A charming little shop in Napa's Oxbow Market, right next to Bar Lucia, one of my new favorite spots in the area. Lauren had raved about the cupcakes, so I tried the Lemon and the Salted Caramel Banana Bread. The Banana Bread Cupcake stole the show. Lauren was wonderful as always, friendly, attentive, and full of great recommendations. And I wasn't alone in my enthusiasm: nearly everyone I passed on the street was talking about how good the cupcakes were. I'll definitely be back. If you haven't been yet, do yourself a favor and go! read more

See all

Interesting and unique flavors. It's a nice treat if you are in the market, but at 5 dollars a cupcake I'd go elsewhere for a larger order. The buttercream and lemon cupcakes were great. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

This is a cute little cupcake spot in the Ox Bow market place. Go check them out. Cupcakes are delicious and moist. They have a wide range of flavors. They also have mini cupcakes too. My favorite flavor is the chocolate with coconut icing. What's your favorite? read more

Kara's Cupcakes - My mini cupcake - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

See all

Picked up an Italian double chocolate cupcake from the Kara's stall in the Oxbow public market. Wow! What a great cupcake. I love that they use all natural and locally sourced ingredients. I love that I can buy a cupcake knowing it supports many local businesses across California. You can snack on the cupcake in the busy Oxbow market atmosphere or enjoy on the go. Service is quick unless there's a line, I imagine. We took the cupcake to go and walked a bit farther to a nearby brewery to enjoy a cupcake and beer pairing. What a great treat! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Cupcake box - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

See all

This local business is located inside Oxbow Market. I got the sweet smores and the vine trail. I love the sweet smores! It has a graham cracker base, tender chocolate cake, and topped with the wiggly perfect marshmallow frosting. The vine trail has a chocolate cupcake too with the sugary i'm not sure frosting. The packaging looked fancy with the box that is so pink. I honestly think that these are too small for the price. Good customer service. read more

See all

It's always bit of a hit or miss here, for us. Bought 6 different cupcakes here a week ago. 4 were moist & delicious and 2 were a bit dry. I suggest to get their chocolate cupcakes. Each time the different chocolate cupcakes have been delicious! It's always service with a smile and the shop is cute & clean. Enjoy!! read more

Cute botique cupcake shop inside of The Ox Bow Market place.... I got The S'more and chocolate velvet cupcakes... Service with a Smile... Chocolate velvet was Rich and Chocolatey with sum sweetness...S'mores Nice Toasted Marshmallow Foam on top... A True Treat Before catching A Flight back to Vegas... ALoHA... read more

See all

Kara's cupcakes has unfortunately gone downhill. Dry cupcakes. Slow service. Disappointing. I won't be back.

I'll start out by saying that the service was really fast and friendly! Their cupcakes all look so good (and I even got some cute merch!) I ordered a Banana Caramel and a Passionfruit. The Banana Caramel was so moist, the banana flavor was perfect and the cream cheese frosting was just the right amount and amazing. I saw the caramel but it really lacked in flavor. The passionfruit was not as moist (but still good) as the banana and the only passionfruit flavor I got was in the filling, which was great, but not abundant so some bites were lacking. All in all a great experience and I'd go back to try more, but they could use a punch up in flavor. read more

Super moist cupcakes located in the Napa Oxbow Market. My sister in law pre ordered 2 dozen mini cupcakes for my nephews birthday. I easily picked them up and picked up some regular sized ones-- they really are super moist. We got all of the assorted chocolate and vanilla flavors, there was a passion fruit, banana caramel, and Meyer lemon. Good sweet treat while you're in the area too! Service is super quick and friendly. Small storefront in the food court. There's a parking lot and some street parking. read more

You can never go wrong with Kara's Cupcakes! Walking around Oxbow Market I got distracted by all these wonderful cupcakes on display. They get me every-time haha . The young lady working the counter was so nice and attentive. We had so many flavors to choose from we had to get a few to go. My boys never had Kara's Cupcakes they loved it . What is not to love so delicious! Overall love this location makes it easy to grab dessert after eating at the Oxbow Market . If you never had Kara's Cupcakes it's a must try . read more

See all

Great variety of different flavor combos! Cute little stand in the Oxbow market. Friendly staff and absolutely delicious cupcakes! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

If you're ever in the Napa area, make sure to stop at the Oxbow Market for cupcakes. We never miss an opportunity to stop and pick up some yummies. The flavors are always exceptional and the presentation is beautiful. We usually pick up red velvet, dark chocolate with sea salt, carrot and whatever the flavor of the day is. The service is usually just alright, nothing over the top or super friendly and that is what makes the difference between 4 & 5 stars. read more

Ever since I was little, on trips to San Francisco, my mom would seek out Kara's Cupcakes. I'm not sure where she first learned about them, but they were always a treat on our trips. When I spotted Kara's Cupcakes in the Oxbow Public Market, I knew I had to get one. They had so many yummy flavors, it was so hard to choose! I went with the red velvet- a classic. My friend got the cookies and cream and we grabbed a gluten free for one of our friends who wasn't there. I appreciated that they packaged the gluten free in its own package to avoid cross contamination. The cupcake was yummy, but not quite as moist as I had remembered. It was still a delicious treat and I enjoyed it! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - a man behind the counter - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

Yummy cupcakes! The mini was a perfect size for me. Great if you're looking for a sweet treat but don't want to eat an entire cupcake. They were moist and very flavorful! Reminded me of sprinkles cupcakes. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - kara's karrot and red velvet - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

We stopped by Oxbow Public Market while driving through Napa and picked up some cupcakes from Kara's Cupcakes. We tried the strawberry, Meyer lemon, and passion fruit. The first two were okay, but the passion fruit was absolutely tasty, perfectly balanced with a tart-sweet flavor and a true passion fruit taste. Service was good, and the atmosphere inside the market was vibrant and relaxed. My partner noted that the cupcake fillings seemed a bit lighter than in the past, but overall, everything was solid. Definitely a good stop. read more

Located in Oxbow Public Market, Kara's Cupcakes is a great spot for a sweet treat! They have a variety of different cookie and cupcake options, but we picked up a gluten-free cupcake from their small GF jar to enjoy. They had a surprising amount of availability when we arrived later in the day around 4pm. The gluten-free cupcake was moise and delicious - chocolate with coconut frosting topping! Service was friendly and helped us figure out the cupcake flavors, as they weren't labeled in the GF jar. There isn't a space to sit near Kara's itself, so we got a coffee by a nearby stall and ate it there. read more

See all

driest cake i ever had. got a 9" cake for my daughters bday and it is SO dry. worst red velvet ive ever had. $100+ you would think it'd be better than what I received. never ever buying cakes from them again. smh read more

Bought six cupcakes yesterday and tried a couple today. I set them aside for fifteen minutes as instructed...and they were dry and not very flavorful. Won't be buying them again. read more

Kara's cupcakes is located inside the Oxbow market on your right hand side when you walk in. They bake in small batches every day and have many flavors including gluten free options, cakes and cookies. I ordered a banana caramel and the meyer lemoy lemon cupcakes. They were not overly sweet and they had a good amount of cream on top. I also got their Halloween themed pumpkin cookie. They use and source local ingredients around the Bay Area so it's great to support many of the local businesses, farms and creameries that they work with as well. I can never say no to a cupcake as they are one of my favorite sweet treats! read more

See all

Cupcakes were not moist, very dry and not very flavorful. The lemon had barely a taste of lemon to it. Vanilla ok Carrot cake tasted more like spice cake and frosting was definitely not the usual and just not good. The vanilla coconut tasted ok but was also very dry like the others. Definitely not what I expected especially since these were in place of my birthday cake. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

While walking through oxbow market, Karas cupcakes caught my attention, I decided to order and take some home, Here's my order: - Meyer lemony lemon- love the vibrant citrus flavors and velvety smooth texture. - Sweet s'mores- known for their combination of fine chocolate and marshmallow on top, are my favorite. The taste is truly delicious. - Chocolate velvet- a must-try, it has rich, smooth and creamy texture that simply melts in your mouth. - Vegan sweet chocolate- delicious and not too sweet. Their cupcakes are not only delicious but also perfect in sized, they are small and cute with various toppings on top. Will certainly come back and order again. read more

See all

We took a peek and couldn't resist. We got a couple banana cupcakes and a vanilla coconut cupcake. The attendant was kind and thoughtful. We all enjoyed our sweet treat in the oxbow market and got a table pretty easily. The icing was so light and really made the cupcake good. The market can get a little crazy when it is busy but the ambiance is good for socialising. Thank you! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

I first had one of their cupcakes at the first Eat Real fest in Oakland. It was an all food truck event and I flitted from truck to truck enthusiastically. I came across their pink truck and saw they had gluten-free cupcakes and I was in love. I'd visit their shops when in the area (Berkeley, Walnut Creek) and enjoyed my purchase. But, my how everything has changed for them. I think the brick-and-mortar shops are gone except for one in SF. I think, I don't know for sure. I do know that Berkeley and Walnut Creek stores are gone. I haven't seen the truck in ages. So, I was shocked to see this one in Napa. So I got a couple of cupcakes for old-time's sake. I wish that I hadn't... 1) The cakes were dense 2) The frosting was OK. The chocolate one had a chocolate Italian cream frosting, which would have been fine if it would've tasted like chocolate. Instead, it tasted like a brown, cloyingly sweet substance with brown chocolate-looking, flavorless sprinkles. No thanks. I mean, it looked like chocolate, but the flavor was just sweet. Meanwhile, I had a couple of heavenly cupcakes at Sift. And there's Cupcakin Bake Shop. Now they have some good cupcakes. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Cupcake. Vanilla with chocolate icing and chocolate with Italian cream. See my review. - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

Came here & was intrigued by the fact that this location solely uses ingredients that are locally sourced throughout Northern California. I ordered two mini red velvet and vanilla cupcakes. Unfortunately, the flavors fell flat. The frosting had way too much of a vanilla extract flavor, which can only be masked by (you guessed it) more powdered sugar or more of another extract. It wasn't a good ratio at all, & I get the sense that this is what they typically serve since I tasted this on both cupcakes (buttercream & cream cheese). I understand going a little overboard to try to mask the cream cheese flavor, but if you're a desserts place specializing in cupcakes, I would think that you would take time to improve upon your recipe. Kara's Cupcakes says that they create their cupcakes within minutes, & you can see the workers in the back mixing & creating them too. However, I didn't detect a particularly rich, fresh, moist, or flavorful flavor from my order. My main issue is with the cupcake frosting, TBH. I wouldn't come here again, even if I was craving a sweet treat. The workers are sweet, but I wish that this establishment would take cash (or at least cash tips too). read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Mini vanilla cupcake & mini red velvet cupcake - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

Came here for a special treat to bring to a party and thought we would try this spot out. They use local and organic products, and the cupcakes are freshly baked, so they are fresh. They rotate flavors by the season, and you can get them in a 6 pack or a dozen. They do minis and full size cupcakes, and cakes as well. We got several types of cupcakes in both sizes as they were available, and the top choices were the lemon, red velvet, kara's karrot, and chocolate coconut. Overall, a standard cupcake, but the flavors could have been more pronounced. If you are in the area, come grab a box for the road. read more

See all

Kara's Cupcakes is a locally owned and operated business that proves if you follow your passion you too can reap the rewards of your success! Located in one of the many stalls that makes up the Oxbow Public Market in the heart of downtown Napa along 1st Street, Kara's Cupcakes is the brainchild of Kara Haspel Lind who moved from the corporate world to follow her passion of baking treats into a word of mouth treat where the demand for her homemade cupcakes exceeded expectations and eventually led to the founding of her first store in San Francisco's Marina District, which still stands today. Now a busy mom, Kara's Cupcakes has evolved from multiple locations throughout the Bay Area to three remaining open at this time, including the original location in San Francisco, and this location in Napa on top of another location in Palo Alto. I got my first taste of Kara's Cupcakes during a special event I had attend years ago in Napa where they were one of several small businesses to set up booths and share their goods and I was hooked. I never got the chance to actually purchase their signature cupcakes, despite me going to Oxbow Public Market on a regular basis, until that I was I was staying the Napa area for the week and a group of friends and I wanted to bring back something sweet to enjoy later that evening. We made sure to come right when Oxbow Public Market opened at 11 a.m. that morning and if you enter from the parking lot at the entrance right at the corner of the lot and 1st Street, Kara's Cupcakes' welcoming glass cases filled with cupcakes is ready to greet you once you walk through the doors. They also have a glass overhand that explains their mission to bring the freshest local ingredients to their cupcakes that are sourced from local producers that strive to used artisan methods of productions. They had all of their cupcakes ready to be purchased presented in their glass case, including traditional favorites such as Sweet Vanilla, Sweet Chocolate and Kara's Karrot. Each of their regular cupcakes cost $4.25 each and their gluten free or vegan cupcakes cost $4.50 each. Although all of their cupcakes looked amazing, we decided to order their Red Velvet and Passion Fruit Cupcakes, and since they both came with a graham cracker crust, we ordered their Sweet S'mores and Key Lime Pie Cupcake, which was one of their seasonal cupcake flavors. And since I was such a big fan of their cookies the last time I had them, I couldn't resist and I purchased a Snickerdoodle cookie for an $4.25. Our total bill was a little under 23 dollars before gratuity was added in. Since we purchased four cupcakes, they give you your items that you purchases in a cute little soft cardboard box and we decided to save our sweet treats for later that evening and our group was not disappointed. Our cupcakes were moist without being overly sweet and the frosting on each was just the right amount, especially when we were diligent and made sure to cut our cupcakes with a knife so we could all share equally. I made sure to keep my Snickerdoodle cookie to save to eat later, and it was just as good as I remembered it, light and airy without being too dense. But it was these four cupcakes that a group of us enjoyed that made me realize why Kara's Cupcakes are still considered some of the best around, as the competition may growing around them in the Bay Area, they still provide the lightest and most unique flavor combinations around that cannot be beat. Here's to hoping for their continued success and maybe just maybe they can start opening additional locations across the region because we all need a little cupcake sweetness in our lives to take part in! read more

See all

First impressions are always the longest lasting. And this first impression here was perfect. The sweetest of ladies brought me over and showed me a little of what the Oxbow had to offer and at the end of our conversation I tasted the red velvet mini. It was SO TASTY! A delicious cheat! I grabbed three more and took the stairs back to my car. It was worth it. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Cupcake flight lol - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

Meh. We bought three cupcakes in the Oxbow location (don't know if they have more locations). Honestly, they were pretty dry and flavorless. Will for sure not be back. We had one lemon, one vanilla/coconut and one special which I believe was a cookie dough - just so dry overall. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

"Mom & Pop Shop" located in the Oxbow Public Market. Love supporting locally owned businesses but...Kara's Cupcakes make me sad. I've tried different flavors on different days to try to give them multiple chances to win me over but the outcome is always the same: dry cupcakes with underwhelming flavor & overly sweet frosting that taste straight up like vanilla extract. Just go to Sift or Bouchon. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Key Lime Cupcake - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

I ordered the tuxedo cupcake and it was delicious. Friendly service and I also enjoyed a frozen rose. So good. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

See all

Delicious cupcakes, they were really moist and the frosting was sweet but not overpowering. We got the carmel by the sea, banana carmel and the res velvet cupcakes. The banana carmel was by far our favorite! The servers were friendly. I thought the whole vibe of the public market was really neat read more

Kara's Cupcakes - A variety of cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

S'mores cupcake with the toasted marshmallow on top is perfect. Definitely my favorite and will be my go-to if I'm at Oxbow and wanting dessert! Overall taste isn't extremely sweet, but definitely a great treat for a sweet craving. I also got the passionfruit cupcake and again, just enough to fulfill that sweet tooth without going overboard. Had a little tangy filling in the middle to even out the flavors. Both were around $7 give or take. I need to try the other treats that Kara's offers and will report back when I do! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Treat yourself! - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

SF-born cupcake chain, finalist on Cupcake Wars. Was excited to try and got a little box for our family that we carried quickly back to the hotel to eat as a breakfast dessert. The store itself is in oxbow and extremely clean and well designed with minimal cute graphics and colors. We also liked the smaller selection of cupcakes since it meant more focus on quality. Staff working that day also very positive, welcoming, and professional. Not sure if it was an offday but the reason for 2 stars were the cupcakes were almost sickingly sweet. Even with coffee to cut the sweetness we still brushed our teeth twice after to calm the sugar down. It felt like it was coating our teeth. Unfortunately we didn't know it was this sweet until after our oldest finished one buy himself and he was pretty hyper for hours after. Cupcakes flavor was good, cupcake was moist. Just shocked by how sweet all three of them were. The sugar cookie we got was 4/5, tasted soft and had a much more subtle sweetness than the cupcakes. read more

See all

I had never been to the Oxbow market but I knew it was a must stop location. I was pleasantly surprised that there was a Kara's Cupcakes in the market. My friend and I decided to get a dessert and treat ourselves for the start of our weekend. The shop is in a little section of the overall market but I love how they punched so much cuteness in their little section. I am a fan of pink and of anything cute, this place was my cup of tea, or shall we saw my plate of cupcake?? lol, bear with me as I try to come up with a new catch phrase ahaha. Anywho, I got the passion fruit cupcake and my friend got the chocolate coconut. I love passion fruit but never had it in a cupcake. Kara, you are a genius. The sour/tartness in the cupcake was perfect. The center filling was perfect, sad that there was a little bit of filling. The cupcakes seem a tad smaller than other locations but I give it 5 stars because the flavor of my cupcake was perfect. My friend really enjoyed hers too. I was raving about the cupcake to anyone that would listen to me talk about it during the weekend. I took 4 other friends to try it over the same weekend and everyone loved the passion fruit cupcake. Thanks Kara's cupcakes for making a tropical flavor, it is my preferred taste over chocolate honestly. It may not be a popular opinion but it's nice to see this choice in their menu. I hope its not a seasonal flavor and that the cupcake stays! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Passion fruit and coconut chocolate cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

Kara's Cupcakes has been a favorite of mine for many years. I'm not big on sweets but I do go to Kara's whenever I'm at Oxbow's. It's always hard to pick just one, so I usually go home with 4-6 cupcakes to get a taste of most of my favorites. I love the chocolate velvet, chocolate coconut, passionfruit to name a few. Kara's is a nut free bakery. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Passion fruit - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

See all

The cupcakes are decent, but nothing special. The people working here are friendly but I tried to pay with cash, they don't accept cash. Tried Apple Pay but their machine wasn't working, so if you don't have a credit card you can't pay or get anything . I recommend the owner figure the issue out, from now on I'll be going elsewhere. Too much of a hassle to try to pay. read more

Cupcakes are always super dry and frosting is like eating a spoonful of sugar. How did they win cupcake wars? I would prefer going to Sift or Bouchon if you're in the Napa area. read more

My favorite is the lemon and passion fruit cupcakes . It is so good I would go back any time to get these cupcakes. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - There lemon and passion fruit cupcake is to die for . You will have no regrets after tasting these cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California

I enjoy coming to Kara's cupcakes when I am in Napa. I just wish they had more variety/selection! I've been coming here for a few years now and red velvet & coconut never fails me. I do love how quick and easy the transaction is. Sometimes a line - but they're very quick to serve you! Always order half a dozen because the cupcakes are so delicious! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Bakeries Near Me - Napa, California