A big birthday party demands a beautiful big birthday cake. We picked the new cupcake store in…read moreHenderson to do the honours, and were not disappointed. The large double decker chocolate cake with cream frosting icing was decadent and delicious. We were pleased as punch to receive a small box of complimentary mini cupcakes, which the kids devoured. Nessies Cupcakes is a gourmet specialty cupcake store first and foremost. They have a scrummy range of treats in store which includes a selection of cookies, slices and beautifully gift wrapped chocolates, brittle, toffee and lollies. Nessie will cater to your special occasion.

I had not noticed this little shop before. It is a little bit classy compare to the rest of the…read moreBirkenhead shops. While very small, there is a totally cutesy little tea salon with little padded recliners and chandaliers to relax in while having tea and cupcakes. Very ladylike. And everyone knows that if you drink tea while having cake/ice cream/chocolate it melts all the calories and doesn't count. Anyway this shop is very cute and I was tempted to buy one of the delicious and fresh looking little carbalicious treats but at $5 I thought I'd come back another day with a friend, have one of those fat-melting herbal teas and enjoy a true Bloom Cupcakes experience.

Not sure how exactly I came across this one- but glad I did. Nice to have a nearby local cupcake…read morestore and such a cute one at that! Definitely glad that on one occasion I emailed in advance to reserve cupcakes otherwise we would have turned up and not been able to get any at all. Tried a lemon curd- which was a nice tangy one and Nutella- of course, can't go wrong. Also have tried the salted caramel cupcake on a different occasion, which was an excellent choice. The owner, Ann is very lovely and welcoming. Her space is such a delight- really like her giant chalkboard door and her massive chalkboard wall inside that is covered in chalk drawings. Very cool high-backed chairs to lounge on at the cute little tables. Awesome to see the cupcakes on white shelves just near the window and so cool that they are different flavours everyday- easy check on Facebook with updates. Can't miss the big pink cupcake sign outside on the front or the sign near the main road. Definitely in need of a revisit to try a new flavour from her interesting and sweet range. Particularly interested in a savoury one!

Cupcakes that double as roses? Please and thank youuuuu…read more With flavours such as Hawkes Bay Peach, Black Doris Plum, Tropical Mango and Balsamic Strawberry (to name a few) -- you'll most definitely find something to fall in love with. Being in a berry mood, I went for Petal's raspberry cupcake and wellllllllll, I can confirm it tasted like an extra sweet pint of FRESH RASPBERRIES. And it was just gorgeous. As was the packaging, which also doubles as a rose. SWOON. At $5 a pop, one of these bad boys is definitely a treat (although compared to similar price tags for a flat white, you are walking away with something much more substantial!). They also do catering if you are looking for a beautiful sweet treat platter ;)

What can I say? What used to be the go to store for cupcakes has... Sigh!…read more The $5 price tag is not bad since the starting price for any sweet item has rocketed in past few years. But what I can't overlook is that the icing I got today wasn't even mixed properly. The icing was so grainy it felt like was made by a 5 year old. On the bright side, the cupcake itself is quite moist and the icing is flavoured nicely.

I stopped in here yesterday to pick up a sweet treat to go with my Friday afternoon coffee. The…read moreselection of cupcakes on display all looked appetising and it was difficult choosing a flavour! Eventually I decided on a gluten-free banana and chocolate cupcake with caramel frosting. It was delicious - moist and the icing was good too. A young girl served us and she was friendly and polite, ringing up the sale with a smile. Having this just up the road is going to be dangerous! It also looks like they do a delicious range of milkshakes, with a retro milkshake machine behind the counter.

Sometimes a person just needs a goddam milkshake; not a smoothie, not a thickshake, not, god…read moreforbid, a frappe. A cup with some icy cold milk, some ice cream, and some flavour whizzed carefully so that everything is just blended but not turned into a big sludge. If you're in the Ponsonby/Herne Bay area, Icing on the Cake is the place to go for milkshakes. They're a reasonable $4.50, and have everything a good milkshake needs. If you're feeling a bit fruity, you can also get a frozen yoghurt; also good but not a milkshake. They also sell cute looking cup cakes here, which I suppose is where the name comes from; they look impressive but I'm afraid I can't report on how they taste.

The Cake Pop Kitchen is a haven for those with a love of baking, creativity and eating seriously…read moredelicious treats. As a lover of all three, there was no turning back after discovering this place. Their cake pops are delactable, mouth-watering and oftentimes just too cute to eat! Sophie from Cake Pop Kitchen also helped me out with a recent Valentine's Day order for my partner. She was lovely, super helpful and the end product was exactly what I wanted. I've only tried the red velvet and double chocolate so far, but CPK offers a selection of flavours (including Reese's peanut butter), as well as custom cake pops if you fancy angry birds, ninjas or have your own design in mind. If you're after a gluten-free option, don't fret- they cater fot that too! While they only have one store in Auckland, they deliver nationwide, so no one has to miss out. Whether its a treat for you or a friend, be sure to visit the store and see the deliciousness for yourself.

I follow Cake Pop Kitchen on Instagram, so when I finally made it to the store I could not contain…read moremy excitement. It's very cute. Sharing the store with a cupcake shop, it was a baker's heaven. Not being from the North Shore I didn't particularly know the area very well, however putting the address into a GPS does the trick and gets you there perfectly (even though it may seem like you're getting lost in a residential area). The cake pops were very well presented and had quite a range to choose from. I had a chocolate raspberry cake pop and it was delicious! I was worried it would be quite hard, but it was lovely and moist with no signs of being over cooked. The cake pops are roughly $4 each. They also cater and would make a perfect birthday cake alternative for children. There is also a gluten free option. A win win situation. If you're wanting something special made (as they can do some pretty awesome designs) contact Sophie at sophie@cakepopkitchen.co.nz

I saw some sensational looking cupcakes on instagram and had to find out where to get them. Sweetie…read morePie Boutique was where they were from. Hidden in the corner between Maskell Street and Riddel Road, I only just saw it because I was making a mental note to look out for it. Inside is a girly girls heaven! Stunning! I LOVE IT! A big pink chandelier, cupcake teapots, gorgeous looking lanterns, they even have cupcake accessories to (try) make your own replica's at home. They had eight flavours available when I was there, but keep an eye out on their Facebook page as they're ever changing. They also have a gluten free option. At $4.50 each or $25.50 for a half dozen, they are a wonderful idea for a gift or birthday cake. There are also mini cupcakes available (decorated stunningly) in a set for $12. Sweetie Pie also caters and does wonderful looking cakes! For any enquires contact Tanya on 0212957926. www.facebook.com/pages/Sweetiepie-cupcakes/38372638167673

Sweetie Pie Cupcakes provide us all with deliciously tasty and as equally deliciously looking…read morecupcakes for parties, events, or just the casual snack if you are in the St Heliers area. The shop is presented as beautifully as the cupcakes themselves - stocked with delightfully pretty gifts, kitchenwares and knick knacks that all have a cute kitschy vibe (and i mean kitschy in the best way possible). The cupcakes themselves are not cheap, going for $4.50 each, but if you buy them in bulk for a party or event then you can get quite the discount and I have to say they look a whole lot nicer than your average plate full of fairy bread or cheerio sausages on the table.

When I was a kid this is where my dad would always buy birthday cakes for my mum. You knew it was a…read morespecial occasion if he'd bought a cake (chocolate - always) from Eves Pantry. This was before cakes in the shape of everything took over the world and cupcakes were something you baked in paper cases with a recipe from the Edmonds Cookbook. I don't even know if there was another place in Auckland where you COULD buy a cake from. Anyway, times have changed and Eves is now up there with the City Cake Co and all the other new gourmet cakeries and the my kids love to peruse the window on our way to Sake Nippon for dinner. I also really like getting lunch from here. It does really great freshly made takeaway stuff at good prices. And the whole place smells amazing.

Eves Pastry is easily recognizable by the assortment of overly decorated cakes in their large bay…read morewindow. Everything from silky looking wedding cakes to depictions of Alice in Wonderland. And in a stroke of genius they also sell candles and accessories in store. While the dine in area isn't very big or inviting, I am grateful for Eve's bakery cabinets. And even though my spinach and feta muffin was a tasteless block of flour, I'd much rather take my chances here than a coffee chain store. Everyone working here at least seems like they got a couple coffees in them before their shift started.

My Fiance and I are planning a wedding in New Zealand, but we live in the Marshall Islands. Not an…read moreeasy task. With only two days to find a suit and a cake, we stumbled about the first day trying to get samples of wedding cakes and cupcakes from local bakeries. No such luck. Many places required an advanced reservation or didn't have any samples of the cakes/cupcakes they had extravagantly displayed. Personally, I'm not comfortable shelling out $500+ on a wedding cake before I taste it. Then again, the cake is VERY important to me since I am a connoisseur of sorts when it comes to desserts. I also didn't have the option of traveling back several thousand miles to attend a wedding show. So after hitting several dead ends on the first day, I got on the phone and started making calls around town to try to make appointments for the next day. I called Cake Couture and even though they don't normally do cake consultations on Friday, they said they could fit us in if we were there at 9:15am, sharp! We arrived a bit early and were greeted by Thea. I was instantly put at ease. Looking at the website I could see the intricate detail and craftsmanship of her craft. This is a woman who takes much pride in her work, and it shows. As I flipped through the photos I recognized from the website, I was amazed to learn that some of the embellishments that I thought were real flowers were in fact hand crafted icing flowers. ***Mind Blown*** We continued on to two other cake shops today. One couldn't even compare, the other had several good flavors that I think we would be happy with, but nothing that blew us away like the flavor and texture of the cake we had at Cake Couture. Add to that the incredible craftsmanship of the embellishments, and it's a combination that is tough to beat. Coming from Los Angeles, I see lots of beauty with little substance. It is nice to come across a business that not only prides itself on the outside appearance, but puts just as much care and consideration into those bits you can't see! We haven't made a final decision yet, but after revisiting some of the samples from our outing today, it is quite clear to us that Cake Couture is above and beyond the competition. Thank you, Thea, for making our first tasting a memorable one!