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Cupcakes
- Hours:
Mon-Fri, Sun 10 am - 8 pm
Sat 10 am - 9 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
35 reviews for Cupcakes
Review Highlights
"Is this location run by Heather & Lori."
(in 3 reviews)
"The red velvet and the chocolate were delicious."
(in 7 reviews)
"The icing is the best bit: creamy, buttery, and sugary, the..."
(in 15 reviews)
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35 reviews in English
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Review from Andrea L.
Vancouver, BC
11/23/2011
I've been to this one a few times, its a bit further of a trip for me, but I feel like this is one of the locations i like going to the most.
It was their first shop, it feels so spacious and welcoming. Love all the smells and decor when you are there and it's truly the home of Heather and Lori.
There is always a great amount of product available so you don't have to worry about them running out! -
Review from Kas D.
Vancouver, BC
1/24/2012
Mediocre cupcakes that are overpriced. You could probably find a better cupcake at your local grocery store. Just because the store and cupcakes look fancy and cute doesn't mean the cupcakes taste lovely.
Has anyone ever seen the reality show cupcakes based on the entrepreneurs that started up this chain? Seriously annoying. And that's an understatement. That show gets 0 stars. -
Review from Ellie V.
Vancouver, BC
8/26/2011
I guess you would call them "gourmet cupcakes". Their tasty, but the frosting just makes the cupcake look 10x bigger than it is. It's a little pricy, which I guess I can understand with the place being ritzy and such.
I had a cake from there a few years back, and the buttercream icing was overly sweet, and the actual cake was mild. And it was hella expensive! -
Review from Chrissy Z.
Vancouver, BC
1/16/2012
I really love these cupcakes. The icing is light and airy (if a little sweet) and the cake is moist and fluffy. Have yet to find a better cupcake in Vancouver.
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Review from Joyce C.
3/16/2011
I decided to give this cupcake store another try... but again, it just didn't work for me.
And this time, the service was HORRIBLE! one of the lady working there was super rude and unpleasant. i wanted to confront her right then and there on how rude she was.. but I really didn't want that to ruin my day. sigh.
In terms of the cupcakes.. I think they've improved in terms of frosting.. but I feel like I can make better. The red velvet doesn't taste like red velvet and it's icing was too light on cream cheese and very sweet, also in general the cakes are not dense enough, and one or two of the frostings were frothy..
They should really step up their game!! We are still in need of a winning cupcake store in Vancouver! -
Review from Lisa K.
3/1/2011
Friendly service, and fine, not great, cupcakes. I always like baked good places that have day-olds, which they do, although I don't like that you have to buy a dozen minis, I believe, or 6 regular sized cupcakes. I understand they want to get rid of the old stuff, but that's just too many.
I tried a few mini varieties. I was pretty impressed that all of them were on the moist side, as it's pretty easy for minis to dry out (I did get them early in the day, though) . The red velvet and the dulchelecious were all right but the cake was a bit insubstantial and too fluffy. The sweet 16 and chocolate were more dense, which I preferred. The chocolate was actually quite chocolatey and verging on bitter. I don't really think I would choose to have them again, but the place is kind of fun. -
Review from K. N.
7/16/2011 1 photo
I remember trying Cupcakes way back when it first opened in Vancouver, and at the time I really wasn't it biggest fan - I found the cake itself to be very basic, with most of the effort seemingly being placed on the whipping cream, which really tasted quite bad. Now that I have been in California for the past few years, and have experienced the amazing boom in the cupcake industry down there and seen what crazy flavours and out-of-this-word tastes can come from one small little cake, I decided to give Vancouver's own original shop another change - sad to say, it will no doubt be my last.
The cakes were still very bland, and are limited to extremely basic flavours with a very dry texture and lack of taste. The toppings unfortunately do nothing to make up for this, lacking the richness that ought to come with cream cheese toppings, and even your basic whipped cream. Now I don't mind paying exorbitant prices for cupcakes as some tend to be these days - ranging up the $3 mark and beyond - but it definitely needs to be justified, and in this case I really feel like it's not. In the end I'm baffled by the little advances that this chain has made in the years, especially with regards to what is going on in the "cupcake" world these days! -
Review from Erica C.
Surrey, BC
3/8/2011
I am just not a fan! I have tried their cupcakes a few times and at a couple different store locations thinking maybe the first time was an off day but not so much. I found the cake to be dry and the frosting to have a very lard taste, not the buttery rich taste normally associated with butter cream.
I do love the pink girly store fronts but that's about it. -
Review from Lonnie M.
Port Moody, BC
2/7/2011
Not a fan. I find them all style, no substance.
Ever have a Safeway cupcake? Yep, about the same thing really. Light tasteless cake with shortening/sugar icing.
When they admitted they knew nothing about baking before they opened up shop on their tv show, that told me why they're sadly lacking. -
Review from Foley L.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 2/5/2011
Back after a long hiatus, and alas they decided to reduce the size significantly and crank up the price.
I'm also finding that they're rotating a lot of different flavours through. While I applaud variety, I might grab cupcakes once a month or so, and I usually want what I want. I had trouble finding a white cake with a vanilla butter cream icing for my wife. Should be a basic that they always have one hand.
Still loving Cupcakes, but I don't think we're exclusive anymore. I'm going to play the field a bit and see what I find.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/13/2010
I love cupcakes, and these folks make my favourites.
A bit pricy, but so good that I'll still give… Read more »
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Review from Pia W.
For my cousin's birthday, I decided to try out Cupcakes' custom cakes for her birthday cake. So I went online just two days prior (I needed the cake on the 16th, I ordered on the 14th) to the birthday, and I went on to the "build a cake" option. They have made really easy to follow steps to create your own cake -- I chose a 7" chocolate cake with cream cheese icing with the Jane design using only pink. Ultimately it's a white cake with pink flowers around the edge of the cake and small pink polka dots around the side of the cake. I even added a message on the cake (they limit you to a maximum of 40 characters on the cake).
Unfortunately, I think they meant that you should put in your order 2 WHOLE days before the day you need it, because the online order wouldn't let me submit my order. So I called them up and tried to see if I could order it over the phone and a very nice lady answered the phone and said that it is still fine for me to order, so I put my order with her. She asked me which location I wanted to pick it up, so I chose the Broadway one (I can pick it up after my classes end).
As for the cake? It was awesome! The details put on the cake was absolutely worth the price of the cake (Warning: If you're not one to appreciate relatively labour-intensive designs on a cake, then you probably wouldn't think it's worth it)! Inside, the cake was nice and moist, not too sweet and a great complement to the sweetness from the icing, which made the sweetness level just right.
All the cakes and cupcakes look and taste great, it's not just a treat for your tastebuds, but a feast for your eyes! (I'm talking about some major eye candy *wink* *wink*)Listed in: Diaries of a Dessertacholic
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/10/2009
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I've passed by this place brimming with pastel pink with nothing… Read more »
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Review from Noa G.
Vancouver, BC
8/27/2008 1 photo
I'll admit it -- opening a cupcake shop is a pretty cute idea. Problem is, once you get past the cuteness, the cupcakes you're selling actually have to taste good.
As I see it, that's the trouble with Cupcakes on Broadway. It's an adorable shop, all painted up in pastel colours, with the yummiest smells of baking wafting out the front doors. The first time I walked by it, my nose felt like it was having an orgasm. And the cupcakes are adorable. All done up in the prettiest colours -- pinks and blues and yellows, with sprinkles and sparkles galore!
In fact, they kind of remind me of someone who's gone overboard with the plastic surgery. All done up on the outside, without much substance on the inside. I found Cupcakes' cupcakes to be a little on the sweet side -- especially the frosting, which is heaped on for aesthetic purposes, it seems -- and not that tasty.
To me, the worth of a truly great cupcake is proven not by all the bells and whistles it carries, but by how good it tastes stripped of its accessories.
A cute experience, but I think I'll stick to baking my own. They may not look great, but they got a lotta love on the inside. -
Review from Chloë E.
Vancouver, BC
12/12/2008 1 photo
Welcome to the land of spongy sugary fluff with creamy sugary fluff on top. I like the creativity behind the names and flavor combinations at Cupcakes, but the sweetness never delivers the true rich deliciousness I'm looking for.
It's like the store: it's great to look at but I'd rather not take a bite of the awning.
I've tried the Caramella but the icing was more sugar than rich. And the Mint Condition lacks the boldness that defines a mint flavor. For me, cupcakes just don't taste as good as they look. -
Review from Gabby S.
Vancouver, BC
4/1/2009
I wonder from the reviews whether the quality went down.
I recently went to the one off Robson downtown. It totally caught me by surprise because I didn't notice it there before. Must be new.
My first tasting, I think, was at the Broadway location. I love Caramella, Sweet 16, Mint Chocolate, Cosmopolitan and recently, fell in love with DIVA.
A friend bought me 6 one afternoon and let me tell you, they were gone by the evening.
One more location to avoid now. -
Review from Reena M.
2/15/2009
I do love this place, but mainly for it's cuteness. I love the cupcakes and the flavours and everything, but I wish the cupcakes were more moist. As it is, the cupcakes taste really dry after a day or two of taking it home.
Anyway, it's good. And it's not like they have any other cupcake shops in this city that can rival them. Except maybe the Safeway bakery specialty cupcakes that they have in their case. But they're not as special since they're semi-mass-produced/commercialized?
Cupcakes is hit and miss, but it's a Vancouver staple. It would be nice to see another cupcake chain open up to rival these. -
Review from Jenna H.
Vancouver, BC
4/24/2009
I LOVE cupcakes because they feel indulgent but cute and playful at the same time. It is like a little treat that is deserving at the end of a hard day.
Cupcakes founders Heather and Lori are marketing geniuses who have branded their business with nostalgic subtleties reminiscent of 8 year old birthday parties. I love the fluffy pink frosting and vanilla cake of the Sweet 16 cupcake. It is very sweet but not in an overpowering artificial way.
I would never want to know the caloric content of a Cupcake because really who gives a crap?! They are yummy and wholesome and likely full of butter and sugar...just like cupcakes are supposed to be! -
Review from Erica C.
Vancouver, BC
10/21/2009
Cupcakes. Hmmm. What can I say.......?
WHO doesn't love cupcakes?? Ok, here's the deal about this glossy, sugar-coated custom bakeshop...........It gives you an "experience"....you know, creates an illusion that you are gonna get the yummiest, freshest, prettiest cupcakes ever.....and they deliver for the most part on MOST of the little devils. The chocolate one's are hands down the BEST of the lot. I love vanilla cake - but it has to be damn good to pass my test and expertise as a cupcake connoisseur. The chocolate cupcakes are "crack" in a baking cup with a pretty dress on..... so BEWARE. I had three at once which I intended to share : O
They also do custom cakes etc. A little pricey if you are use to the baked crap at Tim-Horton's or elswhere.... but remember it's all about the experience. And it's legal ; ) -
Review from Anita T.
Toronto, ON
9/20/2008
Mmmmm... just the sound of cupcakes makes my mouth water. It's Vancouver's answer to Sex and the City's Magnolia bakery!! It's fabulous, and everything just seems so over the top - it really doesn't get any better than this for a cupcake joint!
They even do custom order cakes which are just as scrumptious as the cupcakes (if not more!). They have a catalogue type book to choose from of all their cake designs - but its just so hard to choose with all the pretty designs. Yes, if you're getting more than a little cupcake - the sweetness can be overwhelming, but nonetheless, Cupcakes should be tried by everyone that loves desserts! -
Review from Tara T.
BC
11/23/2008
Possibly my most beloved shop in all of Vancouver, Cupcakes offers some of the most delectable little cakes this side of France. The icing is the best bit: creamy, buttery, and sugary, the kind that melts in your mouth and feels almost sinful. And the cakes themselves are soft, light, and fluffy. Just thinking of them makes my mouth water.
The shop-front of this dessert store is reminiscent of a cupcake itself with a pink striped awning imprinted with a picture of a giant cup cake. There are also a few quaint little Parisian style chairs and tables outside where you can sit and enjoy your little treat.
The interior décor is pink and girlish to match the pretty little treats on offer, and once you've been seduced inside you're greeted with rows of brightly coloured small cakes that stare out from behind their glass cage, just waiting for you to pick your favourite.
You may think that all cupcakes are created equal, but once you try a Cupcakes cupcake you'll know that this simply is not true. -
Review from Kat D.
4/26/2010
I agree with some of the other reviewers: the cupcakes are inconsistent these days. Sometimes dry and sometimes not. One big difference I've noticed is the icing which used to at least taste as if it were made with butter and would melt a little. The one I bought last week at the Denman location had icing which tasted like sugar and shortening, a flavour familar to those who have eaten supermarket cakes. The icing could have been used to repair a hole in a wall- it was that stiff. You could carry one home in your bicycle basket and the icing would remain intact. There is a lack of consistency over time and from location to location. I am moving on to the competition.
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Review from JJ L.
Vancouver, BC
10/29/2011
I remember getting cupcakes from cupcakes when they first opened and it was one of the biggest things. Recently, I had a craving so I went into the shop. The prices are a lot higher than I remember and the cupcakes a lot smaller. The mini cupcakes looked super cute. While ordering, I pointed to the colour (while saying it) to be clear, but like 5 incheas away and the cashier was extremely rude and snotty. She told me not to touch the cupcakes for hygiene purposes. NO FREAKN S&^GT smart one. I wasn't close to it. Plus I was pointing to the one I wanted to eat, so what difference would it make if she was putting it in a box for me. I was 2 seconds away from giving her my 2 cents, but held back to be the mature adult and just walked away. What a beatch. Never going back......like someone said below, just as good to get the Safeway or even WalMart cupcakes with the sprinkles on top - probably the same taste.
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Review from Leroy L.
1/4/2010
The quality of the cupcakes here have definitely gone DOWNHILL! The cake is dry and the icing is stiff. I remember when the cake was moist and the icing was light and fluffy! But that was at the original Cupcakes on Denman St(they're slipping too!). Is this location run by Heather & Lori? I agree with Charls when he says that due to franchising, the care has really been forgotten! $2.95 for a single, $16 for half a dozen, and $29 for a dozen. I think these prices are ridiculous! Definitely not worth it!
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Review from Jonas T.
4/24/2009 4 photos
I like the frosting on the red velvet - light and not too sweet. The cake, however, was pretty dry and heavy. Overall, not bad. $3 for a regular cupcake.
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Review from Becca L.
Vancouver, BC
7/20/2010
They were the first. They tapped into a niche. They used pastels and pink to the extreme. They have locations with tons of foot traffic. But their cupcakes are mediocre.
I feel this company is relying too much on being "cute" that their products are seriously lacking. If you have one focus, you have to do it well... and Cupcakes does not deliver. Their cupcakes are dry and the frosting is awful. Not to mention, they are pricey. You are paying for the decor and the trend. There is no doubt that the store is cute.
Vancouver is quickly coming up with more cupcake options that are far superior. Butter, Big City, Kreation, and Sweet E's all have cupcakes that are better for value and quality.
As a sidenote, the show on W is atrocious. It is not doing the store any favours. I definitely don't want to support such catty, immature ladies. -
Review from Charls F.
Vancouver, BC
11/8/2009
I used to love going here to treat myself and I'd also buy cupcakes to bring as hostess gifts, but in the past year and a bit, the quality has really gone downhill.
The cupcakes and icing really have very little flavour. I feel that since they started franchising, the care has really been taken out of the mix. If I am going to eat all the sugar and calories, I want it to be worth is and these just don't measure up.
I find the service is usually pretty good and the decor is cute and kitsch which is fun, but the cupcakes just really suck now. Vancouver needs a new cupcake vendor. -
Review from Megan S.
Vancouver, BC
5/28/2011
At first I wondered whether I was seeing things when I went into the store and noticed that the cupcakes had shrunk. My diagnosis: less batter in the pans (for a less tall and wide cupcake) and less icing on top. Shorter and squatter. When I asked the cashier she feigned ignorance and shrugged her shoulders. Smaller product, same outrageous price, evasive staff. I wasn't feeling the love anymore. Methinks I'll just make my own.
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Review from Cameron M.
Toronto, ON
11/3/2008
The Broadway location of Cupcakes definitely outshines the others in sheer size, and by the fact that you can see the little cutely outfitted minions in the back slaving away making cupcakes and cakes, which amuses me to no extent. Maybe I watch too many of those 'how it's made' shows but I love seeing the workers in action producing my food.
That said, does anyone actually enjoy the cupcakes? In a city with endless baking options, not to mention a neighborhood with some of the best bakeries in town, how do people settle for these things? The cupcake itself is bland. It may be pink or green but it's always blah. That only leaves the icing which, though impressively has multitudinous flavors, always comes off as too sweet to me and at a couple inches thick, always too much.
I can get why a kid could like these cupcakes, I can get why people give them as cute gifts and the store deserves its tourist cred but man, I just can't imagine the person that willingly puts these cupcakes into their bodies on a regular basis. -
Review from Nadine N.
Vancouver, BC
8/6/2008 2 photos
I visited Cupcakes the first time I visited Vancouver and then I moved here. Coincidence? I think not. Red Velvet, 24 Carrot, Blue Hawaii, they are all delicious. My one word of caution is to avoid "the big one." I ordered two of these for Valentine's Day and they were dry and didn't have enough frosting. However, I've never been disappointed with the regular sized cupcakes or the minis.
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Review from Marlena M.
Vancouver, BC
1/6/2010
This is my go-to place when a need for sweets hits me. It's just a completely original product. The cake is dense and moist without being grocery-store-bakery oily. The icing is very thick, but I take this as a compliment instead of a hindrance and often just scoop off about half of it. These are expensive little babies though. My top recommendation is to hit them midweek, mid afternoon and grab a tray of day olds for around $10. They taste just as nice the next day. If you really can't control yourself (as I really cannot) pop your extras in zip top bags and freeze. They thaw out beautifully and make eating packed lunch bearable for all us divas on a budget.
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Review from Lauren N.
11/11/2008
I love passing by this shop on Broadway, just its exterior aesthetics alone is beautiful to look at. I can see how it may look too pink and froufrou for some, but cupcakes are supposed to be fun and happy, and that's what the store looks like to me. It's also cool how each cupcake has its own name, like Sweet 16 or the Cosmopolitan, and they're available in mini sizes too. But trying these babies out once was enough for me. They're beautiful works of art, but they're way too sweet, even for a gal with a sweet tooth like me. So if you've never tried a Cupcake cupcake, it's worth trying and seeing for yourself what it's like. I don't know who can make this a regular thing though.
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Review from Chloe T.
BC
2/5/2009
This place is hit and miss.
Sometimes the cupcakes are delicious, sometimes, not so much. I think its because they don't employ real pastry chefs and the amateurs working in the back mess up during the baking process. Watching some of the staff doing their clean up in plain view of their customers turned me off this establishment and made me think that this place isn't very professional. Couldn't they do the messy stuff behind closed doors? Its like having the dishwasher in plain view at a restaurant.
Today, I had ordered 3 different kinds of cupcakes. The red velvet and the chocolate were delicious. Both cakes were light and fluffy and the icing light, sweet and delicious as well. The Cosmopolitan on the other hand was horrible and not what I have experienced in the past. Today, the batter was clearly over mixed so it was this dense, heavy, not to mention slightly over-baked cake. I ended up tossing it.
I've also heard from several other people that the quality of the cupcakes are not consistent . I've even heard people say they will never eat at this place again because the cake they ordered was dry and tasted like card board. That's a little harsh but either way, I don't think I'll be going back soon because I don't want to to sometimes have a delicious treat, and sometimes have to throw it in the garbage. To go back, it should always be good. -
Review from Anna Y.
Vancouver, BC
2/14/2009
My brother had introduced me to this place and from the the look outside, I thought it was cute, adorable and definitely peaked my interest. On the inside, the cupcakes looksed absolutely marvelous and tasty so I thought I would give it a go. I bought some to bring it home to the share with the family and apart from the looks, some cupcakes had the tastiest of buttercreams and some didn't. The one I had was tasting a bit off.The cupcakes weren't as moist as I had hoped for but rather dry on the inside.
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Review from J C.
6/15/2009
My partner and I need to stop here whenever we are visiting from Washington. They have the best cupcakes and very friendly staff.
It's good to feel like a kid again and seeing all the varieties from the minis to the gi-normous cupcake that is fit to share.
Thank you Canada and thank you Cupcakes. -
Review from shain r.
Vancouver, BC
10/16/2008 1 photo
So we all know that cupcakes make a mean cupcake, but this review is more about the customer service I had at this particular location. We had just finished up an early super and were walking down the street towards cupcakes, thinking and drooling about the possibility of finishing off a nice bit of grub with a sweet and delicious cupcake. We approached the door and in total disgust read the sign that said "CLOSED" ..... booooooo I was so pissed because for blocks now I had playing over and over in my head what I was going to get.. was it the blue hawaii?? or the red velvet? just at that moment like a vision from cupcake heaven the door swung open and we were greeted by a girl holding cupcakes in her hands. "I am so sorry we are closed but for your trouble here is a dozen cupcakes!!!" the door shut, we both stood there with our jaws slung open as if we were trying to catch rain or something. This sort of thing don't happen every day so when it does I need to tell everyone about it! THANX CUPCAKES!
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Review from J G.
Vancouver, BC
9/4/2008
Who doesn't want to fall in love with their local cupcake store? When I first moved to Vancouver, I was happy to discover that the cupcake trend had made its way out west, and I willingly partook in the frosted cuteness that is Cupcake. And, it was okay. But in the world of cupcakes, okay simply isn't good enough. I want luscious and delicious, and, I'm afraid that in spite of all the pink frosting and cute names, this cupcake store produces a cupcake that actually seems a bit overproduced, you know all style and not enough substance. The taste is a bit too sweet and the cupcakes are sometimes a bit on the dry side. Still, they are pretty to look at, and I think the mini cupcakes are a good choice, especially for a party or other event where you want to charm your guests. Overall, I'd say the cupcakes here are worth a try, and you might even hit on a good one, but don't count on them to bring you cupcake bliss.
