Cupcakes by Sonja: Serendra's Sweet Haven

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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