Cupcakes by Sonja: Serendra's Sweet Haven

Thursday, March 15, 2012
Ever since I've learned to love cupcakes, thanks to the ever-trusty Frostings, I had nothing but an undying eagerness to try out one of the most raved cupcake shops in the Metro. Most of my friends and even online buddies have nothing but praises for this well-acclaimed haven of personal-sized cakes. Yes, I'm talking about Cupcakes by Sonja in Serendra.

Cupcakes

After our feast-ive lunch at Brazil Brazil, my date gladly obeyed, I mean, accompanied me to Cupcakes by Sonja's store. And although I've already seen a lot of photos of the pastel color-filled shop, I was still at awe at how homey, girly and vintage the place looked. The store was covered with red and white stripes, while a portion of the wall by the counter had a floral wallpaper.

Cupcakes by Sonja Counter
Cupcakes by Sonja Decor

There were also lovely ceramic plates on display, along with cute accent pieces. However, what made the place more lively was not the decors nor the hand-written menu. It was the pretty and colorful cupcakes which didn't fail to look like a colorful feast for the eyes. And of course, to make the most out of this trip to Serendra (which by the way took more than an hour of travel time from my place), we didn't get just a piece or 2, but a box of 4.

Cupcakes by Sonja Box

For my first trip to Cupcakes by Sonja, I decided to get the Red Velvet Vixen (P75), Mocha Motion (P62), PB & J (P75) and Valrhona Milk Choco-Hazelnut Tart (P68). I found the prices of these cupcakes a bit steep compared to Frostings which offered P45 for their regular line and P60 for premium. But of course, I had a very open mind. They might be priced higher 'cause they might be really better.

Red Velvet Vixen P75 Mocha Motion P62

When I got home, the first cupcake I tried was the Red Velvet Vixen -- traditional southern red velvet cupcake made with Belgian cocoa and topped with luscious cream cheese icing. Although I love the really buttery taste of the red velvet base cake, I was turned off by the sweetness of the cream cheese icing. Although I love sweets, the icing was just too much.

It was also the same with the Mocha Motion, a moist chocolate cupcake topped with a dollop of frothy mocha butter cream. Although the base cake was moist and had the right chocolatey goodness, the mocha butter cream was super sweet! I think I just consumed less than half of the whole icing.

PB&J P75 Hazelnut Tart P68

It was different though with the PB & J -- moist chocolate cupcake filled with concorde grape jelly and topped with creamy peanut butter frosting. Although honestly, this was the cupcake I was the most skeptical with, it turned out that it was one of the best in the bunch. It had the same chocolate base cake with the Mocha Motion, but the icing was just right. The blend of the peanut butter and the grape jelly was good, and it was not too sweet for my liking.

Hazelnut Tart

The Valrhona Milk Choco-Hazelnut Tart was really good too. With a milk chocolate-hazelnut cream in a chocolate sweet tart crust topped with dark chocolate glaze, I was expecting it to be overly sweet. But no, it had just the right amount of sweetness, and the chocolate-hazelnut cream filling was just so sinfully delicious!

THE VERDICT

I don't regret my first try with Cupcakes by Sonja. However, I don't think I would go gaga for their cupcakes either. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I find most of their frosting too sweet for my taste. The cupcake base, although fluffy and flavorful was a little crumbly too. If I had to compare, I'd like to stick buying my cupcakes from Frostings. But, if I'm in the area, I wouldn't miss sampling other cupcakes Sonja can offer. Maybe I was just unable to try their best creations. It wouldn't hurt to take home a piece or 2 each of the PB &J and Valrhona Milk Choco-Hazelnut Tart too.

Taste - 4/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3.5/5
Overall Value - 4/5


Cupcakes by Sonja, Serendra
1C03 Serendra Piazza, Bonifacio Global City
Taguig City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 856-0308
Official Website

57 comments:

  1. Sa totoo lang super sweet ang icing nila. Ang nagustuhan ko naman e yung lemon cupcake nila. Though matamis ang icing medyo maasim din because of the lemon.

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  2. Para siyang masarap tignan noh? But sometimes too much of frosting or icing? Nakakaturn off. I agree with you. Parang natikman ko din anoh? :D I heard their shop before! Thanks for sharing your verdict! :)

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  3. Sumi I have tried all their flavors din. It's pretty popular. Lage meron nagdadala niya kapag parties sa school or even with relatives. The Red Velvet Vixen is their best seller at yun yung hindi nawawala pag may nagdala hehe. When I mean mga alf lang kaya ko because I could never finish one dahil matamis.

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  4. Sumi! You always make me go out of my room in the middle of the night so I can search for some foods which are somewhat alike with what you feature! Anyway, this place looks great! I love cupcakes :)

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  5. Yep too sweet indeed! When I go to Sonja, I can't stand to eat anything else other than strawberries and cream. That's the "lightest" thing on their menu and the sourness of the strawberry counteracts the sweetness of the pastry and cream. The other offerings with the frostings are just too rich for my taste. It's expensive pa so all the more I'm not inclined to visit often :P

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  6. those cupcakes are looking so delectable..

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  7. i tried sonja's na rin pero ok lang taste sa kin or dahil dalawa lang na-try ko. expensive siya for me. =)

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  8. I love eating cupcakes but I hate it when it's too sweet. But I still want to try Sonja's cupcakes though. Mejo malayo nga lang yung store nila from my place.

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  9. I love their lemon drop! nababalance out ung sweetness because of the lemon.. :)

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  10. Wow we're always in market market as I work in BGC and we're renting in kalayaan but I never knew Sonja. I like the place and would love to try Valrhona Milk Choco-Hazelnut Tart.. looks tempting

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  11. I'm quite intrigued with Cupcakes by Sonja, but it's not something that I'd make a trek to Serendra to give a try. :)

    http://www.dekaphobe.com/

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  12. yup, the cupcakes looked all so divine and decadent but i can't take the sweetness. i bite for me is enough.

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  13. Why are all the interesting restaurants and shops in Serendra? Ang layo! Hehe. I remember having a coupon for here in my BDJ planner. Kaso hindi ko nagamit kasi ang layo nga. But they look so cute super! :)

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  14. Same here. Not much of a fan. It's just too sweet. =(

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  15. Love Sonya's Cupcakes. But I have a personal favorite that I'd like to share.. Although they only make customized pieces (no physical store yet though). You can check out Swirls N Sprinkles on Facebook. I've ordered from them 3 times already. They never fail my taste buds. =)

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  16. You finally tried them! And yeah, it is sweet but I kind of like it that way. But most of the time I share it with friends para di super umay. In retrospect, I should try Frostings soon! Haven't tried them ;P

    www.foodiefromthemetro.com

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  17. Red Velvet is my favorite here eversince...Yes, too pricey but its worth it...

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  18. i like Sonja's not just because of their cupcakes but i also like the shop. parang i can stay there and just stare at all the goodies all day long. hehe

    i agree with some of the comments, mahal siya. :D masarap pero i cannot forgive myself for spending almost a hundred bucks for one cupcake. hehe

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  19. Yay cupcakes! I'm dying to bake some cupcakes but I'm not really sure of myself when it comes to baking pastries and cakes. I think I need more patience and control for me to whip a very good and delicious cupcake.

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  20. i'm on a diet! but i guess one or two cupcakes would be ok...bec those looks oh so tempting!

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  21. we had lunch at mamou last saturday and i forgot to drop by here. now i'm craving red velvet cupcake...

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  22. Hmmm, the photos looked so enticing.. I loved sweets, 1 cupcake or 1 slice of cake is enough for me though.. :)

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  23. I've tasted a lot of cupcakes but Sonja's still makes them better than many others out there. :)

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  24. wow wow I am dying to taste that

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  25. I only got to taste Sonja's Cupcakes once, and I did find it way too sweet as well.

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  26. i love sonja's. i agree it's super sweet so 1 cupcake is good na :)

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  27. Awww too bad about their red velvet cupcake. That was the one I was "rooting" for that you'd like best.

    Much support, Christia
    _______
    Looking for the Apple @ Big Apple Express Spa from Christia's World

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  28. This post made me miss Sonja's! Haven't had them in awhile. Oh, and PB & J is my favorite, too. :)

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  29. Ang sarap tingnan, nakakagutom. Ang ganda din ng shop nila. Will definitely try their cupcakes kapag nakauwi ako :D

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  30. all of them look so yummy! not good seeing this when I'm on diet nsisira ng bongga! haha i pinoys have this original sweet tooth tlg!! haha xx

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  31. OMG! they look yummy!!:) I wanna try them soonest!!! :)

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  32. I love the ambiance here and their cupcakes! lalo na packagings nila

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  33. I haven't tried these cupcakes, it's too far for my liking. :)) But reading your review about it, I might not be crazy over these too. I don't like super sweet stuff. But I have to say, I love their interior plus the packaging and branding. :D

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  34. Their shop look so inviting as well as their cupcakes. But looking at them with all those thick frostings and fully decorated ones makes me think theyre so yummy. I think they are...for the super-sweet-tooth person! hehehe! Cupcakes here are so pretty but very sweet, I don't like it. Mas gusto ko pa ung ordinary cupcakes jan sa pinas.

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  35. Sarap naman dito. I haven't really been to Serendra ksi ang layo! haha! But I have heard a lot of good things about their cupcakes. I love staring at your photos!

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  36. wow, i'd love to try all of those...the place is so whimsical...prang ang sarap maging bata!

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  37. I've actually seen that store several times but I just can't seem to go inside and buy something.. will try these out next time I'm in Serendra ^^,

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  38. I have heard great reviews about Cupcakes by Sonja. The place looks really nice.

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  39. mukhang lahat ng flavor ay masarap pero...
    i am no fond of eating cupcakes pero kung matikman ko siguro ito, siguradong busog ako :)

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  40. I have been to Sonja's a couple of times with friends, I found their cupcakes to be too sweet because of the frosting. But my friends and family members who love sweets, Sonja's is their absolute favorite.

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  41. Now I'm drooling!

    Sana magkaron dito nyan sa Olongapo!

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  42. after i read this post last Friday, i asked my hubby to buy me a box of this..hahaha... just getting bratty..lol

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  43. you might like the Pistachio berries 'n cream.. it's not too sweet and it looks great, too! :)

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  44. I heart their cupcakes. I have a sweet tooth e.

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  45. As usual, you photos can stand alone and will tell their own stories!

    I like the objectivity of your review of Cupcakes of Sonja. It would make me as a reader curious to how the cupcakes are but not have high expectation of their products.

    Not much of a sweet tooth here, but I do love something sweet after lunch or dinner, and cupcakes for tea-time is indeed a sinful pleasure I indulge in from time to time.

    You made me hungry again, Sumi! lol

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  46. Those cupcakes look divine!! I wish I can try that someday.

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  47. Red Velvet is my fave! And also the lemon sunshine thing. :)Now I have to try PB & J

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  48. I like ur shooting style, it really makes me crave

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  49. I also love girly look of the place..and the cupcakes really look yummy!!!!!
    sweet tooth ako kaya kaya tio drooling na naman sa post mo..

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  50. The place is lovely and I am sure the sweets too. But, it's that I am just not a fan of sweeties..

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  51. I couldn't get enough of Sonja's PB&J cupcake - if only it wasn't too sinful, I think I can eat a few of this in a day :P

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  52. I have heard Sonja's cupcakes. . but ive never tried them yet. I might as well do so when i visit BGC next week. Or maybe ill just buy some for Valentines. But if those sinful treats were too expensive, i might think twice though. Hmm. .

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  53. cupcake lover!!! i love red velvet and lemon cupcakes!

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  54. Rizza Joanna Salas
    I also want to try their cupcakes, but I'm too far from the place.:( I love frostings too, (actually their my first love, I guess).

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  55. ay di pa po ako nakaktikim ng cupcake sa sonja's. sana makatikim :(

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  56. I wanna try their red velvet! But for me the price is reasonable because it is big! :)

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