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Kara's Cupcakes

3.7 (2.2k reviews)
ModerateDesserts, Bakeries
Closed 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Order Kara's Cupcakes Takeout or Delivery

Kara's Cupcakes Photos

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Recommended Reviews - Kara's Cupcakes

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Rebecca B.

Wow... I did not realize they were this good! Tried the peanut butter milk chocolate ganache and the sweet chocolate cupcake. Talk about decadent... Perfect indulgent for Valentine's Day or I daresay, everyday....jk not a good idea haha. Get these away from me!! So good!!

Box of 6 cupcakes
Marlys J.

Cute and delicious cupcake shop near Chestnut St in SF. The friendly server behind the counter boxed up my cupcakes for me. I tried red velvet, chocolate velvet, tuxedo, and a s'mores cupcake. In order from my favorite to least favorite is chocolate velvet, s'mores, tuxedo then red velvet. The frosting was the best part of all of these cupcakes, and I am typically the type to wipe frosting off with a napkin to only eat the cake. The frosting was a great texture, consistency and flavor. The red velvet cupcake I had was slightly dry and crumbly, but the other cakes were moist and tasted great. I will be back next time I'm working in the area and looking for a sweet treat!

Ratha C.

Cupcakes were okay and cute but the woman working there was unwelcoming and rude. We were the only one in the shop. And after checkout, it was awkward silence, no thank you or goodbye- nothing. It felt awkward.

Joan W.

They have a great selection of different cupcakes in mini and regular size. I like the chocolate with the white frosting the best and there are 2 kinds, chocolate with coconut frosting or chocolate tuxedo which has white jimmy sprinkles. Their lemon cupcake is unique as in addition to lemon frosting it has lemon filling and they are the only place that I know of that has a s'mores cupcake.

Jeffrey K.

We had 'em the same night--took half a bite of each on a date. Half were salted chocolate perfection, the other half tasted like the inside of a vacuum bag. Like, who baked these--Gordon Ramsay and a corpse? How do you go from five-star dessert to drywall in two cupcakes?

Melissa D.

Our company placed an order for our corporate holiday event for Memorial Day. We spoke with the manager before placing the order asking for cupcakes with a "American flag" topper on each cupcake. She has mentioned that they already had a "American flag" topper and we don't need to special order them and we should just place the order online. Our delivery came in this morning on time and this is what we got. Do these even look like flags to you? Not only that, one of the red velvets is missing a "flag" and they are DIY, cut crooked and not placed in the center. Would you present these to CEO's and investors? Also we spent like $100 for 2 dozens. The muffin is sticking out on one of the banana cupcakes. If you're looking for a gourmet cupcake shop, take your business some where else.

Display case
Aubany G.

It's been years since I've hit up Kara's. A decade ago, when my brother was visiting, he was obsessed with Cupcake Wars and cupcakes were his agenda on that particular visit, so naturally Kara's was at the top of his list. This visit was to treat my friend to a Birthday box of cupcakes. Service was friendly enough. I will say that over the years and perhaps just post pandemic, this spot has lost its luster somehow. It seemed muted and dated and just not as inviting as I remember. I'm not sure how to pinpoint this feeling. The cupcakes were DIVINE, of course. I had a Tuxedo and a seasonal special Organic Strawberry Cream.

Andie H.

Love their cupcakes, especially the vanilla! Can't go wrong with Kara's for special occasions or even just a lil pick me up. These are light, fluffy, moist, less dense some other cupcake options around.

Sirikanya p.

First time trying this place. I was looking to get something for my co worker's BD and found this place on Yelp. Cupcakes tasted nice and not too sweet which I love. Honestly don't remember which flavors I got :- For cake, you have to order 30 hours in advance ...

a hand holding a cupcake box
Denise C.

It's fun at Christmas time ...they have Christmas cupcakes and it has the name of somebody from high school u know Kara haha and that's funny because Kara isn't in town she lives in Chicago Kara lives in Europe too haha cupcakes are tasty fun ..marina life

Jonathan C.

Fans of sweets and cupcakes should no longer further than Kara's Cupcakes. Upon opening the box, you'll get a whiff of sugar that rushes to your noses informing you of what eagerly awaits your mouth. They package the cupcakes well and it makes a nice gift. Had an assortment of different cupcakes (chocolate velvet, red velvet, tuxedo, chocolate velvet). Surprisingly, the consistency of each cupcake did vary. The karrot cake was fantastic, while the red velvet cake was a bit dense. Flavors overall were solid.

Cupcakes left outside

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3 months ago

My girlfriend and I love this place! Our go to spot when we're craving cupcakes and for Valentines.

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1 year ago

Their cupcakes are really good. Ordered some for an event and everyone loved them. Would totally recommend.

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2 years ago

Each time we celebrate a birthday at my store, this is our go-to! The team is attentive, prompt and helpful.

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Kara's Cupcakes Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Kara's Cupcakes

Wondering do they do east bay deliveries? All that's opened now is San Francisco & Palo Alto! I need my Kara's cakes for family friends birthdays and holidays!

Hi, We will do deliveries to Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda in the east bay. However, you will need to call the store at 415-563-2253 in order to place orders for the East Bay… Read more

Is there any diary free cupcakes?

Yes, the Vegan Chocolate is available in both mini and regular size

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A Buttercup Dessert House - We will open in September

A Buttercup Dessert House

4.3(248 reviews)
3.4 miMission
$$

This is my favorite dessert house, which I recommend to all my friends who need a good date spot, a…read moreplace to meet up with friends, or to friends who are visiting the city and have never had bingsoo or dessert style toasts. I absolutely love everything mango from here and their affogato is to die for! The best affogato I've ever had. Definitely try this place!

Although they don't serve variations of buttercups, A Buttercup is one of the few dessert houses…read moreoffering Taiwanese-style treats like Bingsoo, Milk Bread Toast, and other Asian fusion creations. I'm always hunting for spots like this because I have a weakness for those over-the-top, Instagram-worthy desserts that look like diabetes in a dish. Like most places in this genre, A Buttercup is small, modern, and minimalist with limited seating. If you plan to go, aim for off-hours unless you enjoy waiting in line for sugar. The decor is cute and trendy, perfect for photos if that's part of your dessert ritual. As they say, "you eat with your eyes first," and when it comes to presentation, this place definitely gets an A+. The desserts look stunning and set high expectations. Unfortunately, that's where things started to crumble. It's like going to see your favorite artist live. You've watched the videos, memorized the songs, and paid for the experience. But instead of the electric performance you imagined, you get someone lip-syncing and barely connecting with the crowd. That was this place in dessert form. We ordered the Mango Bingsoo on our first visit, and when it arrived, we were surprised by how small the portion was. The guy next to us even looked over and said, "Whatever that is, I'm getting that next time." He shouldn't have. The Bingsoo looked great but was bland, and the "snow" was more chunky ice than soft shave. The Thai Tea Roti was also not what I expected. It came with Thai tea ice cream and sauce alongside a roti that was fried to a crunch. Interesting idea, just not the best execution. The sauce and ice cream needed a stronger Thai tea flavor to balance the crispy roti, and the flavors never quite came together. Overall, A Buttercup nails the aesthetics but misses the flavor. If you're here for the photos, you'll be happy. If you're here for the taste, you'll leave with a full camera roll and an unsatisfied sweet tooth.

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A Buttercup Dessert House
A Buttercup Dessert House - Menu 1 of 2

Menu 1 of 2

A Buttercup Dessert House - Menu 2 of 2

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Menu 2 of 2

NaYa Dessert Cafe

NaYa Dessert Cafe

4.1(780 reviews)
1.8 miHayes Valley
$$
Vegetarian friendly
Vegan friendly

The best way to cool off on a warm day! We visited NaYa for dessert after brunch at aMano. It's not…read morea big space & was pretty full but the host/server had a 2 top table available. It was kinda hot & stuffy inside even with the door open because it was a warm day. We were told in advance that orders would take approximately 20-30 minutes to arrive because they were short staffed at the time (additional staff arrived after an hour). My friend had to Thai tea crepe cake & I had the mango tango (because I looooove mangoes). The Thai tea crepe was pretty good, lots of Thai tea flavor, and not too sweet. The Thai tea custard sauce added a bit of sweetness to it. The mango tango was sooo good! I loved the coconut ice cream (it's a shaved from a block of ice cream so it's really fluffy). The fresh mango was served on the side in addition to a small bowl of coconut, sticky rice and additional mango sauce. Service was as efficient as possible. Server was helpful too.

Felt like dessert after a day in the city, thought we'd try NaYa in Hayes Valley. Local hangout…read more Young crowd and good vibes. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs - but what a great surprise. We started our evening with the Mango Tango. That Sticky Rice was the Main Wow! Not to take anything away from the coconut & mango, just that rice. I could have had that on its own. We then ended the night with the Toasted Kaya. Warm Bread with the right crunchiness. Another fun & tasty surprise. All in all - we will probably share just one dish next time - but definitely coming back

Photos
NaYa Dessert Cafe - Chocolate Toasted  cr. foodswithyu

Chocolate Toasted cr. foodswithyu

NaYa Dessert Cafe - Mango Tango  Cr. mitzifood

Mango Tango Cr. mitzifood

NaYa Dessert Cafe - The chocolate salted egg lava cake, served
warm with a center that gushes out once you cut it open. 
Cr. janeejaneee

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The chocolate salted egg lava cake, served warm with a center that gushes out once you cut it open. Cr. janeejaneee

Maruwu Seicha - mango matcha latte (10/2024)

Maruwu Seicha

4.3(702 reviews)
1.2 miJapantown, Lower Pacific Heights
$$
Women-owned & operated
Certified professionals

- Menu: tons of options, drinks/baked goods/soft serve -…read moreDrink adjustability: can adjust any drink - Seating: open food hall style seating in Japan Center Mall - Crowd: pretty empty at 10a on a Monday - Parking: parking garage, metered - Water is scarce in the Mall, but restrooms are widely available (albeit old) My Bay Area friend swore Maruwu Seicha is THE place to go for quality matcha. Turns out she was right. I had a matcha latte half sweet, and it was delicious- high quality matcha, not too strong or sweet. We did wait about 10min for our order, service is kind but busy. This is a stand nestled in the middle of the Japan Center Mall, so recommend grabbing a sip here and wandering around. Just heads up that many stores don't allow outside drink.

Wow this place is good. I stopped by during the first weekend of the Cherry Blossom festival and…read morethe line was long as usual. Surprisingly, I only waited about 10mins to order and another 5-10mins to get my drink. I ordered a Hojicha Latte + Snow Top for myself and Hokkaido Milk Soft Serve for my hubby and baby to share. The Hojicha Latte was delicious, I finished it all in one sitting (which is rare for me). The soft serve was creamy and delicious. Worth the hype IMO,, I'll be stopping by every time we go to Japantown from now on.

Photos
Maruwu Seicha - Hōjicha Latte Cheese Foam, 1/2 sweet ($6.30)

Hōjicha Latte Cheese Foam, 1/2 sweet ($6.30)

Maruwu Seicha - Matcha + Hokkaido Milk Swirl Soft Serve and Matcha Tea with Snow Top

Matcha + Hokkaido Milk Swirl Soft Serve and Matcha Tea with Snow Top

Maruwu Seicha - Hokkaido Latte with Snow Foam

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Hokkaido Latte with Snow Foam

Powder - regular Strawberry with passionfruit glaze and condensed milk (09/2024)

Powder

4.4(835 reviews)
2.0 miLower Haight
$$

Delicious, and this place blew my mind when I tried it out…read more First off, very surprised at all the flavors you can get and try, including horchata, Thai tea, and ube! To be honest, when I came here, I did not expect much. I typically am not the type to get snow or anything icy, since it is not the first thing that comes to my mind when it comes to dessert, but I am so glad I got to experience this. When I came on a Wednesday night, it was not too busy, and my friend and I were able to get our food within 10 minutes. The spot itself is pretty small, with not a lot of seating, but some limited spots outside. I got the black sesame with condensed milk, and my friend got the mexican hot chocolate. What makes this place stand out so much is the texture of the dessert, which was fluffy, soft, and melted in your mouth. Overall, I want to come here again and try the other flavors!

Stopped by on a Saturday evening and it wasn't busy. I got a regular size of the Cereal Killer…read morewhich was cereal snow topped with sweet milk glaze and fruity pebbles. I loved this so much, it had such a fantastic texture of being creamy but also light and fluffy. Probably one of the best shaved snow texture I've had. Tried some of the matcha snow and earl grey snow as well, and both of them were solid too. My favorite was still the cereal snow because I have more of a sweet tooth and the matcha and earl grey were less sweet. I would absolutely return to try more snow flavors! Service was really friendly and our 3 bowls were ready within a few minutes. Only one small bench inside and some outdoor seating.

Photos
Powder - Matcha Green Tea w/ mochi

Matcha Green Tea w/ mochi

Powder - Matcha with strawberries

Matcha with strawberries

Powder - Strawberry & Cereal Snow

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Strawberry & Cereal Snow

Kara's Cupcakes - desserts - Updated May 2026

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