Pricewatch tests four different brands of cupcakes

Buns €2.25 each

HIGHS

The cream cheese icing on the Red Velvet buns was lovely and we liked their Banoffi cupcakes. While the buns are dense, the toppings are light and fresh. Available in markets across Dublin, see buns.ie

LOWS

If we were to be incredibly picky we’d say some cupcakes lacked the fruity tang we’d expected

VERDICT

Top notch *****

Sugarloaf Bakery €2.37 each

HIGHS

Moist, flecked with tangy fruit and commendably plain so the creamy topping can shine. Sweet, but not excessively so.

LOWS

Difficult to eat without making a mess because of the crumbliness of the cake.

VERDICT

Nice but delicate. ****

Insomnia €2.20 each

HIGHS

Comparatively cheap and easy to track down. We liked the fruity muffin base in the blueberry cupcake.

LOWS

Cream topping had a crusty surface and was incredibly sweet. Heavy and stodgy.

VERDICT

Heavy going **

Marks & Spencer €1 each

HIGHS

Easy to source and the cheapest.

LOWS

Mass-produced and taste like it. They don’t look as pretty as the competition and we’re not mad about the compote in the centre of each cake.

VERDICT

Cheap but dull **