The Tastiest Cupcakes in Minneapolis

Cold Spring Bakery

★★★★☆ 4.1 (13) • $

"Great selection of baked goods. The donuts were extremely yummy and pricing was good. I called in the order and was able to pick it up in 2 minutes.That's service!"

Buttercream Wedding Cakes & Desserts St Paul

★★★★☆ 3.6 (78) • $$$

"Honestly, I can't lie...this place did not live up to the hype. I almost feel like this place is the McDonald's of places to go wedding cake tasting ... everyone is like, are you going to Buttercream? Why oh why would you get your cake from here? Probably half of your friends are getting the same cake. And I know because after cake tasting, all their flavors tasted very similar. Bland cake and tasteless buttercream.Service is very cookie cutter standard. If you come here for a tasting, they give you the standard run down...square tiers or round, here's the price of a slice, lace on the sides or crystals. Moreover, the service here is pretty inconsistent because you never know the baker making your cake. Just ask them how many cakes are made every weekend ;)PS Don't fall for the free cake on your anniversary. Lot's of bakeries have that perk."

Diamond Dust Bakery & Coffee Shop

★★★★☆ 4.3 (12)

"Absolutely worth a stop. Great sandwiches and soups for lunch, but get there in time, before they run out each day! Just a single meal option for sandwich and soup each day. The pastries are worth every mile of calorie burn afterwards!"

La Boulangerie Marguerite

★★★★☆ 4.1 (114) • $$

"Yummy Bakery Items the donuts and muffins were delicious. Also ordered an Americano Staff were pleasant and friendly."

Kim B’s Baked Goods

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"The pastries at this place are amazing! At other places, their pastries can taste like armpit hair, but not at Kim B's. Not only are their pastries and cupcakes great, Kim B's is clean too so you don't have to worry about getting hepatitis."

Becky Bakes

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"Becky Bakes cupcakes are simply delicious!! Online ordering is a breeze!!"

Aunt Ruth's Baked Goods

★★★★★ 5 (4)

"Ruth was very easy to work with, even from afar! She took the time to understand what I was looking for and went the extra mile to make the cupcakes look amazingly beautiful!! She delivered the surprise cupcakes and even took a video of my daughter's reaction to share with me. While I wasn't able to consume them, I heard that they may have tasted better than they looked!"

Cedar Creek Baking

★★★★★ 4.8 (6) • $$

"So glad I was revered to this bakery. Beautiful tasty cake and not too expensive. It was a little hard for me to find. I was a little nervous at first on how it would go because it's out of her home essentially (building next to her home) but it was a great experience and I was really happy. Thanks!"

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (101) • $

"You might think this place is only for cupcakes, but you'd be wrong! Their cupcakes are amazing, but I chose the caramel roll, which was pillowy soft and the caramel was really delicious and buttery. you can get a variety of coffee beverages also. Definitely a great go to in Hopkins. They also organize an annual bakery and brewery bike tour that features 32 miles of round trip biking and six tickets for beers and baked goods along the way!"

Korppi Coffee + Bakeshop

★★★★★ 4.9 (16)

"Chic local coffee shop in a strip mall. Lots of drink options including seasonal/signature latte (with black lava salt) and even golden milk latte; they were really good!! They also have some pastries and gluten-free cookies too for snacking. Atmosphere is like a better Starbucks but with more local fare, such as products from local shops (honey, pastries, flowers). It's pretty busy even at 11am. Would go back."

Sweet Treasures Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (12)

"This is by far my favorite bakery/coffee shop. I can't believe they now have soft serve ice cream! I tried the cookie blast one and it was delish! I love coming here for cupcakes and coffee! Caramel macchiato is the best!"

Mixin' It Up

★★★★★ 4.9 (14)

"Mixin' It Up is a gluten-free bakery located in Sauk Rapids. Their products are all locally made and are quite tasty. I am not on a gluten-free diet, but wanted to try some of their products. I'm glad I did. You can find cookies, cupcakes, and other sweet items here. If you or someone you love is gluten-free, this is a great place to find baked goods that they can consume."

Sugar Rose Bakeshop

★★★★★ 5 (5)

"I work down in New Prague and kept hearing co-workers talking about this amazing bakery! The space previously housed a cupcake shop, but has a new name so I am not sure whether it is a new business with new owners or not. My co-workers kept talking about the Key Lime Tart in particular, and when I walked by a co-worker's desk this morning there was a giant cookie from Sugar Rose. Let's just say that I sat through my next two meetings thinking about how much I wanted that cookie :)At lunch I decided to give it a try after eating my sad lunch of salad with light dressing, but I felt that was an appropriate offset to a cookie...or a Key Lime Tart...or a bar. So there's a lesson here...don't go into a delicious bakeshop after you've eaten only a salad...or do....depends on how you look at it I guess!I ended up getting a coffee, a Key Lime Tart (which I shared with two co-workers in my after-lunch meeting), a cookie for my husband, and two bars (because I couldn't help it). The tart was delicious! A little bit tart but nicely sweetened which allows you to really taste the key lime without having too much of a pucker, and the whipped cream was just the right compliment to it providing even more creaminess. It's a wonderful size and has just a hint of crust along the sides and bottom. I've always loved Key Lime pies, but sometimes there is too much crust and then it overwhelms the flavor, but happily that is not the case here.The cookie was fantastic! It was crunchy on the edges, but soft and chewy in the center. It wasn't too sweet either which made the mini M&Ms pop out with that little burst of chocolate. The crunchy edge was really what got me though. I was sad that I gave it to my husband, but I got some at least and now I know!Finally, the bars. I got a 7-Layer bar and a Salted Caramel bar. The 7-Layer bar was SOOO good! Right away the butterscotch got me and then with all the other flavors (coconut, nuts, chocolate) it was just an amazing dessert! It was such a great compliment to a cup of hot coffee!! So good! The Salted Caramel bar was also very good although not at the same level for me as the other things. It had a nice crumbly topping and a good balance of caramel, but that 7-Layer bar and the cookie kind of stole the show for me.I did get a coffee and that was rich and delicious and the perfect companion to dessert.The space itself was a nice size, very open and lots of windows with being on the end of the mall, and they had cute art on the walls and a calming, fun color palette. It felt a little colder though than I was expecting which might be remedied with some plants or maybe even more comfy chair type seating, but they do have a couple of couches in the space in addition to tables. The service was welcoming and excellent as well.This would be a great place for meeting a friend for coffee and dessert, or a morning muffin or scone, or just some alone time reading a book and enjoying a treat. Very cute place and will definitely be back...and so will my co-workers no doubt!"

Hans' Bakery

★★★★☆ 3.6 (137) • $

"This is an oldie but a goodie. They have been around for a while. Great place for hand made donuts and coffee! Don't stop at Dunkin when you can support local! Support Hans!"

Nadia Cakes

★★★★☆ 3.7 (175) • $$

"My work offered to buy us some sort of dessert for winning at award at work. I chose these unicorn poop cupcakes. The unicorn poop itself is hard, which is not my favorite. But it was sent to Chicago from MN, and I was surprised by how moist and yummy it still was. The colors are so bright and I'm impressed they were even able to get it that bright. It tasted like a vanilla cupcake. And it was one of the best cupcakes I have ever had even though I didn't like the unicorn poop, so that says a lot! They packaged it with ice packs and a bag that sort of seals in the cold. My door man had put the package on its side and stuff and the cupcakes were not messed up, so they do a really good job at making sure the cupcakes are still really high quality and not messed up when they ship them to you!"

Something Sweet by Maddie Lu

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (66) • $$$$

"Full disclosure- I love the Food Network and when Maddie Lu's brownies popped up on my social media feed- like a Pavlov trained consumer- I immediately got in my car and drove there. The shop was busy on the Saturday before Mother's Day. Many cake boxes were stacked up for pickup and a couple was engaged in a consultation with an employee. Being a first timer, I wanted to try a few treats. Opted for a 4-pack of cupcakes, a brownie 3-pack, and a chocolate covered strawberry 6-pack. When my bill was almost $50 my only thought was "My husband is going to kill me." I'm a pretty good baker, so I needed these to be amazing to justify the cost. We started with the brownies- the cookie dough brownie was a hard no. The cookie dough on top of the brownie tasted artificial. The cheesecake topped brownie (with whipped cream and three berries) was tastier, but had my family saying, "We like your cheesecake more." The chocolate Twix topped brownie was my personal favorite, but I'm a death by chocolate kinda gal. The consensus from the family was that I make better brownies (sorry Maddie Lu). Next up, the chocolate covered strawberries. They were nice large strawberries, but the chocolate was overly sweet and shattered off after the first bite. Now, I needed the cupcakes to be phenomenal. Our 4-pack included red velvet, vanilla, cookie dough, and lemon. Everyone liked the cupcakes. Depending on palates, there was a favorite for all. My favorite was the lemon, which was moist and refreshing. At $2.50 per cupcake, I wished I'd spent just $10 and walked away. Go for the cupcakes."

Royal Grounds

★★★★★ 4.5 (75) • $

"This morning I needed to continue nursing my holiday hangover with some food and wakey juice, so I decided to visit RG to change-up my coffee house routine. South(west) Siiideeee....Nothing says "neighborhood joint" like baristas calling folks by their first name, the elderly chatting about old times, and moms playing board games with their kids. Royal Grounds definitely has an awesome and friendly buzz. The staff there welcomed me with a smile and patiently answered all of my questions I had about their goods. I decided to recover with a French press and Glorious Morning Muffin, which only came out to a little over $5.My dark brown caffeine elixir tasted deliciously strong and not too acidic. I also had my fill since the French press produces about two and half cups. As for the muffin, I think this may be one of the best muffins I've had in recent memory. The Glorious Morning has raisins and carrots that make it slightly sweet and pulpy, respectively. Unlike most muffins at cafes, this one tasted steamy fresh and pillowy soft. Essentially, it's a fibrous marshmallow. (Sounds weird, but that's the best way I can explain it.) No wonder so many parents with their children were there. I'm sure the muffin is a creative way for children to eat carrots.Aside from the coffee and food, Royal Grounds has sturdy tables (didn't need a newspaper to stabilize any of the legs), comfy chairs, and music that didn't make my ears bleed. (I frequently perform at hip-hop shows, and I can't even stand the noise level at some cafes.) I also love the fact that they support local businesses by selling their goods. I enjoyed perusing through the funny selection of holiday cards and small painted canvases. Bravo, RG!My only suggestions are that Royal Grounds could provide more outlets (for us mobile workers) and make better use of the empty white spaces on the walls (since the shop can come off as a bit stale). However, I'm really just being nit-picky.Overall, Royal Grounds' coffee is on par with many of the other stellar coffeehouses in the Twin Cities. Although, I think their food is what makes them special. Seriously, I would like to see other joints bake their own goods daily.I can't wait to return to buy some Valentine's Day cards, another cup of coffee, and of course, a Glorious Morning Muffin. If you're in the area, check out Royal Grounds."

Cream of the Cakes

★★★★★ 4.7 (39) • $$

"We had Liz and her team make some cookies for our daughter's baby shower. We sent her the theme with pictures. She knocked it out of the park and even made some nut free ones for our kids that had allergies. If you ever need special occasion baked goods go to them."

Heidi’s Huggamug Cafe

★★★★★ 4.7 (11)

"Every town should have a place like this, and is lucky if it does. A great place to grab coffee, breakfast or a quick lunch alone or with friends and family. Nice breakfast and lunch menus, and always a selection of freshly baked goods like muffins, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, etc. Nothing fancy, just a nice selection of simple, basic foods and meals done really well. Attractive, spacious dining room. Outdoor seating in season. Friendly people and good service. Plenty of parking. Easy walk to the marina, beach and downtown."

Sunrise Doughnuts

★★★★☆ 4.3 (100) • $

"Best doughnuts in the Twin Cities! And NOT closed as someone falsely stated below!! Better than Bogarts, Glam Doll, and other popular places."

Ginny Bites

★★★★★ 4.7 (6)

"What an amazing addition to the food scene in downtown Anoka. Ginny has a cute little store front that is stocked with fresh homemade southern style sweets. My favorite part is the absolutely amazing lunch specials she has daily. My favorite foods come from Louisiana and Ginny has brought them to our backyard. From her muffuletta to her Lucky Louie gator Po Boy (the most tender gator I have ate outside of Louisiana and that remoulade sauce needs to be bottled and sold). Her customer service is top notch and the cute little seating area is a great place to enjoy those sweets or lunch specials. This is a must if you're in the area!"