Carrot and cinnamon cake from Patisserie Jacob
Like cake? Then Edinburgh is the place for you.
*updated April 2012*
Edinburgh is home to many wonderful cafes and cake shops and we love sampling them so that we can advise you the best places to enjoy a sweet treat.
The following suggestions are in no particular order of preference, but have been grouped together by area of town. As you will see, we have visited every single suggestion and reviewed it, so click on the links to get location details and our thoughts on the cafes.
However, if you are visiting town and can only manage a few, then our personal favourites are:
1. Mimi’s Bakehouse Situated in Leith, book ahead for weekend visits.
2. Bon Papillon Howe Street, New Town
3. Clarinda’s Tea Room Lower section of the Royal Mile.
The Trail begins
Starting off with my local favourites, we have Muffins at Goldenacre and Moo Cafeteria at Canonmills. The neighbouring Circle Cafe does a wonderful carrot cake and completing the choices on Brandon Terrace is the fabulous Coffee Angel. Round the corner in Dundas Street you have Cuckoo’s Bakery where cupcakes are baked daily on the premises. Moving in the other direction towards town, there is the Russian Passion Cafe who do a selection of Russian desserts.
In London Street, the French Fancies is keeping the cake lovers of Edinburgh happy with their French offerings which are all baked on the premises.
On the Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile, you have the choice of Clarinda’s Tea Room and Forsyth’s who offer old style home baking. Although not a cake shop, the Fudge Kitchen on the Royal Mile is definitely worth a visit, as is nearby Lickety Splits.
The Scotch Whisky Experience at the top of the Royal Mile is a great place for coffee and cake (also great value for the location). On nearby George IV Bridge, the Cellar Door Patisserie has a German chef who creates cake masterpieces alongside truffles and chocolates.
Cafe Blush welcomes you with cake
Also in the centre of town is Spoon Cafe and their carrot cake is a personal favourite of mine with its lime frosting. A little further south in Newington you can die and go to chocolate heaven at Choco Latte or choose one of the Grind House Cafe’s excellent cakes. Nearby you can visit Anteaques in South Clerk Street for the most unique tea and scone experience amidst chandeliers and bagatelle boards.
Whilst in the Newington area – why not pop over to Tea at 94 on Buccleuch Street, we love it in there.
Peter’s Yard at the Quartermile is worth a trip for a Swedish take on cakes and the views from Debenhams on Princes Street cannot be beaten, but the offerings are not the best. Pick a window seat at Fredericks Coffee House on nearby Frederick Street, you can watch the world go by over tea and cake. One street over, there is Bibi’s Cake Boutique which offers a variety of cupcakes for take-away only. Directly opposite is I Love Candy – a retro sweet shop.
In Fountainbridge, Loudon’s Cafe and Bakery has its bakery on the premises, rustling up all kinds of cakey goods (gluten free available). At Tollcross, Cafe Ruby does a great selection of homemade cakes and try out The Tree House further up the street. Their cakes are mouth wateringly delicious (the Victoria Sponge portion is huge) and moving South to the Bruntsfield area, my current favourite is the Chocolate Tree. I find it better value than the nearby Falko Konditormeister, but both are excellent choices.
Also in Morningside is Cafe Blush who welcome you with an array of cakes.
Ex-tea-mernate cosie at Loopy Lorna's
Stockbridge choices for cake include Leo’s Beanery and Bon Papillion in Howe Street and Madeleine’s patisserie and espresso bar. A little bit East in the Broughton area see The French Fancies serving up home-made French tarts and macarons.
Porto & Fi at Newhaven is another excellent choice for a cake break and the recently opened The Haven is one of our current favourites. Along the road in Leith, favourites include Cafe Truva and The Roseleaf.
Mimi’s Bakehouse on The Shore always delivers in quality (and quantity) and I couldn’t write this article without mentioning the fabulous Sicilian Pastry shop in Albert Street and the Manna House on Easter Road.
In Gorgie, look no further than Patisserie Jacob which is amazing quality at reasonable prices. Out of town, the meringues and other puddings at the Forth Rail Bistro are worth travelling for and have the added bonus of wonderful views.
Cupcake businesses
If those selections haven’t make your mouth water and head out the door, you can always order cupcakes online from Edinburgh companies Rainbow Cupcakes, Lizzie’s Tea Party and Cupcake and Ribbons. All three of these companies also supply cupcakes in cafes around town and details are listed in their articles.
Have you got somewhere I should to add to my list? Please let me know in the comments below.
Tags: afternoon tea, cake, chocolate, Edinburgh, Edinburgh cake, Jacob's Patisserie, Mimi's, review, Sicilian, Sicilian Pastry Shop, trail
You also need to try La Cerise on Gt Junctions St in Leith.
I think you are a little hard on Falko’s in Morningside. Quality, not quantity, is the main thing when it comes to cakes! At Falko’s you can immediately taste the freshness and authenticity of the ingredients. No shortcuts and fake stuff there!
@Angela – I tried La Cerise at Goldenacre before it shut down, but will visit Leith sometime.
@LHunter – I am not disagreeing with the quality of Falko’s, they are great, but the neighbouring Chocolate Tree cakes are half the price and of equal quality (and also fresh). £4 for a piece of cake is out of some people’s budget.
Wow for eating all those cakes – hope it wasn’t in one day lol.
Glad you covered all budgets as i normally just buy cakes form Greggs but can afford £2 per cake from time to time.
Oh my word – there are so many of them. Did you go to all of them? You must be suffering a serious diabetic coma now.
Have fun visiting Jacob’s. Do try anything with chocolate…Jacob’s is incredibly good value.
I also love Falko because my family is German and the cakes are even better than my mom’s (she won’t ever find this comment so I can say it).
The atmosphere of the chocolate tree is wonderful, and the quality of the tea they carry is also great.
@Sophia Yes, I visited all of them over a matter of months – twice! We eat at a place twice before we review it to ensure good quality and service.
Jacob’s review next week, visits have already been made and will be added to this article, but I am sure you will agree with how wonderful they are!
Pitty you did not try Zulu Lounge Cakes, All hand made, most of the cakes you have suggested are bought in, except a handful.
@james – I can’t try everywhere, there are literally hundreds of places across town.
As for the majority of places being bought in, that is not true. There are only 4 on the list that don’t bake them on the premises and the individual reviews explain them indivudually.
Wow-did you cover a few places or what!
What a fantastic review.Very impressive!
Yes Totally agree with Angela-La Cerise is a total all rounder-virtually everything is homemade and special diets catered for. Gorgeous, mouth-watering cakes with smooth and flavoursome ice-creams to accompany if you desire and the staff are just lovely-no I don’t work there-just a loyal customer!
Urban Angel have the best chocolate brownies I have ever tasted – such a treat!
SO impressed with this piece, what variety!
I was hugely impressed by a chilli chocolate cupcake I had at Olive on South Clerk Street (opposite Blockbuster). Fresh, moist, bursting with flavour!
I’m also rather partial to the brownies and flapjacks at Kilimanjaro Coffee on Nicolson Street. Their coffee is amazing too.
@Hannah and @Ian thanks for your comments, will add it to the infinity list to try out……..
Great review – let me know if you ever need any help!
you can try an read my lyrics of this paper before i lay em’
Don’t forget Earthy over at Ratcliffe Terrace on the Southside, excellent cofffee as well as cakes, fab breads and all sorts of savoury goodies!
Hi – and I LOVE Café Blush on Morningside Road (opposite Marks and Spencers). They always have a fab selection of wonderful cakes, both trad and gluten free. Try the gluten free coffee cake – it has to be the best in Edinburgh!
I wonder if you might like to visit us here at The Water of Leith Cafe Bistro. We serve fresh, homemade food using as many local ingredients and suppliers as we can and my husband makes all our lovely cakes too!
Artisan Roast is known for it’s coffee, but they have the best brownies and carrot cake in Edinburgh IMHO. Artisan Roast
@Matt I will add it to the ever-growing list!
I went to Mimi’s on the back of your review, so thanks for making me an addict and my waistline bigger
I tried out La Cerise when I could finally get it open (WHO closes at the weekends?) and although their cakes were good, I didn’t stay long as the waitress had a soor face.
Mimi’s collaborated with Equal Exchange (just across the river) to celebrate fairtrade Fortnight eith a Coffee and Walnut cake using our amazing Chilean Fairtrade walnuts. Went in for a slice on Thursday and it was gone already!
Truly great baking and strong ethics too. Love their Darwin Blend fairtrade coffee from Algies too (even if it is not ours!)
We visited Mimi’s again early this morning and there was only one slice of the cake left today!
Would be great if you could come and visit us at the Edinburgh Larder – we make all our own cakes and our brownies have been hailed as the best in Edinburgh – although I’ve heard a few others have too – let us know what you think! We also cook our savoury dishes on site using local and seasonal produce – from our own pork pies and range of salads to 2 soups every day and a selection of delicious sandwiches made with bread from Au Gourmand – hope to see you soon!
The brownies at the edinburgh Larder are indeed the best, together with the ones I had at Leo’s beanery and the Cellar door. I still have to try a few places suggested in this post but I have already been to most of them. Tea tree is a very nice place to relax over a drink and the staff is very friendly but I find their cakes not nice at all! And I have been there three times (trying everytime something different). Have I been incredibly unlucky???