Cute little shop with a beautiful display of cupcakes and desserts. They have a nice variety of flavors to choose from, including some unique ones like banana caramel and s'mores. I came by one afternoon to pick up a little box for a little birthday celebration we were having for my dog (the dogs had their own pupcakes). The girl at the counter was very sweet. A box of four cupcakes was $25, so a bit on the pricier side. We enjoyed the cupcakes as they were well balanced in flavor without being too sweet - however I found the cake to be slightly too dense. For me a good cupcake has to have light and fluffy texture. While these were pretty good cupcakes, being a cupcake snob, I did not find them to be perfect for that reason! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - (pupcakes are from elsewhere :)) - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Cute little cupcake shop where they have a good variety of flavors. We were served by a very friendly gentleman named John. We went late in the day which I assume affected the texture of the cake (They were a little dry). We got chocolate salted caramel which had great flavor. We especially liked the frosting which was fluffy and not too sweet, red velvet which had an artificial taste, banana which tasted too fake, and lemon which had a delicious custard or pudding filling. All in all, we enjoyed the cupcakes but next time we will try to get there earlier when they're fresher. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Avoid this antisemitic establishment at all costs. On Tuesday afternoon after 6:00 PM, I entered this cupcake shop with a friend while looking for dessert after dining nearby. I was wearing a Star of David necklace. The employee on duty initially interacted normally and offered a small promotional incentive with a purchase. During our conversation about flavors, the employee asked me, "What side are you on?" When I asked for clarification, she proceeded to ask whether I was a "Zionist" and "Orthodox." I responded politely and honestly that I am both. Immediately after this response, the employee withdrew the previously offered promotion and stated that I would need to pay full price. The questioning and subsequent change in treatment appeared to be based solely on my religious identity and perceived political beliefs. The way the term "Zionist" was used was hostile, and the interaction became uncomfortable and inappropriate. I remained polite throughout. My friend suggested that we leave due to the employee's behavior, and we did so. As we exited, we stated that it did not seem like this was a business that wanted our patronage. The employee responded that she was not the owner and "just worked there." Regardless of her role, no customer should be questioned about their religion or identity or treated differently because of it. I am sharing this experience so that others are aware and in the hope that the business addresses this conduct and ensures that all customers are treated with respect. read more

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!! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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! read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Box of 6 cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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. read more

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Driest cupcakes in SF. I'm always excited by the name brand, then get excited about the frosting, then get disappointed in how incredibly dry the cupcake is. I've already experienced the above 4 times this year. Next time someone shoves this pink striped box in my face it'll be an easy pass. read more

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

We visited Kara's Cupcakes for a little sweet treat after having lunch nearby. The shop is centrally located and is kind of cozy and a little narrow. They do have a nice display of cupcakes, and they had a good variety of flavors, including a seasonal flavor and a few gluten-free/vegan options. They also have mini cupcakes of each flavor, except the s'mores one. I ended up getting a chocolate velvet cupcake for myself and a meyer lemon one for my mom. The chocolate velvet was delicious, not overly sweet and the frosting had a nice texture and flavor. They also have different kinds of cookies available in case you're not in the mood for a cupcake. Customer service was friendly and welcoming, and the woman that helped us was patient and able to answer our questions on flavor options. I also noticed an announcement regarding hot chocolate and was eager to try it, however it was not available at the time we went. I'd likely return to Kara's if I'm in the area and craving a quick sweet treat. read more

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

Me and my sister just went to this place for the first time and it will be the last. The woman was so unwelcoming and rude. Me and my sister are in shock. We walked in, my sister said hello and no response back except for a forced smile. Right away I knew the vibe was off. I excitedly asked her if the cookies were as good as the cupcakes. She looked at me like I was stupid and said " what do you mean.? I said "you know what never mind" I should have just walked out. We didn't even try the cupcakes. We threw them out. I tipped them and I have no idea why. I hope she was not the owner. I have NEVER written a bad review in my life but I just can't keep quiet. read more

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? read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Dank cup cakes! Great selection and friendly staff. Located just off Chestnut Street in the Marina. Clean, easy parking, and a quick moving line. I come here for the warm cupcakes and excitement of smelling them in anticipation. It's quaint, cute, perfect for self care, a date or a party! read more

We walked in and were not greeted. In fact the person looked up in annoyance lol. When I asked what the flavor of month was, homie said "It's just chocolate". In a distasteful tone. And atp I honestly wanted to walk out. The entire time we were looking at the flavors it was silent. We were the only ones in there. Very awkward and felt like someone was breathing down my neck as I was in there. But, despite that we still got some cupcakes. The cupcakes were super dry and not worth the money. Literally go anywhere but here. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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 ... read more

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Absolutely amazing cupcakes! A little pricey but worth it. The service was also great!! Highlights: lemon cupcake and coconut cupcakes The buttercream frosting is absolutely delicious!! Very smooth and not overly sweet. The cake itself is very moist with the perfect density. Will definitely be coming back! read more

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. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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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 read more

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I ordered close to $500 worth of cupcakes for a birthday party. They were supposed to deliver the cupcakes at 3PM. Their driver (not doordash) delivered at 12PM and dumped them on the venue steps. They didn't ring the door bell or walk the 20 feet to the open pro shop. A club member happened to see them on the steps and bring them in. This could have ended so badly. The street in front of the club has very heavy foot traffic. The cupcakes are good, but their delivery service was beyond disappointing. I will never order for an event again from them. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Cupcakes left outside - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very cute bakery with a great selection of cupcakes. Each one looked display worthy, a lot of time and energy was definitely put into these. We picked up a variety to try, but my favorites were the red velvet and the s'more. Staff was friendly, and helped answer questions about the different options they had. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Red Velvet and S'more cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

3-3.5 stars. What I really appreciate is that they're still offering ~10 flavors during the pandemic without pre-ordering because I know some cupcake shops only offer about 4 flavors during this time. I bought cupcakes for my coworkers and almost everybody wanted the Meyer Lemony Lemon cupcake, including myself, and one person wanted the Chocolate Velvet. The lemon curd filling was delicious but the butter cream was much too buttery for me. It was exactly like eating sweetened blobs of butter. I had a small piece of the chocolate velvet and it was a lovely chocolate and the bittersweet chocolate added a nice touch to cut the sweetness. The little tree on the lemon cupcake was super cute and festive. All these cupcakes had really nice presentation and the piping looks super neat. I ordered ahead with their online form, and the estimated ready time was about 1 hour around 1pm. All the boxes were placed by the door with our names on the boxes for contactless pick up. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I needed a few vegan cupcakes for a class. Unfrosted for health reasons. They gave me these. And no, I don't have time to go back and get replacements as they will be given to the teacher in the morning to be handed out to the students before going home. Unprofessional. I even called HOURS before pick up to confirm AGAIN that they would be unfrosted. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Vegan cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

My brother and sister-in-law sent me such a sweet gift box from here! The box is full of hand made marshmellows, hot cocoa, cookies, chocolate espresso beans, biscotti, a chocolate bar, carmel corn, and organic mango green tea. So unique so special! Can't wait to enjoy it all. One day at a time...... read more

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Seriously, my top pick for cupcakes in town. This cute little shop offers a variety of both fun and classic flavors to choose from . The cupcakes are a perfect balance of sweetness, making them ideal for those who prefer their treats not too sugary. The texture of the cupcake itself is spot on. Neither too dry nor too moist, just perfect. Their simple, clean, and creative designs truly stand out. I love everything about it. The staff is friendly and welcoming, adding to the overall charm of the place. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - S'mores on the right, red velvet mini on the left . - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I'm visiting for Socal and seen these place to get my husband a few cupcakes for his birthday. The young black man that helped me was great. The problem was the so called managers and the cupcakes. First off the cupcakes had no taste AT ALL!! We got lemon, red velvet, and a black history month Neapolitan. Why do they all taste like flour. Nothing had a distinctive taste. I bet they were all made from the same batter. Even my husband said that it seems like you about to taste something then nothing comes. Then let's get to the " butter cream frosting " it was straight butter. Nothing else all butter. A cold thick lump of swirled butter. Absolutely disgusting. I melted it a bit to see if I was tripping and no it melted and look just like regular butter. It's BUTTER!! Then there is Mary. I called and all she seem to say was " how can I help you" I replied with my complaint that the frosting was nothing but butter and her reply " okay but how can I help you" like did she not just hear what I said. So I got an attitude and yelled at her because if I just told you that the cup was nasty why would you say " well how can I help you" then she tried to say " well have you been here before " what does that matter if I'm telling you that I didn't like the product you gave me. Since I'm from out of town I requested my money back and she said she could replace it. I don't need another heart attack cream frosting cupcake. Anyways... this place was bad the manger didn't care that her cupcakes was nasty and was rude. If y'all like tasteless cupcakes with a giant glob of butter on top this is definitely for you. Mary probably eats butter straight out the refrigerator and that's why she likes her cupcake that way. Please PICK SOMEWHERE ELSE TO GO. It's not worth the 20 I spend. read more

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They cancelled a catered order of cupcakes about an hour before they were supposed to be delivered because they ran out. How do you run out of cupcakes when we had an order placed days ago? read more

We happen to be in the Cow Hollow area to stop in at the last GAP store in the city. So sad. We rarely come to this area because parking is atrocious and the streets are too crowded with people and parklets everywhere. Makes you feel claustrophobic. But. I had to have Kara's. My go to is the chocolate velvet. It's got this delicious soft, melty topping and the cupcake is so moist it falls apart with first bite. Hubby got the Fleur de Sel with a caramel center. Just so Yum. They placed the 4 cupcakes in this fancy box that wedges each cupcake into a slot so they don't too over on the way home. Just so Yum. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Chocolate velvet. Just so yum. - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ok , I might have been wrong w my last review ! Kara's cupcakes are delicious . The staff are totally friendly and welcoming . The selection is great . Popped in today ! Can't wait to pop a cupcake into my mouth ! Ha ha Silly read more

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Order process was easily done online for 50 custom cupcakes with our logo on top. We used them for a corporate event. The cupcakes were delicious and Kara's is a well-known bakery in SF. We were overall very pleased with them, but I do wish there was a little more care taken with how our logo was printed - many were off-center or crooked, but I guess at the end of the day if the cupcake taste great, then 4 starts is a solid rating! read more

My housemate's work ordered this as a thank you for her work, and I just want to thank her too for her work, because I got to eat these amazing cupcakes when she shared. The cakes themselves were not overly sweet and had the perfect moisture. The icing were quality made, but the chocolate icing in particular were a tad too sweet for me. The red velvet cream cheese frosting had a hint of citrus (?) which was a pleasant surprise. The chocolate cupcakes were surprisingly not too chocolate-y either. The vanilla was the least surprising, but that's just because it's a good ol' traditional vanilla cupcake. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Sweet Vanilla, red Chocolate Velvet - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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

Sweets bring smiles. Must admit that I am more of a croissant person than a cake person so I was somewhat skeptical whether I'd find something here to my liking. First, walking in here was like entering a boutique store, the precious goods stored in attractive glass counters. The salesperson wasn't particularly engaging or helpful as my friend and I studied their selection. There was a small display with a random flavored sample as you study the variety of regular and gluen free cupcakes. After a little bit of strategizing, the salesperson told me that their small box held four. I tried the chocolate velvet, passion fruit, meyery lemon, and carrot (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=iQrZ6aPvH4B2le6mrKIMyQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). My palate leans towards moist things so these were perfect for me. The icing is not overly sweet and perfectly complement the cake portion. My favorite were the carrot and the passion fruit as they were the most interesting. The chocolate velvet and lemon were good too, but the flavors were very traditional. I spaced my timing to have these on a daily basis to prevent getting backlash from my primary doctor. For me, one at a time is enough. However, if you have a sweet tooth, you may not be so lucky. read more

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Expensive. Worth it. Great for parties, clients, open houses, receptions and catering. Wonderful selection. Parking, as expected, near impossible near here, so you can get a lot of steps in, maybe even burn off those cupcakes lol read more

I want to start off by saying that I do like Kara's. The cupcakes are great and I love that they have gluten free options. On 2/2/21 I made an online order of 24 mini cupcakes and a 6 inch Meyer Lemony Lemon Cake for my boyfriend's birthday and set it for pick up on 2/7/21 at 10am. I had noted a request for the cupcakes and cake to be gluten free-if possible. I was impressed with the prompt reply of them calling me a couple minutes after placing the order to confirm that they could do gluten free no problem. All was good. I received a call at 9:46am on 2/7/21 that unfortunately-they didn't make the gluten free lemon cake that I had ordered 5 days prior. But they had a vanilla gluten free cake that would be ready by 10am and I could take that. A little caught by surprise as I was supposed to pick up my order that was placed well enough in advance-in 15 minutes....what was I going to do. I said that was fine and picked up the cake and cupcakes shortly after. Everything seemed fine until I cut the cake and served it to family. The cake was definitely stale and old. The cake texture was absolutely disgusting and inedible. I'm not sure how long they had that cake sitting out but I assume it was not cooked that day or the day before. It was like bitting into a dry hard sponge with barely hint of vanilla. And I know it's not because of the "gluten free" aspect. Their gluten free cupcakes are just as moist and lovely as the regular. I would assume their gluten free cakes are just as good...just not the particular cake I received. I added a photo but I'm not sure if you can tell the dryness by looking at it. I'm glad I got the cupcakes at least. I'm honestly just extremely disappointed because I did really like Kara's. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Kara's cupcakes are the best! They have a great selection and their cupcakes are always moist with a frosting that is just right and not too sweet. We ordered a few dozen for a birthday and the kids and adults loved them. read more

Kara's Cupcakes - Mini's - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friend and I were in the area and wanted to try Kara's cupcakes. I got the s'mores, Meyer lemon, and carrot cupcake. To be honest, I thought the cupcakes were really bland and mediocre. Also, the price point per cupcake is pretty steep-about a little over $4 for one. The carrot cupcake was the only one I liked. I wouldn't recommend coming here for cupcakes. You should try Sift in the city instead. read more