Cuckoo’s Bakery

more familiar with the original on Dundas St but this seems very much to repeat a successful formula — focused around a display cabinet of incredible cupcakes, a small friendly café in the increasingly competitive Bruntsfield area. I like the coffee, the cupcakes and the service (which is all I’ve tried in this branch) so what more can you ask for?

Be hard pushed to find a better scone in the Bruntsfield area (fruit or cheese) than from this little place. Sure there are plenty of reviews raving about their cupcakes, which are award winning and tick many people’s boxes, however if you’re looking for something a bit more comforting as the nights draw in, fire up your toaster cause you’ll be in for a treat.

I’ve now been to Cuckoos Bruntsfield store 3 times and sampled a fair few of their glorious cupcakes, slices and brownies. All are amazing, but I have 3 favourites so far:
1) Lemon and raspberry cupcake (lemon curd filling with vanilla icing and raspberry on top)
2) Salted caramel and hazelnut brownie (gooey decadence)
3) Chocolate, caramel fudge slice (huge and very rich)
One day I was meeting a friend there for coffee and cake, but had to takeaway due to the limited sit down space (only about 4 tables).
I wasn’t overly impressed with the coffee — passable, but I will perhaps have tea next time I’m there for a sugar fix.

I love cuckoo’s bakery! I love that I live close to this location! Cuckoos by far has the BEST cupcakes in all of Edinburgh, and I’d dare say in all of Scotland !!! SO tasty, moist, flavourful and the icing! O don’t get me started AMAZING! What I like best is they always have such fancy combinations … like a vanilla sponge with a white chocolate truffle in the middle and a Italian merengue dipped in white chocolate… things Id never attempt to try and make at home! I would love to work here so I could eat the cupcakes that don’t sell at the end of each day… EVERYDAY FRESH CUPCAKES! yes its amazing! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!

My disclaimer is that I don’t like cakes (or beer, what the hell am I doing on Unilocal Edinburgh?!?)
Even though I can not for the life of me cope with the sugary sweetness of cupcakes I can definitely appreciated the wonderfulness of Cuckoos. Mainly because they do scones too.
Te décor here is adorable. Blue and white with some lovely motifs representing Edinburgh and the Cuckoo motif. These motifs make the shop, the logo and the cake boxes instantly recognisable. There’s picnic baskets and china plates, reminiscent of a picnic with your cool granny.
The cakes are displayed wonderfully and are very inviting. The cakes themselves are perfectly adorable. Each time I see one I inevitably yell ‘I want one!’ while my SO holds me back and reminds me I will buy it, and look at it and never eat it.
Worth it though. Totally worth it!

I wasn’t in cuckoo’s store long, but I was on a mission — get some cupcakes to accompany that night’s episode of Doctor Who. The staff were lovely, putting up with my umm-​ing and inane chatter. I may or may not have had a discussion with one of them about the aforementioned Doctor Who and our thoughts on the season opener.
I settled on two different sticky confections (one toffee, one chocolate/​caramel) and two identical lemon & raspberry meringue cakes — because I know that’s a flavour Tim and I wouldn’t reach a compromise on sharing.
The sticky chocolatey ones were indeed sticky & chocolatey with a nice moist sponge, but those lemon & raspberry meringue cakes were possibly the nicest I’ve had. A proper light sponge, plenty of lemon flavour and the soft meringue topping is sweet without being sickly like buttercream can be. A true superstar of a cake from a lovely store.
I’ll definitely be popping back here — probably on foot rather than traveling by TARDIS though, mores the pity!

I’m just going to say… peanut butter ganache cupcake with a hidden chocolate truffle inside.
Hulk smashed in my face. Now in my belly.

I’m confused. Do you get table service or do you have to order at the counter? I sat and waited after choosing my cupcake of choice and drink, and waited. I then decided to get off my butt, whilst two staff members were busy chatting between themselves. Then the chosen cupcake, which was the last one, went away with someone else! Would this of happen if someone had served me? Who knows!
Hey, I choose my second choice but still saddened I couldn’t get the last toffee apple (my favourite, by far). Second choice was just as yummy and I’m best pleased they have fentiman’s ginger beer in as the day was warm and I have quite a bit of coffee beforehand.
The reason I ask about service is the Dundas Street (the original) come to your table and then you order if you sit in. This is why I’m confused. But other than that a lovely cupcake and chilled out atmosphere.

De-​freaking-​lightful.
Ok so there’s no question that i’m a bit cuckoo for Cuckoos (
). Though there is a question to why that line hasn’t been utilized more often in their reviews…
The Cannonmills store is right around the corner from my house, but one sunny (?) afternoon right after they had opened this little outpost in Bruntsfield, I decided to adventure for cupcakes.
…
I feel like i’m cheating on my neighbourhood Cuckoos, but I think I like their new digs a smidgen more. Why? Because it’s bloody charming, that’s why. Similar in style to their first endeavor, the little café is cute, quirky and impeccably done. The signage alone is enough to squeal about (see photos, because I was OBSESSED with it). It’s just cute. It’s the kind of place that I want to sip fancy tea and eat fancy cupcakes, which is handy as that’s exactly what they offer.
It might also be the fact that this was the location where I had my very first red velvet Cuckoos cupcake (fear not, available at both locations). Holy. Moley. That’s a darn fine cupcake and that’s coming from a gal who doesn’t much like a cupcake (see previous review). Unlike the Sticky Toffee i’ve tried which was delicious but a bit heavy on the icing for my taste, this little ninja of cupcakedom was the perfect mix of moist cake and creamcheesey icing. Definitely the new favourite.
A bonus tip of the hat goes to the fact you can take away your little morsels of cupcakedy love and wander through the Meadows… which is just a fine way to spend an hour of your life if you ask me.
All in all, the first shop turned this jaded, cupcake hating skeptic into a fast fan; the second turned it into a fast top favourite.
Go. Eat cupcakes.

This is our neighbours!!!
The cakes and brownies are absolutely to die for!!! The staff are fantastic and friendly and I will forget all the calories in order to give my taste buds a treat!
Yum. X

Great place to relax and to have a Sunday treat. I decided to have, after a long debate because everything looked delicious, the two years in a row award winning raspberry and white chocolate cupcake. We also shared a rich chocolate and peanut butter milkshake. Will definitely be coming back!

After the success of the Dundas café, it was clear that Cuckoo’s bakery was destined to branch out and open up more bakeries. Bruntsfield is the ideal location for this 2^nd shop, given the cake and chocolate orientated cafés nearby (la barantine, the chocolate tree, falko, soon artisan cheesecakes etc).
A friend and I popped in for breakfast today. Yes, that’s right, cupcakes for breakfast. After yoga too. The space is minimalistic and tasteful, the croquery is cute, as one would expect in a Brunstfield establishment specialising in cake. There are not so many places to sit and there is no bathroom potentially making takeaway a better (and less expensive) option. I don’t think there was wifi. The staff are super friendly.
I got a Spring green tea, my friend had an americano. The tea smelt incredible though the flavour was not so intense. There were real flowers and leaves in the tea pot. We both opted for the white chocolate and raspberry cupcake (a little steep at £3, the sit in price), but it was ever so delicious, light and flavoursome. I am not a cupcake fan when cupcakes are dense, buttery and sickly, but I make an exception for Cuckoo’s bakery cupcakes. Next time I would love to indulge in the gluten free sticky toffee cupcake.

Cuckoo’s has now opened in Bruntsfield and it is as lovely and welcoming as Dundas St is.
It is smaller — 10 seats and offers drinks and cakes so if you want to brunch then head to Dundas St. It is a beautiful space — all the Cuckoo’s touches are there including a cuckoo clock. It is the attention to detail that makes this a stellar business — from the branded boxes and cups, saucers and own brand coffee to the rolling pin door handle. The customer service is second to none with lovely friendly staff and owners who love what they do which makes it a pleasure to visit.
The cakes here are still the stars of the show! The haberdashery cabinet stores around 16 separate sections of cupcakes including a gluten free option or two.
It is the gluten free options that bring me here again and again. Lovely, moist and well crafted cakes — the seasonal cakes are amazing and the sugar craft work is phenomenal! My fav’s are the banana, apple berry and the carrot cakes. To be honest, I love anything gluten free that these guys do. I now have my office mates hooked on these cakes too and the newest location is very close to work!
So, a welcome addition to Bruntsfield — well done to all at Cuckoo’s for opening shop no.2 which is close to work and home for me so win, win! :-)