Lately, I’ve been going through a sweet tooth craze! While driving around West LA, we drove past Hotcakes Bakes. With my sweet tooth, actually, I should say sweet teeth; hubby and I decided to turn around and check them out. We found a parking spot in the back behind the building and walked around to enter. We were greeted right away, and we immediately looked to see what they had to offer. They have cupcakes, cakes, tarts, brownies, croissants, gelato, coffee, etc. Hubby and I ended up getting some cupcakes (big and mini), a cake roll, and a berry tart. The lady that was helping us was new, and she was very patient with us because we kept adding more and more to our order. When it was time to check out, we wanted to order coffee. As we were about to tell the lady which coffee we wanted, another lady from the back came out and overheard us trying to order coffee, and very rude said, “she’s new, she doesn’t know how to make coffee yet, I do, but there are other people here, you’ll just have to wait.” Instead of clapping back at this lady, I just kindly said, we don’t want the coffee; we’ll go elsewhere for coffee. I felt that her tone was not needed, and we were here first, tell the other people to wait and make our coffee. The new lady could’ve helped the other folks after checking us out. Ugh! Unfortunately, both the cake roll & berry tart were not good. The berry tart tasted old and was super hard. The cake roll tasted funny, wasn’t good. We ended up throwing both of those treats in the trash after one bite. The cupcakes were just eh. The only pretty fantastic tasting was the mango tres leches cupcake. That was fire!!! After our first bite, I made my hubby go back for more of just those. When my hubby came back out, the rude lady told him she could make our coffees now. Girl bye! It’s too late. But yet she made coffee for the people waiting in line behind when we checked out the first time. Even though that mango cupcake was stupid delicious and the shop is super cute, I won’t be coming back. That rude lady ruined it for us. That’s ok, though; there are plenty of other bakeshops around.

I've worked near Hotcakes for almost 5 years, so I've driven by it a million times, but until recently I hadn't actually stopped in to try the food. But once my fiancee and I started planning our wedding I knew I wanted Hotcakes on the list of places to potentially order our cake from. I had contacted them a few months ago to schedule a wedding cake consultation, but we of course had to reschedule due to the pandemic. With the pandemic still going on a few months later, I wasn't sure they'd be able to reschedule with us when we wanted, but they made it a breeze. Danielle was great to meet with--let us try all the varieties of their cupcakes we wanted to narrow our flavor choices down, then discussed some details of our preferences on appearance of the cake and guest list before getting down to pricing details with us. We still have a few other cake tastings to attend before we make a decision, so I'll update this review if we do end up selecting Hotcakes in the end, but as far as tastings go I enjoyed meeting with the Hotcakes staff and would absolutely return for yummy cupcakes and pastries at the very least!

I'm always suspicious of reivews when they are at both extremes. So here is mine for what it's worth. Food; I have been going to Hotcakes since 2011 and love their cupcakes. I will agree however, like anything made fresh without preservatives, these delicious little gems will get stale if not kept sealed. Anyone who has eaten a cold Krispy Kreme doughnut or an In-N-Out Burger know what I mean. Decor; Very pink, but not the annoying kind. However, rumor has it that they are expanding into the next two spaces and I'm guessing that they will be going thru a remodel. Service; I found that it depends on how busy the cooks are. If they are backed up with custom orders, which they seem to get a lot of, there's a wait. But for me, it's worth it. The cake is soft and the icing sweet. Just thinking about them is making my jaw lock! Let's face it, the "Cupcake Craze" has tapered off and in a world where most stores have failed, Hotcakes Bakes is still here. They must be doing something right, especially in this economy.

I travel distances just to come to this small local venue for cupcakes. Thier desserts are are moderately expensive but they are homemade. When you walk in you confront your self with the display of desserts and you can see the kicthen in the back where they bake everything. Staff here is really sweet, just like thier products! They sell a variety of desserts, but i particularly just go for their buttercream frosted cupcakes (they have whipped cream frosted cupcakes as well). Browse through their menu online before your visit you have more of an idea of what you are looking for and the prices. This is grab-and-go type of place. There is nowhere for you to sit, and little standing room, but it is worth it. They also do cakes, but you need to pre-order. Adore this place, five stars!

Paid reviews alert!!! When you order a cake for your loved ones what is more important than your actual order? including the texture and decorations if you want a cake minus all those things above you could go to Walmart and ask for a simple cake for 2 dollars per pound. They made a huge and unforgettable mistake on my order ( how about misspelling my son's name on his 1st birthday?) After I respectfully asked for the refund they said, " The misspelled name was a huge oversight on our part along with the butter cream instead of the fondant that you paid for " And they sent me 85dollars store credit out of my 265 dollars bill, I didn't ask for whole refund I was being fair and only ask for refund for the part which I didn't receive instead of store credit.

Opened in 2005 Hotcakes Bakes remains something of an under-the-radar shop, owner Elfie Weiss having turned in a career in entertainment for the store in Del Ray that has been feeding Angelinos for nearly two decades. Born in France but taking a broad approach to baking, the Almond Croissant showing off good lamination around semi-sweet Paste, Hotcakes Bakes continues the Cupcake “trend” with full-size or minis, Red Velvet moist despite lots of Cocoa while Tres Leches finds added emphasis from Mangoes with Tajin. Also selling a convincing Carrot Cake, plus cookies including thick and chewy Snickerdoodles, consider skipping overbaked Chocolate Chip rounds in favor of $4.25 Shortbread beneath a choice of Lemon Curd or soft Salted Caramel.

Hotcakes makes the hands-down best cupcake in Los Angeles. Their frostings are great, but anyone can do a tasty frosting. The key is the crumb. Their cake has a perfect crumb, and that means that it has great flavor, perfect texture and moisture level, and it has an ideal bite and mouthfeel. This might seem overly technical, but most high-end cupcakes just use the cake as something to hold the frosting. Here, it s the star of the show. They have a wide range of pastries, but I come for the cakes and cupcakes. They are real professionals,

Don’t waste your time or money. The cupcakes are not worth the calories, not even if they were negative calories. The customer service is one of the worst I’ve experienced. The owner has a nasty attitude, which matches her nasty cupcakes. The staff is so lazy they won’t take an order over the phone and tell you to come in to find sold out cupcakes. This place used to be good before the remodel and the staff were actually friendly and nice and the cakes were moist. Now the opposite.

I love this place!! I have been here a handful of times now, and the staff is very sweet. It looks very nice and clean, it’s a good place to sit and hang out in. The cupcakes are amazing- I got the coconut one and it was soooo good. They also have very good coffee cake and canelés. The food menu is also very good. We got the breakfast burrito and the salad with salmon which both did not disappoint. Overall would definitely recommend Hotcakes, and I am glad it’s in the neighborhood!

This place is amazing! I stumbled upon it while driving in circles one day and now it’s my go to for a sweet tooth moment! I got my birthday cake here (mocha gelato) and brought my mom when she came to visit. They won cupcake wars for a reason!!!! So moist, perfect ratio of frosting to cake, minis and regular sizes! Also, they’ve got a sandwich menu and wine bar. Check, check, check!!! (I just realized I don’t have any pictures of my cake but it was so good!)

I was unimpressed! I had high hopes for this place since I've seen it for weeks and is just now stopping by! I didn't know what to get cause everything i saw, i really wasn't impressed by. Tiny cupcakes for $3. The ine bitters! Really? The $5 parfait made with cake pieces and just whipped cream! Really? The whipped cream was whipped way too long. It was butter with no taste. This place needs a remake of their products....sorry to say.

Chocolate walnut chip cookie was solid but the mint chocolate cupcake and “whiskey” honey cupcake I got today were awful! Chocolate cake was super dry and fell apart and the “mint cream cheese frosting” tasted pretty gross. Whiskey cupcake didn’t taste like whiskey and besides being soft and moist didn’t offer anything worth the $4.50 price. Save yourself a trip to this overpriced and under delivering spot.

We have been coming here since they first opened their doors and in general, I think their desserts and now their casual food are great. Occasionally I have bought a cupcake or pastry that I thought was just so-so, but usually everything I've purchased has been top notch. Favorites include: Tres Leches cupcakes w/spicy mango, Cannelè, The Parisian (croissant breakfast sandwich), Malibu Toast (Avocado Toast)

I’ve been buying cupcakes and cookies for 10+ years and they never disappoint. I ordered a Whale themed birthday cake and it was spectacular. Most important is the owner is so wonderful. She was closing her shop because of Covid on 3/16/20 and called me at 8am to make sure I was able to get my cake before she closed the doors. So kind and caring to make sure we had our cake for my boyfriends 40 birthday.

I don’t recommend this place anymore for what use to be delicious cupcakes. They are on the pricey side but they use to be worth it. Now they are dry and just don’t taste right. Beware I think they may have changed the baker. If they fix the recipe like it use to be I would go back but next time I will only buy one to see if they fixed the issue if I decide to go back.

Yeah....These guys got nothin' on Nothing Bundt Cakes. Cream puffs were good but everything else just ok. Fortunately, not too pricey. Certainly friendly, but practically hovering, including to the point of over me as I chose a tip % (!) for buying a few items. And she put one puff and two mini-cakes in a box, then the other puff and a mini in a little brown bag...?

Great local bakery with shouldn’t be missed cakes, cupcakes, cookies and fancy pastries. Great friendly staff. Large selection of delectable sweets. Reasonable prices - around $35 for a cake that will knock your socks off and look good while doing it. Parking at the curb and also in back. Convenient hours. Lots to choose from and they accept orders ahead of time.

Hotcakes Bakes has some of the yummiest cupcakes, cakes and tartes on the westside of Los Angeles. The place is small, but offers what it lacks in shop size in big sweet flavors. I usually get a variety box of cupcakes as to sample a few and it's always a hit when we have guests over. The staff are nice and helpful and I always look forward to stopping in.

We were just some tourists walking aimlessly around the streets looking for a bathroom and we thought that this place would have one, unfortunately we were let down BUT my sweet tooth had an unforgettable experience. I don't know if I was just hot but the cookies and cream gelato was fantastic. Thank you to Victoria for the samples and outstanding service!

I usually pick up from here and get a selection of the minis when I'm going to parties and events. The cupcakes are always a hit. Their canele (little custardy French pastry) is quite good and can be hard to find in LA. The cupcakes are all cream cheese icing, though, so if you're a buttercream lover, like I am, you need to special order ahead of time.

Their cakes, pastry and ice creams looked delicious. Unfortunately, the girl who worked today (April 7, 2023) around 2pm was a total B. She had zero customer service whatsoever, looked unhappy (grumpy) and kept playing with her phone. It was my first time coming here and definitely will be my last. Sorry to say but it wasn't a good first impression.

Delicious Eggs Benny and Kindof like the Godmother sandwich on a Sunday afternoon and it came with a cupcake! We were able to bike around back to the cute patio area and keep an eye on them while eating.(no bike rack but there's a place to pull them in close the the table out of sight) The staff were kind and welcoming. Very good experience.

Meh... I got 6 mini cupcakes to try different flavors (carrot, lemon, strawberry lemon, key lime pie, chocolate mint, chocolate raspberry) and they were all way too sweet and wow STALE. The stale part was the most disappointing. For that price, I want something mega fresh.... Needless to say I had a bite of each and chucked the rest :(

Literally just ordered through the Postmates app. Ordered the ham and cheese quiche, cinnamon roll, and the ham and cheese croissant. They were out of the ham and cheese quiche but gave me an croissant and the spinach and cheese quiche. I was having such a bad day until I came across Hotcakes Bakes. So generous and delicious!!

To that one user that rated them 1 star. Dude ur bitter lolll anyways. I've lived in Culver city my whole life and I remember when this bakery opened up. I go there occasionally for their cakes or croissants. I like the quality and taste of the baked goods here. Thank u for being part of the community Hotcakes !

We ordered a custom cake in the shape of a potato sack (long story!) and Hotcakes Bakes embraced the challenge. They delivered the most spectacular cake! We were so happy with the result. And on top of looking amazing, the cake was delicious. Great and easy service too. We highly recommend them.

The cupcakes might visually look appealing, but the reality is that they do not much flavor at all. And they often taste hard & stale. The only reason continue to go back is because it is 1 block from my house, and I want to keep giving them more chances to redeem themselves. Sorta sad :(

Buy a birthday cake from them every year and loooove their cupcakes. They went above and beyond for us when there was a slight delay in our pick up window, for our cake, which was clearly communicated prior. Basically they have created a loyal customer for life, so thank you Hotcakes!

I was quoted a price for a 3-tier wedding cake on 8/19 in person in the shop. I had a meeting today (9/3) with the consultant, and the price doubled. She said the price given to me previously was wrong. They did not honor the original price given to me. Not good business Hotcakes!

The have the best cupcakes around. I buy 2 dozen of the mini cupcakes for parties and they are gone before you know it. They are a bit on the pricey side but definitely worth it. I love their tres leche cupcake with the chili mango.

I love this place! The options are endless and their cupcakes are the best I’ve ever eaten! They also offer delivery and never disappoint! I would recommend them to anyone and I do grisly tell everyone about them all the time!

Truly disappointing service! And 0 for the attitude & customer service- I asked if they have coffee and the young lady’s snarky response was: a little bit!! & she couldn’t complete or explain her answer to a simple question!!

I purchased the mini cupcakes, lemon bar and the lava cake and none of them were good. They all had that refrigerator taste to them and the cupcakes taste old. Very disappointed especially for the price. Fresh is always best.

Love all the treats here. A bit pricey but you know you're getting great quality treats made fresh. Everything is delicious but the cupcakes are my favorite. I love that they come in mini sizes, perfect for kids bday treats.

Love this place for all my cupcake needs! They have a large variety of classic flavors and mixes. Always my go-to place in this area. Parking however, sucks. I believe they also have cupcakes for special dietary concerns.

Delicious breakfast and lunch. Had the godmother sandwich. The fruit was perfect timing. Very sweet. Taking some cupcakes to go. No doubt it will sing. Saw a bunch people pick up cakes. Patio in the back to relax and eat.

I've been coming here since they first opened. The experience use to be great but now they are way too expensive especially their cakes and their customer service is awful! I will for sure not be going there anymore!

Food: Everything is made in house and tastes as good as they look. ‍Service: Friendly, nice and ready for questions. Atmosphere: Clean, modern and yet comfortable Price: Bakery price seem fair.

The went above and beyond on our wedding cake. It was without a doubt the most beautiful cake my wife and I have ever seen. It was also extremely delicious. I will definitely be using Hotcakes again in the future.

Great Bakery! Cupcakes are not overtly sweet and decorated. The Tres Leches is our favorite whether you are getting the cake or the cupcake. There are a couple spots in the back, but parking is generally a PIA.

Horrible customer service, you feel dumb for buying a $75 carrot cake after dealing with the millenials here. Tip to owner, train your people on how to greet, or let them run your business to the ground.

If you are going to spoil yourself or a loved one... time to get the really good stuff. Hotcakes put the love and care into it. You can taste it. How else do you tell Grandma that you love her and care!

I had the pleasure of delighting my self with a few treats I picked out from this place. I will definitely be returning to try the many treats that caught my attention but could not eat all at once.

Such a cute bakery. Delicious cupcakes and love that they have quite a bit of options. Staff was friendly. Parked on the street and drove a bit to find a meter, but it wasn't a big issue.

Great spot! Met with a friend for lunch. Had super delicious avocado toast and yummy fresh fruit. Beautiful and quiet back patio, really friendly employees. Enjoyed our visit immensely!

Super yummy cakes and also amazing staff who are so helpful. I have called so many times with so many questions and every time they are friendly and informative. Manager is awesome!

Spent $17.00 on four cupcakes. They were totally stale, hard and bland. I am furious and will never frequent this awful place. How do you stay in business? Learn how to bake!

Hot Cakes is awesome, their cupcakes are delicious and their tiramisu and opera bars are a m a z i n g, and the staff is as sweet as the baked goods. We love going there!

I do NOT recommend this bakery...bought three cream puffs a rollcake and a Napoleon all were stale...$28.00 for awful stale pastries.... Won't be going here again...

Cute Bakery. Prices were good. I ordered the Banana cream pie and the Flourless Chocolate cake. The Banana cream pie was good. Next time I’ll try the cupcakes.

The best caramel ice cream I’ve ever had. Also got cheese danish and it was good. Big variety of sweets here. FYI the kitchen for lunch food closes at 2pm.

Okay, they won Cupcake Wars. Ignore that. They're dammed expensive. Ignore that. They have the best cake around. Their pastry cream is magic. Go, go now.

Spinkles cupcake was beyond dry, with an old taste to it, icing was cool. Lemon cheesecake made sure I'll never return. Eww eww eww disgusting bro ugh.

Found this place by chance. Super great cupcakes. Friendly staff. Presentation is 100% spot on. Will be back. Purchased 2 1/2 dozen full size cupcakes

I bought a 4 layer, red velvet cake,.... BEST CAKE I HAVE EVER EVER BOUGHT! My daughter, family, and friends, said it was the best cake they ever ate.

They make it easy to pick up a last minute cake. Easy as picking up the phone, putting the order in and picking it up. Superheroes work there. …

Get their variety box and sample each delicious cupcake!! The lemon and carrot cakes are two of my favorites. Would definitely recommend this place

I can't believe 35 cake ended up costing 54 w candle 12 and tip. Did not know I had to pay tip to buy a cake. Be aware when item has no price tag

Stay away from the $35 sprinkle cake. It's sickeningly sweet without any gourmet touch to it. Might as well buy a Vons cake and save your money.

Great cupcakes! Best I've had in town! Purchased them for several parties between thanksgiving and Christmas. Always fresh and good prices.

Ate their yellow cake at a birthday party. It was so delicious I asked for the name of the bakery just to rate it on Google maps.

An array of delicious treats. Specialize in cupcakes, which are fantastic and moist. Bomb flavors! Lemon bars are an addiction.

Incredible cakes! I got the Tres Leches cake for a birthday and people absolutely loved it! Definitely coming back soon!

I missed this place during the pandemic, I'm glad they're fully open. Good desserts and not overly sweet …

I love stopping by and grabbing a quick treat or for breakfast. Great selection of pastries and friendly staff.

Very nice place, variety of different cookies and cakes. Always friendly staff and good customer service!

Hot cakes has expanded! They have taken something that was already good and made it bigger and better!

I loved the tres leches cupcake. The frosting was really good. And the filling was a pleasant surprise

Some of the best cupcakes in LA! They offer unique flavors and are very generous with theirs icing.

Because life is too short and cheat days are too far apart. Stick with the tres leches cupcakes.

Cupcakes, mini cupcakes, pastries, etc...
Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

A must read! If you’re shopping for a wedding cake, don’t come here. They lie, lie, lie.

As a cheesecake aficionado I must say the cheesecake cupcakes are legitimate. …

Amazing bakery - my fave is red velvet cupcakes!! They are amazing! - great taste!

20/10 omg this place is really beautiful and the food OMG it’s delicious. …

Sooo yummy! Not a single flavor of cupcake wasn’t delicious & staff super nice

Oh my God I just tried the Almond Croissant off the charts best Ever

Quality cupcakes! Some of the better cupcakes I've had in LA

Delicious food and pastries! Def coming back :)

Their berry fruit tarts are delicious!