Fab Happenings: Top 5 Cupcakes in Chicago

Cupcakes have been all the rage the past few years. With shows like Cupcake Wars and DC Cupcakes, you can see why the obsession for this sweet treat exists. I personally don’t have a big sweet tooth but I find myself drawn in by the call of cupcakes, too.

If you are going to eat something sweet, cupcakes are perfectly portioned and the variety of cupcakes are endless. From fillings to toppings, there are so many fun flavors and ideas imparted into a cupcake. Cupcake creativity is something to be appreciated. If I could bake, I would definitely make cupcakes. But alas, I can’t bake that well, so instead I hit up these 5 cupcake shops below for my sweet tooth fix!

5. Smallcakes

I stumbled across Smallcakes with some of my Fab Food team members and we had to check it out. Despite the name of this store, the cupcakes and flavors are anything but small. What I loved about Smallcakes were the assortment of cupcakes flavors that they offered. Many of the flavors, I had never seen before such as Lemon Drop, Vanilla and Chocolate, Pink Vanilla, and Hot Fudge Sundae. Smallcakes offers 18 flavors daily, each loaded with frosting and toppings. The cupcakes are picture perfect. In my opinion, the frosting was a little too sweet for me, but if you have a sweet tooth, you will love it. The cake itself is one of my favorite parts of the cupcake. It is baked to perfection with just the right amount of moisture and provides a nice base for the sweet frosting.

Another unique cupcake treat that Smallcakes specializes in, is their cupcake milkshake. This incredible dessert includes an actual cupcake blended with ice cream to make a delicious dessert that you can drink!

FAB TIP: In addition to their regular flavors, Smallcakes also offers daily flavors. Make sure to follow them on Instagram so that you can keep up with the specials!

{Location}
SmallCakes
Lakeview || 3054 N. Greenview Ave, Chicago, IL || P: (773) 661-9634
Elmhurst (Coming Soon) || 623 W North Ave, Suite C, Elmhurst, IL || P: (630) 666-0830
Naperville || 115 E Ogden Ave, Naperville, IL || P: (630) 548-1668
St. Charles || 117 W Main St, Suite 120, St. Charles, IL || P: (630) 587-2253
South Barrington || 100 W Higgins Rd, South Barrington, IL || P: (224) 484-8838

{Price Range}
$ (Under $10)

{Fab Rating 3.5 Fabs}

4. Sprinkles

Sprinkles is a classic in Chicago. Without a doubt, Sprinkles is one of the most famous cupcake bakeries. It’s the first ever cupcake bakery to open in America and has been mentioned in shows such as Cupcake Wars.

The storefront in Chicago demands attention as soon as you see it. With big colorful paneling above their store that mimics the classic Sprinkle’s decorations, you often find a long line of people waiting for the cupcakes or even the cupcake ATM. Wait, did I just say cupcake ATM? Yes, you heard it right. Sprinkles is the owner of a perfectly pink cupcake ATM which resides outside their storefront. At the ATM, you can get cupcakes at any time, of any day…unless they run out. You get to choose which flavor(s) you want, pay with your card, and watch the cupcake box slide right out to you! Using the ATM definitely brings back childhood nostalgia and excitement. If you’ve never tried it, I would highly suggest it!

The cupcakes themselves are not only aesthetically pleasing with their minimal decoration but they are incredibly delicious. I mean, with a reputation of being the first cupcake bakery, you have to have a quality product, right? They offer daily flavors like cinnamon sugar, black & white, chocolate marshmallow, red velvet, and vanilla as well as a rotating calendar of specialty flavors. Some of the past flavors that Sprinkles has featured include pistachio, lemon meringue, peanut butter chip, chai latte, and Cuban coffee. For those of you who are vegan or gluten free, have no fear…Sprinkles offers a vegan and gluten free red velvet that tastes just as good as the real thing!

Like the other cupcakes in the list above, the cake is baked to perfection, with frosting that adds depth of flavor without being too overpowering in sweetness. One of my favorites is the specialty flavor, lemon meringue. Make sure you check the website to see when your favorite cupcake flavors will be featured that week. The hype is well worth it when it comes to Sprinkles!

FAB TIP: Sprinkles has a special doggie cupcake for your four-legged companion so you can both have a treat at the same time!

{Location}
Sprinkles
Streeterville || 50 E Walton St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 573-1600

{Price Range}
$ (Under $10)

{Fab Rating 4 Fabs}

3. Sweet Mandy B’s

Sweet Mandy B’s is a true Lincoln Park gem. When you spend four years with a bakery so close to your school, it’s hard not to binge on baked goods every chance you get. I distinctly remember getting Sweet Mandy B’s on several occasions at school for various events. However, going to the bakery itself is a fun experience on its own. No one embraces pastels and cute aesthetics like Sweet Mandy B’s. With walls, tables, and chairs all in shades of pastel, you can’t help but fall in love, the moment you walk in.

The great thing about Sweet Mandy B’s is that it is a full bakery. They offer a huge range of baked goods and dessert treats. My favorite thing to get, though, are still the cupcakes. Looks-wise, the cupcakes fit right into the décor of the bakery. With simple decorations ranging from bright colored frosting and a dash of sprinkles to frosting with a drizzle of chocolate and fruit, these cupcakes are always photo ready.

They definitely have huge flavor profiles as well. The cake itself is baked to perfection and soft to bite into. The frosting adds a good kick of flavor and sugar to your cake. A small warning to those who aren’t big on sugary sweet frostings, Sweet Mandy B’s might not be the right one for you. But, if you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, this is definitely the place to go.

FAB TIP: Our resident Fab Food Chicago’s Chef and Writer, Sherrie Tan, is the Head Baker at Sweet Mandy B’s. Make sure to stop by and say hi!

{Location}
Sweet Mandy B’s
Lincoln Park || 1208 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL || P: (773) 244-1174

{Price Range}
$ (Under $10)

{Fab Rating 4 Fabs}

2. More Cupcakes

If you’ve ever been tagged in a picture of a cupcake on Facebook, then you’ve probably heard of More Cupcakes. This cute little cupcake shop often utilizes their social media platforms to give out free cupcakes to those tech savvy customers. All you have to do is tag yourself or friends on the post before it reaches its maximum amount of tags. If done successfully, you’ll be able to get that particular cupcake for free if you go in within the week! It’s fairly easy and I have definitely gotten two or three free cupcakes from Facebook tags so make sure to keep on the lookout when they post their cupcakes online! More Cupcakes is located off the Chicago Red Line stop, near the hustle and bustle of Michigan Avenue.

The shop itself is very small with a lighted display wall full of cupcakes. It embodies the store’s mission to bring cupcakes into a modern age. Be aware that there are no places to sit and eat your cupcakes at more. It’s simply a grab and go. However, with the cute Chinese takeout containers that hold your cupcake, you won’t feel too bad about toting it down the street or to the Starbucks next door.

In terms of flavor, More goes bold. They boast of the finest ingredients in their cupcakes such as Madagascar vanilla, house-made marshmallow, and Valrhona chocolate. A classic more cupcake is the Valrhona chocolate cupcake, with a light whipped cream topping, and dipped in chocolate ganache. But chocolate and vanilla are not the only flavors More has to offer, they also offer fun and modern flavors such as lemon meringue, cookies and crème, red velvet, chocolate champagne, lemon raspberry, key-lime, and Guinness (which is a seasonal flavor).

Their decorations are done simple and in line with the modern theme, from the chocolate curls and shards of sugar candy and brittle to the way the frosting is piped onto the cupcake. I like that the frosting is not too sweet. Although, depending on the cupcake, you can get a lot of frosting on top. No worries, you can scrape it off and eat however much you want!

FAB TIP: My piece of advice is if you’re in the mood for a fun and delicious decadent cake, go to More’s Facebook page and try your luck at tagging yourself so that you can get a cupcake for free!

{Location}
More Cupcakes
Gold Coast || 1 East Delaware Pl, Chicago, Illinois || P: (312) 951-0001

{Price Range}
$ (Under $10)

{Fab Rating 4.5 Fabs}

1.  Molly’s Cupcakes

Molly’s Cupcakes has been my absolute favorite cupcake shop since I moved to Chicago. Not only was it the first cupcake-centered shop I had ever been to but it was also love at first bite. The shop itself is cute and quaint, with small bright orange tables and swings at the counter. At their napkin station, they offer sprinkles in shakers so you can add some fun to whatever cupcake you get. Molly’s is often crowded and there may be a line for cupcakes but it moves fairly fast. The end product makes it worth waiting for. The cupcake selection is one of my favorite things to look at.

No matter how many times I come to Molly’s, I always end up having a hard time deciding what cupcake to pick. They have the basic cupcakes such as chocolate, vanilla, carrot, and red velvet…but it’s their center-filled specialty cupcakes that draws most people’s attention. Their list of regular specialty cupcakes include flavors like crème brûlée (my favorite), peach cobbler, peanut butter Nutella, cookie monster, and more. They also have specialty cupcakes for their spring and fall seasons which keeps customers coming in for these limited edition flavors.

The cupcakes at Molly’s are always perfectly cooked and moist…perfect to dig into with a fork or your teeth. What really sets Molly’s apart is the frosting because it is not too sweet or overwhelming. You still get a good balance between the cake, filling, and frosting with each cupcake. Biting into a Molly’s cupcake is the best possible treat for me. As a bonus, Molly’s Cupcakes is a Cupcake War winner, which means you’ll know the cupcakes will be good!

FAB TIP: Molly’s Cupcakes offers cupcake delivery to almost anywhere in the Chicagoland area. To place an order for delivery, just call the store!

{Location}
Molly’s Cupcakes
Lincoln Park || 2536 North Clark Street, Chicago Illinois || P: (773) 883-7220

{Price Range}
$ (Under $10)

{Fab Rating 5 Fabs}

So who wins the cupcake wars – Chicago edition? Well at the end of the day I think we’re all winners with these five amazing cupcake shops above. No matter where you go, you’re definitely bound to get an amazing dessert and treat that will have you coming back for more.

Where are your favorite cupcake flavors from?

Let me know below so I can check them out next time!

Eat on!
Chelsia