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Singapore's best cupcakes

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Featured outlets: Oni Cupcakes, The Marmalade Pantry, Half Baked Ideas, C Cûp, Cupcake Momma

What is it about the cupcake that has captured the hearts and stomachs of so many around the globe? Why would seemingly sane people line up for hours for just a small bit of cake?

There must be something special about this sugary delight. A muffin may seem more sensible to some; you could have it for breakfast; it might have bran or nuts or fruit in it. A cupcake, on the other hand, is sexier, more flirtatious. There’s no semblance of functionality; rather, it’s pure, unadulterated decadence. There’s no room for wholesomeness or sensibly watching your calorie intake here. Instead, one may find sprinkles, bits of candy, and – its most seductive feature – as much creamy frosting as the baker dares to pile on top, in colours ranging from frivolous neon pink to a sultry, fudgy chocolate brown.

Nuts about you from Oni Cupcakes

Singapore, too, has proved susceptible to the charms of this cheeky dessert. Over the past few years, local shops have been stocking up on cupcakes with increasing frequency. Take one step inside Oni Cupcakes (#01-02 Far East Square, 26 China Street; Tel: 6557 0108, website), and the boutique bakery’s warm smell of freshly baked goodness hits you. The next step, a considerably more difficult one, is to decide what to order. One big draw of this tiny shop is its mix-and-match philosophy. When placing an order, you pick your cake flavour – Nutella, cinnamon walnut or raspberry chocolate, just to name a few – then match it with whatever butter-cream icing is calling your name – say banana, mandarin orange, or even durian. The number of possible combinations is intimidating, but have no fear, a more manageable list of recommended pairings is available too. Among the amusingly named options are the Healthy Bunny (carrot cake with cream-cheese icing), the Nuts About You (Nutella base topped with Nutella cream), or the Peek a Boo (peanut butter brownie cake topped with banana butter cream).

Fear not, the best-known cupcakes in Singapore are still being whipped up at The Marmalade Pantry (# B1-08-11, Palais Renaissance, 390 Orchard Road; Tel: 6734 2700), where eight paragons of cupcake deliciousness are being dished out. These include the Limonata, a lemon cake with vanilla icing; the Cloud Nine, a coconut cupcake with cream-cheese icing, sprinkled with either silver balls or rainbow chips; and the Nutella, chocolate cake topped by icing that’s flavoured by everybody’s favourite hazelnut spread. While they do often sell out before closing time, the clear benefit of this celebrated cupcake vendor is the immediate gratification – there’s no need to order in advance, just show up and dig in.

Happy hatch day from Half Baked

Along with making its way into Singapore’s ovens, the cupcake craze has also hit the web; in fact, it’s become an internet phenomenon of sorts. While there is the ‘look but can’t taste’ barrier when it comes to cyber-food, the online bakeries have the advantage of 24-hour service. There are a bewildering number of websites, bakeries and flavours out there for the cupcake connoisseur to explore – the only problem being that it’s become much more difficult to narrow down which cupcakes you’re going to order for your best friend’s birthday, or to satisfy your weekly frosting craving.

While their expertise ranges from biscotti to pavlova, Half Baked Ideas has flexed its baking muscle to create five signature cupcakes, and can be a great site to check out when you begin the search. The most popular, Berry Nice, is made from chocolate cake adorned with whipped cream and a raspberry. For a chocolate fix, try the Chocolate Ganache – chocolate cake loaded up with chocolate ganache and an elegant accent (fruits, nuts or chocolate-coated coffee beans). They will also add little flags with customised messages upon request. Additionally, the folks at Half Baked Ideas firmly believe that cupcakes can in fact be eaten for breakfast. Made with vanilla sponge, a dollop of whipped cream and a dash of raspberry jam, the Breakfast Cupcake can also be taken to a whole new level – the Big Breakfast version is filled with raspberry jam, which in my book is more appealing than the McDonald’s version of the Big Breakfast any day.

The cyber-cupcake search should continue at C Cûp. Fun not only because of the suggestive name, this bakery offers seven sassy flavour combinations that are sure to intrigue even the most jaded cake eater. The über-chic-looking confections have whimsical names, such as Isle Love You, which is a coconut cupcake made with real coconut, iced with cream-cheese frosting and topped by rainbow sprinkles. While they will take custom orders, it’s difficult to resist sampling their tried-and-tested favourites. Tempt Me Not – dark chocolate cake with maraschino cherries and milk chocolate chunks, frosted with dainty pink butter-cream posies – is sure to rope in the chocolate lovers, while Tickle Me Pink – strawberry cake, with a strawberry preserve centre, blush butter- cream frosting and a strawberry slice – will catch the eye of any fan of the juicy little red fruit.

Cupcake Momma

While other bakers show off their ingenuity with clever flavour combinations or unusual ingredients, the sisters at Cupcake Momma focus on the icing. Their Halal cakes only come in three flavours (chocolate, vanilla and blueberry), but the variety of options for decoration is seemingly endless.

To scroll through their extensive Flickr.com site is to indulge in some seriously riveting icing porn. One of Cupcake Momma’s techniques is to group a dozen or so cupcakes on a tray with each cake decorated in a distinct fashion, all riffing on a single theme. The cakes may work together to spell out a message, or they may reveal the recipient’s love of a particular football team. Just pick from one of the many designs shown on the site or develop your own. Eager to please, this decorating duo was recently challenged to make a rather unusual custom design – 20 American diner-themed cupcakes. Without hesitation, they delivered a stunning tray of red, white and blue delicacies, including three cakes each topped with their own delicately crafted, sugary fast-food wonder: a tiny burger, a hot dog, and a pile of French fries with ketchup.

The long queues at local bake shops may be growing all the time, but at least we're not queuing in sub-zero temperatures. And remember, if the rain is pouring down, you can stay curled up at home and order from the comfort of your own living room.

Where to get your cupcakes:

Oni Cupcakes (#01-02 Far East Square, 26 China Street; Tel: 6557 0108, website)

The Marmalade Pantry (# B1-08-11, Palais Renaissance, 390 Orchard Road; Tel: 6734 2700)

Half Baked Ideas

C Cûp

Cupcake Momma

Appeared as 'Bringing home the baking’ (Time Out Singapore June 2009)