The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Sarah’s Cupcakes, located in a hushed Heliopolis side-street, is quite unlike its surroundings. The interior is almost deafeningly colourful. We were struck immediately by the greens, yellows and oranges of the sugar, sprinkles and glitter.

But don’t let the name fool you. Cupcakes are not all that Sarah has to offer. Also on the menu are cookies-on-a-stick, cake-pops, tarts and cakes. Many of these items are targeted specifically at children, which makes Sarah’s shop an ideal caterer for children’s birthday parties. In fact, a whole stand in one corner of the store is dedicated to birthday essentials – namely, an exhaustive variety of candles.

In terms of cupcakes, Sarah has all the classics covered: carrot with cream cheese frosting, lemon meringue, blueberry cheesecake, chocolate, vanilla (with various kinds of icing), Oreo cookie, Twix, Mars, Ferrero Rocher as well as a few more unusual combinations, including caramel-apple, banana-caramel, and M&Ms with milk chocolate (all for 10LE, customized cupcakes for 15LE). Cupcakes are also available in ‘big-mini’ (5LE). Despite being smaller in size, they retain a thick base ensuring they offer more than just one bite of delight.

We were consistently impressed by the frosting, which was beautifully presented, albeit so generously piled on the base that the cupcakes risked becoming a little top-heavy. Nonetheless, Sarah has successfully evaded the plague of sickening sweetness terrorising the nation’s yield of frosting. All we could really complain about was the inevitable sugary splotch on the tips of our noses.

But what really sets Sarah’s Cupcakes apart is their design. Even the most basic vanilla cupcake becomes interesting when topped with a sugary Hello Kitty, Smurf or Cookie Monster – all in shocking pinks, blues and greens. Equally adorable were the black and white, wedding-themed army of tuxedo-cupcakes. The overall attention to detail was very impressive, and Sarah’s clever use of colour, texture and glitter makes her designs nothing short of glamorous. And we all know that a pretty cupcake is instantly tastier.

Her other products are equally sleek. Our favourite were the chocolate cake-pops (5LE), crunchy and colourful on the outside and deliciously fudgey on the inside. Customised cakes are also on offer, ranging between 100LE-125LE for a small cake, and 250LE-350LE for the larger size, the exact figure depending on the number of layers and intricacy of the design.

The products are freshly made, on location. Leftovers are delivered to a local orphanage once every two days. Sarah will also soon be running cooking and baking classes for kids, in the comfort of her own kitchen facilities. She hopes to extend this to adults. Somewhat more niche is the plan to offer sushi courses. No doubt, these will prove successful. After all, there are few things Cairenes love more than sushi and cupcakes.