cupcake, moist, buttery, and real. The buttercream tasted like real buttercream made with butter (not shortening). The German Chocolate had a surpise inside...some kind of filling, which was lovely. The Salted-caramel had some caramel sauce in the middle too. Nice touches. I would recommend this place, but I have not tried Sweet Mandy B or Sugarbliss YET. Wed Sep 23 11:28:02 -0700 2009 4634723 275504 iphonechica 1 4651340 I use The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook or Martha Stewart's Baking Book and make them for way less- organically. Sun May 03 19:44:26 -0700 2009 2346291 270090 inbiz 1 4668934 I think they are referring to where you can buy them, not recipes inbiz. Every baker thinks they can make better cupcakes than companies that sell them. Sat May 09 11:54:25 -0700 2009 2346291 286720 afoodcritic 2 4670137 Umm... It's the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, so they are the same cupcakes. The only thing that makes them better is organic ingredients. As far as most bakeries, they're easy to outdo because they're not that great- like the op was lamenting. Sat May 09 23:06:04 -0700 2009 4668934 270090 inbiz 1 4668988 My wife sometimes brings home a few from More, located at 1 E. Delaware. Gale Gand has a hand in this business. Sat May 09 12:29:53 -0700 2009 2346291 287007 bricap 2 4678566 They don't have a store I believe, but try Foiled Cupcakes. They deliver most places in Chicago and suburbs. Yummy! www.foiledcupcakes.com Tue May 12 19:35:15 -0700 2009 4668988 221432 Wrigley12 1 4893919 Here is my list of the best cupcakes: Sweet Mandy B's is my ultimate favorite. http://chicago.metromix.com/user/playlist/3208 Mon Jul 27 09:33:31 -0700 2009 2346291 1097075 shawn404 1 5040811 www.sugarblisscakes.com is the best cupcakes I've ever had. They are right balance of sweet and light. They are not rich or bland like other places. I went to Molly cupcakes yesterday. They are good. I tried the turtle cupcake. But the best are sugarbliss the vanilla cupcakes taste like icecream. The frosting is the best I have ever tasted. I am going to try www.foiledcupcakes.com next. Fri Sep 18 16:23:56 -0700 2009 2346291 1110360 ninacoko 1 5050024 I'm no expert, but Sweet Cakes on Damen in Ukranian Village had one of the best cupcakes I've ever had. Love the decor, too. Tue Sep 22 14:01:38 -0700 2009 2346291 57415 rubinow 1 5057978 I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sugar Money Cupcakes in Naperville. They are outstanding, probably because it's all they make! A little pricey, but worth it for a rare treat. http://www.sugarmonkeycupcakes.com/ Fri Sep 25 10:17:54 -0700 2009 2346291 1089347 bourj 2 5078038 Went to Sugar Monkey over last weekend. Personally I thought the cupcake was dry, tasteless, and the frosting was quite cloying. I would not go back there at all based on the half dozen variety that we brought home with us. Not one was worth the price. It was quite disappointing since I love cupcakes and was excited to see a cupcake store in downtown Naperville. Sun Oct 04 09:01:14 -0700 2009 5057978 1113823 TeacherSu 3 5146608 I'm sorry to hear that; I first had them at a wedding (the couple served them in lieu of cake) and brought a variety pack to a dinner party a month or so afterwards, and they were quite a hit on both occasions. Certainly not dry or tasteless to us! I can see that some might think there's too much frosting, but I didn't have an issue with it. Sorry to hear you didn't care for them :( Sun Nov 01 07:45:00 -0800 2009 5078038 1089347 bourj 1 5062764 my cousin works at sugarbliss... they are so good! very friendly in there too. i like it because they have mini cupcakes that are just as good as the big ones, but not as filling! i loved loved loved the mint ones. so good. and the frosting is delicious. especially the cream cheese on the red velvet :] Sun Sep 27 18:30:45 -0700 2009 2346291 1103074 chalkalot 1 5078041 I have not been to Molly's, but my daughter who is a student at Loyola swears by them. She even drove into Chicago over the summer just for her Molly's fix. Sun Oct 04 09:02:27 -0700 2009 2346291 1113823 TeacherSu 1 5155496 Tried a new place in the Loop. The Cupcake Counter on Madison, near Franklin. A mom and daughter business with fresh cupcakes (and awesome snickerdoodles) each day. They frost in a unique way (more vertical) and the flavors were good. It is a little pocket store in the base of parking garage. Really cute. Wed Nov 04 10:52:36 -0800 2009 2346291 138776 ChiGuy 1 5161435 Kirsten's in Burr Ridge hands down the best cupcakes around!!! Fri Nov 06 11:42:25 -0800 2009 2346291 219950 cheflovestoeatout