Whether you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth or pick up a delicious birthday party treat, cupcakes are always the answer! Finding an amazing cupcake in the Boston area is not difficult — if you know where to look! Here are a few of our favorite Boston cupcakes!
Mike’s Pastry
Boston, Cambridge, Somerville
A trip to Boston isn’t complete without a stop at Mike’s Pastry. (And now it’s even easier to get your fix with locations in Assembly Row and Harvard Square!) You may encounter a crowd, but they are there for a reason! Not only are the cupcakes amazing, the cannoli and lobster tails at this iconic Italian bakery draw tourists from around the world! Bring your appetite, and leave with a signature white box full of pastries for a snack later.
Flour Bakery and Cafe
Boston and Cambridge
Flour’s slogan is, “Make life sweeter… eat dessert first!” and these are certainly words to live by! Offering vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free pastries, Flour has something (delicious!) for everybody. Come for a cupcake, and don’t forget to try their famous sticky buns — you won’t regret it!
Treat Cupcake Bar
Needham
You can choose from a dozen flavors of gourmet cupcakes, or design your own delicious creation at the cupcake bar! Treat also hosts cupcake-decorating birthday parties for kiddos — and ladies nights for the sweet-toothed mamas! This shop also participates in the “Treat Others Well” program, which encourages youth to support local charities and causes. Each month, Treat chooses an applicant and works with them to create a cupcake design to sell for the month. At the end of the month, 25% of the money raised from that cupcake design goes directly toward their cause!
Quebrada Baking Co.
Arlington, Belmont, Watertown, Wellesley
The traditional chocolate cupcake from Quebrada IS something to write home about! The buttercream frosting is simply divine! They also boast an absolutely delicious vegan cupcake, available with either vegan chocolate or vanilla frosting. Be sure to check out the fresh croissants while you are there!
Cupcake Charlie’s
Plymouth :: Mashpee :: Foxborough :: Wareham :: Newport, RI
Every day, the bakers at Cupcake Charlie’s choose their “flavor of the day” cupcake from one of dozens of unique recipes! You can find out what their flavor of the day is at each location by checking out their social media pages. Each cupcake is hand decorated and baked fresh daily. The “Hostess with the Mostess” cupcake brings you right back to your childhood, complete with the little white icing swirl on top!
Oakleaf Cakes Bake Shop
Boston
If you’ve ever walked by Oakleaf and gazed through the windows at the whimsical confections, you know this spot is something special. Oakleaf is known for pushing the limits of what is possible in the world of cakes. And their cupcakes show just how good simple, from-scratch baking can be!
Cupcake City
Reading
It is clear why Cupcake City was voted best bakery on the North Shore! Their salted caramel cupcake is drool worthy! They offer a wide variety of seasonal cupcakes (hello, December’s Gingerbread cupcake!), and their specialty cupcake menu changes daily. And, if you aren’t going to be heading to Reading anytime soon, don’t fear! Their mobile cupcake truck can be found around the city as well as at some concerts at the Xfinity Center and festivals around the state! It is also available to rent, if you would like delicious cupcakes to come right to your event!
Maine Girl Cupcakes
Natick
This one-woman show began when a stay-at-home mom (whose background was in economics) began making fun cakes and cupcakes for her daughters and their friends. That baking hobby is now a revered local business! Maine Girl Cupcakes offers dozens of unique and exciting flavors, and we love any cupcake where both the cake and the frosting are truly superb! These treats are sold at The Bagel Table in Natick and are a local go-to for birthday party and special event custom orders.
Little Miss Cupcape
Boston
Originally a Cape Cod exclusive, Little Miss Cupcape has a home on Boston’s Newbury Street so we can have our “cupcape” fix anytime! We love this shop’s clever cupcake names — like “dock chocolate raspberry,” “lighthouse lemon,” and “buoy buckeye” — when it’s the dead of winter and we’re missing our beach days. Another perk with this spot? They offer both full size and mini options. You know, in case you need to try them all!
The Buttery
South End
This neighborhood mainstay began as a small coffee shop that served fresh, top-quality food. Now, 20 years later, The Buttery has grown to include a restaurant and bar, a prepared foods market, and a second cafe location. And the scratch-made cupcakes are worth a visit alone! Try favorites like carrot cake, red velvet, and chocolate salted caramel — the cake-to-frosting ratio is on point, and the cupcakes are just the right size!
This article was originally published in 2019 and has been updated for 2025!
