Cupcakes are little bundles of joy. They pack the perfect amount of spongy cake and whipped frosting, leaving you with just enough sweet to want a little more without feeling overwhelmed with the goodness.
See also: The Most Decadent Must-Try Cakes In San Francisco
If you’re ready to celebrate a birthday or mark a special moment—heck, maybe you just want to sweeten up your day, and that’s okay—these fine cupcake spots are delivering the best in the Bay Area.
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3249 Scott St.; 415-563-2253 / Website
Kara Hipsel Lind is the queen behind these delightful sweets. She started in advertising sales but followed her passion for pastry, and soon she was leaving to start her own dessert empire that conitnues to flourish. The shop first opened in San Francisco's Marina District, but now you can find her in Palo Alto and Napa, too. If you can only try one cupcake, try the chocolate velvet, but you really should indulge in a Kara's Choice Dozen for a variety of daily specials and Kara's favorites!
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2109 Chestnut St.; 3509 California St. / Website
Tradition is at the heart of this California cakery. Susan "Susie" Sarich founded this delicious bakery in 2006, and today, SusieCakes boasts 25 locations across the state. All these tasty treats are preservative-free, baked with classic recipes and back-to-basics ingredients, and everything is made from scratch daily! Enjoy the fan-favorite pineapple upside-down cupcake, indulge in classics from chocolate to lemon and vanilla with rainbow sprinkles, try a flourless cupcake, or take home a DIY cupcake kit!
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Ferry Building Marketplace, Shop 10, 415-837-0300; 449 Octavia St., 415-626-6221 / Website
This French-style bakery offers much more than just cupcakes, including cakes, cookies, pastries, macarons and handmade candies. For the purposes of our list, it's the incredile flavor that puts Miette as a must-try cupcakery. Dive into chocolate and vanilla, chocolate and Italian meringue, carrot cake, gingerbread and more. You can also come here to get a free cupcake on your birthday!
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Crocker Galleria, Level 1, Store #10; 510-904-2864 / Website
If you put “cupcakes” in your name, you better bring the goods, and La Luna is absolutely one of the best in the Bay Area biz. Get down on some chocolate tres leches, swirled chocolate and vanilla, red velvet, asteroid cookies and cream, mocha with baileys, passion fruit and more. You can even order a customized cupcake to make your memories extra special.
Now that you’ve explored the best in cupcakes, take that adventure wider and try some of our favorite bakeries for across the board goodies.
Photography by: REDA&CO; / GETTY IMAGES
