Firecakes

I really LOVE this place because the donuts are very good and always fresh but watch out when you pay by credit card. The workers ALWAYS add 10% tip to the credit card so you’ll need to watch out for that. I’m not sure why the cashier feels entitled to a tip for grabbing a donut and placing it in a bag. I do believe in tipping for exceptional service but don’t see the point in throwing money out to individuals that try to pull the wool over my eyes :)
I’ll give 4 stars because of the shady cashiers otherwise the donuts are much better than any other place I’ve been.

I went here on a Thursday night, so there was no crowd. It’s a very small place, so it looks like it can get crowded very quick, just FYI. I ordered some hot chocolate and a couple of donuts. I got a hazelnut cream filled donut and vanilla donut. They were so good! Very flavorful and rich. Same with the Belgian hot chocolate. I’ll definitely be returning whenever I get my weekly donut craving.

This place is good as hell, or better than heaven depending on your thoughts around mortality. The chocolate espresso cream was one of the best most enjoyable things I’ve ever had in my mouth, if dudes shot the chocolate espresso cream out of them I would consider doing porn… Or getting a boyfriend.
Unsure about parking because I walked there, but for real, you’re eating donuts, walk your fat ass there. Eat all the donuts and go hug your cat.

went here for the hype:
donuts, had the triple chocolate and it was dry and just had unpleasant taste, nothing close to chocolate.
I got the milk ball, was decent.
service is awful, the lady at the counter gave off an «Hurry-​Up» vibe, as we weren’t greeted and she just rushed while
doing everything (no one else was in the shop). She didn’t wear gloves when dealing with donuts and she literally dealt with them with her hands, after she touched with the money and god knows what else.
over all, you would be better off at Dunkin Donuts.

The reviews for Firecakes are amazing. Naturally, my expectations were elevated.
I decided to try a cake donut and a yeast donut. I opted for the Valhrona Chocolate Iced and the Triple Chocolate cake donuts.
I did not enjoy the cocoa nibs on top of the cake donut. While they added crunch, they also took away from the flavor. The donut itself was dry. I don’t like it when the edges of my donut crunch. I wouldn’t get this donut again.
As for the yeast donut, it was super fluffy. I didn’t like the chocolate icing, sadly. The icing made the donut super bitter, which was not pleasant. I wish it had been sweeter.
Overall, I probably wouldn’t come back. If I did, I would try something else.

This donut shop is super cute, but it is very small so beware that there will really be no place to eat unless you stand against the wall. I definitely expected the ice cream doughnut sandwich to be a lot better, but I guess the reviews hyped it a bit too much and that made me disappointed when I actually tried it. Don’t get me wrong, the sandwich was pretty good and very unique, but it wasn’t made that well. The vanilla ice cream didn’t look very inviting — it sort of looked like a slab of butter. I ate it anyway and the chocolate sauce inside was a nice balance. I wish there had been more chocolate sauce, just a little less ice cream, and warming up the donuts would’ve made the sandwich a lot better. It got way too sweet towards the end, so I ended up having to let go of the sandwich before I finished it. Sadly, I would not come here again.

Firecakes name, while simple, speaks volumes about what is found within. The power of fire, shouts of the boldness within the delicate pastries and the depth of their delicious hot chocolate, while cake summons my inner cherub as said pastries dance lightly upon my tongue, singing the praises of carbohydrates!
Seriously though, this place is Boss! Whatever your fancy, if you’re looking for sweetness crossed with awesome, look no further. We sauntered in on a day when the wind was fierce and the cold bitter — it had nothing on this place! After tasting their hocho, I would probably travel to the moon for it.
The case inside shows off their dozen or so options, starting with classics and ending with pizazz! The bacon pineapple donut was a favorite as was the old fashioned chocolate — you could bring your grandparents in here and everyone would find a favorite. The hot chocolate was Belgian in name, but celestial in flavor! I think it contained joyful angel tears — best we’ve had in a long time!
The winner of all winners however was the donut ice cream sandwich — a glazed long john, homemmade ice cream (actually made for the sandwich, not just slopped in) and some drizzled fudge — game over. Pair that with the hot chocolate and papa’s ready for the night! A must try regardless of weather — we loved it at 3 below 0, so I’d venture to say it’s just fine at 80 degrees.
Great selection, quick in and out spot and some really nice folks working here. A must try if you’re anywhere close.

I’ve been researching/​taste testing the Chicago gourmet donut scene for the last couple of years now.
My conclusion: FireCakes hands down! I love their traditional vanilla, chocolate, jelly filled and cake standards but they also do seasonal specials.
The ice cream donut sandwich is tdf!

My god, I love their donuts but I wished they have more flavors. :/
The place is really small so don’t be surprised when you are crowded inside. Their ice cream donut is pretty good. They have a card that if you buy 10 dozen donuts, you get a dozen of donuts for free. I heard their coffee is pretty good. I’m not really a coffee person so I didn’t buy one.
I recommend this place to anyone!

It was cold and wet but the hype drove me to power through just to try their infamous ice cream donut sandwich!
The moment I took my first bite I knew this was something special, because no amount of cold could stop me from finishing every ounce of their homemade gelato. Even though it sounds simple, it tastes absolutely amazing.
So if you’re ever in the mood for some ice cream sandwiches, hit up firecakes for some serious mouthgasms. The shop itself is pretty well hidden and small so do keep an eye out for it!

Must stop! Great local fresh donuts with a variety of flavors each day.
Peanut butter cup donut had dark and ioch chocolate frosting on top and a very lite and whipped peanut butter cream filling. My new favorite donut ever!
Coconut cream was a ring donut with a coconut flavor and large icing dollop on top, flavors were mild but given the bold and rich flavors of the peanutbutter cup, I wanted more coconut flavor
Pistachio crusted was awesome, less sweet and more nutty, very well cooked and flavored
Great fresh squeezed oj as well if you’re not in the mood for coffee

No rainy weather could’ve stopped me from walking to Firecakes to try their famous ice cream donut sandwich! This little genius creation is totally worth every calorie (and the $ 5 it costed). The donut itself wasn’t too dry and the vanilla gelato was to die for. Overall, it wasn’t anything fancy — literally just gelato in between a glazed donut, but yet it was sinfully delicious!
I didn’t get the chance to try their other amazing-​looking donuts, but I definitely want to the next time i come back! I also overheard the cashier explaining some donuts to the customer behind us and there was apparently a Nutella donut. So Nutella-​lovers, there you go.
The store is very small and there aren’t any tables available, so it’s just a place to stop by briefly to get your donut goodness. If you ever find yourself in Chicago, make it a point to try Firecakes because you won’t regret it!

A quick walk from my hotel on Magnificent Mile. I love trying out donuts while travelling. Chicago has so many great donut shops! My mother and I stopped by to grab some for our trip home. The shop is very tiny! You can really fit only a few people in there. They have some donuts in the case right when you enter, but others have to be placed in the back. I couldn’t really get a good look at everything. :-(
We ordered the honey glazed (I think that is the best test for a donut shop), apple cinnamon fritter, and the vanilla iced. The last was on recommendation of one of the employees. Apparently, it is their specialty and best seller. How could I visit without getting that?
The apple cinnamon fritter was OK. I am not a big fitter fan, so that is not suprising. My mother liked it though (it was her donut choice). I wasn’t a big fan of the vanilla iced. The donut itself was pretty good. But the icing really isn’t needed and I didn’t like the «balls» on top. Not sure what they are made of. Would have been much better without the balls. Now the honey glazed! Wow! Wonderful. This is closest to the donut shop of my childhood that my family all loved. My brother, who is not the biggest donut eater anymore, really enjoyed at is well. I am very sad that I shared it with him. LOL.

Oh my god! Those words were uttered from my mouth when I took a bite of the donut I had.
The shop is tiny, you can probably cram 5 or 6 people in there to order and they have a large display case of 10 – 12 different types of donuts with a few others on a back counter. I recommend you chat whoever is working up to get a good idea of what came out best that day as it worked out for me.
I was told about 3 of the cashier’s favorites and I decided on the PB&J donut. That thing was ABSURDLY delicious. By the time I finished it I was about 3 blocks away and still debated about turning around for another.
As a disclaimer, I’ve only had one donut here and perhaps I hit the jackpot of deliciousness with it and will never achieve the same with their other donuts but until that time, this place ranks as my favorite donut around. Run, don’t walk here… and buy 2 not 1… so you don’t have to debate walking back after your last bite.

3.5 stars rounded up to account for my previous visit
Ice cream sandwich: (³⁄₅) This time around I got the seasonal pumpkin spice ice cream which was not that great. It lacked the flavor and punch I got last time with the horchata flavor.
I probably won’t be back after this visit unless prompted.

Stumbled past the donut shop trying to find my way back to the hotel on Kinzie. It was after 10pm but the lights and colors drew me in. I was pleased that they were open so late, and had a decent selection too! I tried the hazelnut long john and the malted milk mini. The next morning I conveniently found my way back here and tried the peanut butter and the cappuccino mini. The flavors are creative although a donut is still a donut and tastes exactly as you would expect. Nothing more or less. They were all tasty enough. I think they are so pretty to look at behind the glass, that was the best part, eyeing them all! The giant ones made me feel like Homer Simpson in real life.
Overall it was yummy and a nice find but I’ll save the «top donut» award for Holtman’s in Cincinnati.

It’s time for an update!
Firecakes rounds out my top 3 fave donuts (after Do Rite and Stan’s). It’s because Firecakes is a triple threat, delivering on quality (fresh donuts at any hour!), variety, and quick service!
My go to is the triple chocolate. How can you go wrong with chocolate upon chocolate upon chocolate? I also recommend the butterscotch praline and coconut ones. Most recently, I tried the seasonal fritter: grape with a cheese glaze, their take on wine and cheese. Not my fave, but it was creative and about the size of a ginormous crater on Mars.
Still mildly devastated that they ran out of ice cream donut sandwiches on my last Saturday night visit.

Without a doubt the BEST donut I have ever consumed in my entire life.
Y’all know that tingly feeling you get in your mouth when you smell something so insanely divine? Times that by two and that’s the feeling I got when I stepped into Firecakes for the first time during the brunch hour.
Its a heavy chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, honey, fragrance rolled into one. Literally the server laughed at me when I popped through the door and immediately exclaimed «OH MY GODDDD IT SMELLS LIKE A FOOD ORGASM IN HERE!»
At any rate, there were so many sinfully delicious treats to choose from, and I had just had a hefty lunch, that I decided to keep it simply and order an old fashioned buttermilk and original honey glazed donut. Old fashioned donuts are my favorite.
I wish someone could have recorded my reaction when I took the first piece of my old fashioned donut. The outside was a perfect crunch, while the inside was SO incredibly moist and BUTTERY (no doubt from the buttermilk). I legit stopped in my tracks on the sidewalk and almost got ran over by a cyclist because I lost all common sense. If you’re an old fashioned donut lover, this one will be the best you’ve ever had.
The original honey glazed was flipping amazing as well. Soooo soft and yeasty. So sweet. And buttery. And vanillery.
I’m going to have to struggle to not detour on my walk to work every morning. My god what a donut

Best donuts in the city. Yes yes yes.
Visited Firecakes as a post-​biking treat because I had to justify the massive spike in blood sugar that was about to go down.
The space is tiny. Like NYC studio tiny. It encourages people to order quick and gtfo so I can see the point of it. Unsure what to order, the cashier helped me select a donut ice cream sandwich (mandatory for summertime Chi, btw), the butterscotch praline and I had a couple bites of my friend’s classic vanilla. OMG! The butterscotch center’s filling just oozed so beautifully and the vanilla’s dough was so insanely fluffy. I’ve never experienced donut love like this before. The ice cream sandwich is in another league of its own. It’s a perfect combo of cold ice cream and soft, sweet donut heaven. I started singing Usher’s OMG, it was all that good.
I think what sets them apart from the 500 other donut shops in town is the crazy good quality of their sweets. I love Glazed but their donuts seem a little firmer, Stan’s has that weird pocket thing I’m not crazy about and do-​rite just seems basic.
If you’re ever in the area, you must stop in. You’ll leave singing too.

Wanted to bring some goodies to our team for breakfast upon a recent visit to Chicago. Took fellow Unilocalers advice, got-​up early and was one of the first customers in line.
The aroma of freshly baked donuts was heaven to my nose. As I gazed over the selections, I decided upon the Butterscotch Praline, Honey Glazed, Maple Glazed Pineapple & Bacon, Triple Valrhona Chocolate cake and the Old Fashioned Buttermilk.
My colleagues were a bit surprised as I walked-​in carrying my box of goodies. However, they were delighted after sampling the donuts. I mean, who doesn’t like donuts?
They were all very good, but the Honey Glazed and Butterscotch Praline were my fave. The treats provided us with sustenance, while giving us the necessary sugar rush too. What a great way to start the day.