Cupcake smackdown!

A few years back, Chicago saw a rush of cupcake spots—notably Cupcakes and Swirlz—hoping to capitalize on the success of the cupcake mania kicked off by New York’s Magnolia Bakery. The past year brought a second wave of sweet spots, including two recent arrivals, More and Chaos Theory, that even throw savory ingredients into the mix. Has Chicago had enough, or is our appetite insatiable? Here’s what readers are saying about this year’s crop of cupcakes.

More
This Gold Coast spot opened to much fanfare in mid-September, thanks in part to the fact that Chicago pastry icon Gale Gand consulted on some of the recipes. Offbeat flavors such as salted caramel, fig-port-blue cheese and BLT (yep, like the sandwich) have been drawing curious patrons, but does it live up to the hype?

“The bacon-maple cupcake is wonderful. … The chocolate ranks among the best I have ever eaten. The store is beautiful and the staff friendly and generous with samples!” —Sammy from River North

“I bought two cupcakes: BLT and chocolate-strawberry. … The BLT was definitely worth the trip but the chocolate-strawberry tasted average. Overall, I still like Cupcakes [613 W. Briar Pl.] the best.” —Kat from Gold Coast

“This place rocks! Hands down, the best cupcakes in the city! I tried five in total. … I found each one of them exquisite. All of the cakes were moist and delicious, and the frostings perfectly complemented the cakes. … The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive.” —Jill from Gold Coast

Molly’s Cupcakes
Open since December, this Lincoln Park spot sets itself apart with an on-the-spot DIY option: You select the cake and frosting flavors, then take your just-frosted creation to the sprinkles bar to add your own flourishes.

“We had the red velvet cupcake with the cream cheese frosting and the Ron Bennington, a chocolate cupcake with a peanut butter filling. … These cupcakes were so moist and yummy! … Yes, they are a bit pricey, but … if you think of these cupcakes as a once-in-a-while treat, then $3.75 shouldn’t be so bad.” —Rachella from Lincoln Park

“I wanted to love this place because it’s around the corner for me, but the cupcakes are dry or something—the cake part is just blah. The icing is so disappointing. I’ve tried going back three times, each time hoping to think differently. But nope, I’m done.” —bayla1028 from Wicker Park/East Village

Chaos Theory Cake and Confections
Michelle Garcia (Bleeding Heart Bakery) opened this Lakeview pastry shop with playful decor and even more playful flavor combos in August. Garcia’s creative treats definitely don’t stop at cupcakes—you’ll find cakes, tarts and more—but cupcakes have generated the most buzz here at metromix.com.

“Chaos Theory blew me away. The cupcakes were fresh with good crumb, the hazelnut mousse cake was mouthwatering, and the chocolate-dipped bacon is probably the most wonderful thing I have ever eaten. My hat’s off to this place.” —Pink Dahlia from Ukrainian Village

“The flavors sound really ingenious but the cake itself is dry and tough. The icing is heavy, especially the chocolate varieties. They’re $3.75 each—I think that’s a little high. The sign tells you that they’re completely organic, so I don’t mind paying more, but these just aren’t very good.” —Katie K. from Lakeview 

Compiled from reviews posted on metromix.com.