Sparkle Cupcakery

Sparkle Cupcakery has many unique flavors, I had the Oriental Flower (lychee and rose cake) and it was delicious. I did wish the flavors were more robust as I had a difficult time distinguishing the subtle rose and lychee.

Susan B said it brilliantly in just a few words.
I am going to go into in much greater detail as Sparkles is deserving of its praise
It is interesting to me that this marvelous cup cake bakery is so praised and criticized with some at times trying to find fault.
Of course everything is subjective and one should experience bakeries globally in may regions to really understand the difference of what makes excellence.
Baking is true art form and no matter it looks like on the outside its what’s on the inside that counts
Living in New York most of life and now Southern California Sparkles may be in fact one of the most underrated cup cake bakeries in the world
As a global traveler who has sampled bakeries in the most skilled baking regions in the world including Paris, Milan, Copenhangen, Tokyo and of course New York Sparkles’ is simply brilliant blazing new trails on a classic comfort food dessert category I grew up with here in the United States
Without reinventing the wheel or doing bizarre stuff Sparkles simple array of products are always in good taste and never venture into the what were they thinking category. If Oprah Winfrey lived nearby Sparkles she would blow it quickly with one of her latest 200 failed diets I’d be right behind her ;)
Now having said all that that I don’t like most cupcakes. As a dessert it’s never been my go too choice for desserts. Sparkles has changed the way I look at cup cakes and made me realize they can be a highly desirable choice. They have a game changer product hiding away on a charming side street in Surry Hills. They deserve a bigger platform to be appreciated elsewhere
Here in Southern California I have never really understood the passion for Sprinkles yet it is a huge success where it started in Los Angeles and grown to other cities. Even Paris Hilton has her limo driver pick up boxes for her.
It’s really only a fair enough product that has been gorgeously presented and decorated. There is no real competition as focused and detailed in concept
Sprinkles may have been first to market but that doesn’t make them better!
In fact I’ve yet to taste a cupcake to compete better Sparkles anywhere.
Do the wonderful folks of Sydney even understand what they have been blessed with? Make no mistake about it Sparkles has a better cupcake and it’s even better than Magnolia Bakery in New York City which long before Sprinkles or Sparkles came on the scene and was the Gold Standard for cupcakes championed on American TV shows.
My first experience with Sparkles was a tasting of one at the David Jones department store in Sydney
I purchased 3 the lemon, the coconut and the salted caramel
So let’s talk about why these cupcakes are so exceptional. First they are reasonably sweet but not overly sweet so the ingredients come through. The flavors are authentic and not artificial but most importantly they have texture a buttery light breathtakingly moist and beautiful melt in your mouth interior where taste meets just the right amount of texture.
I have been traveling to Sydney and Melbourne for over 20 years and I have yet to eat a better cup cake anywhere. I ask this question to the reviewers that think there is a better cupcake out there
Where on earth is it? In America this would be a huge success story even though Sparkles wasn’t a first
What Sparkles has done is taken and reworked the cupcake and simply fixed what’s been wrong with it for years
Don’t let the minimalist design fool you this is a category killer product and I’d like to see more bakeries take such pride in presentation and execution instead of just seeing pastry chefs more typically pull it off in restaurants
My other favorite yet unattractive bakery in Sydney was The Infinity sourdough bakery where fond memories remain.
Unfortunately the owner Phillip decided to sell the bakery and quality has never been the same. He was a baking genius
Congratulations to the folks at Sparkles I have brought large boxes home on my flight to the US and everyone from the most jaded critics are in love with the product. I purchased their cookbook Hopefully one day I’ll get over my laziness and try baking these recipes from scratch
Sparkles is a Sydney institution and I hope the citizens of Sydney realize the true treasure it really is
Signed a true fan who would greatly appreciate a branch in San Diego, California
Congratulations Sparkles take a bow Well Done!
Cheers

Best cupcakes in Sydney. They aren’t as good as Sprinkles in the USA, which is a place they seem to have copied, but they are quite good.

Bottom Line: Beautiful cupcakes. Yummy for the most part (especially the Salted Caramel), though there are a few that I wouldn’t revisit.
Cupcake shops were quite the craze in the states and in both San Francisco and New York they were a dime a dozen. This is not so in Sydney. There are loads of bakeries, but not too many shops that are purely dedicated to the wonderment that is the cupcake. Luckily, we happen to have one of them just around the corner from us! It’s always a wonderful surprise when I get home to find the little Black Bag from Sparkle awaiting me (either as a treat after a bad day or a mini celebration).
Favorite Flavors:
Salted Caramel
Banana Toffee
Pure Sparkle
Bonus! — my boyfriend got me a cupcake making class here for my birthday. Such a fun morning. It was just us and another couple upstairs in the Sparkle kitchen. We learned how to make macarons, panna cotta, and of course — cupcakes. After you’ve cooked, you get to enjoy your treats with a glass of champagne and some cucumber sandwiches downstairs in the café. Lovely day!

Sparkle’s hook is that it’s the silver spoon of sweets, the black tie of bakery, frosting fine dining. Their cupcakes range from lavender to jaffa, vanilla bean to frangipani, and their team of cupcakers explore the wide spectrum of flavours in between (whilst staying moderately conservative — no chicken satay flavours here, unlike at other experimental patisseries).
Champagne cupcake breakfasts are on offer, as are a Sparkle spin on a High Tea. They also run a popular party for special occasions (hens parties, baby showers, birthday parties etc.) which includes a cupcake cooking class in their on site kitchen.
I don’t think the cupcakes themselves were actually that fantastic. Not bad in any way, but not worthy of raving. Or, in fact, returning for. But that’s not really the point here. Sparkle have filled a great niche market. So the next time you want to get dressed up and act as though that silver spoon was born in your mouth, don your best heels and gloves and head to Sparkle. Alternatively, satisfy your inner six year old — invite your favourite teddy bears, wear your Mum’s high heels and pearls and sit around the table discussing playpen politics. Whatever your plan, any time’s a good time to dress up, drink champagne and eat cupcakes.

None of this frou frou pink gingham and home-​cooked nonsense. Sparkle Cupcakery is a polished take on the wholesome cupcake trend with luxe black lacquered countertops and a mirrored wall whose circular print echoes the signature coloured spot on each perfectly round baked good.
Don’t be fooled by the vanilla icing atop each and every cake — they are serving up some innovative flavours, like the Middle Eastern inspired pistachio and cardamom, the Oriental Flower infused with lychee and rose plus rose petal frosting, and the sweet and fragrant Lavendar & Honey.
Though initial visits proved successful with flavoursome, light cake bases, a recent trip turned out a disappointingly dry Pur Sparkle — their signature cupcake with visible flecks of vanilla bean bits. Still, the aesthetically pleasing shop and colour coded baked goods beckon orders for special occasions and birthdays. Let’s just hope it was an off day.

If you’re in need of a sugar hit then Sparkle Cupcakery on Foveaux Street in Surry Hills might just be the place for you. It’s filled with, you guessed it, cup cakes!
I’m not sure if it’s the actual cupcakes them selves that sparkle or the peoples eyes when they wolf one down but either way there will be some sparkle at some point.
You can sit down and enjoy them with a coffee or I’m reliably informed you can have a ‘tea party’ or even a baking class here. And if you decide on none of the above you may wish to take a box back to work and share them around or head home and indulge in the comfort and privacy of your own place.
Whatever you do decide, if you decide on Sparkle cupcakes you won’t be disappointed!