I realise the title of this story sounds like one of those wonderfully magical children’s tales (and there is a little bit of a tale of a small child for you here too). The Ugly Cake that I speak of from Buppa’s Bakehouse in Newtown is not very ugly at all, despite the name. Buppa, a childhood nickname that stuck, contacted me a couple of weeks ago asking me if I would like to come in and taste her home baked goodies at her American style bakery, all made by her and her alone. I was in the throes of the flu (and no, not Swine Flu) and despite wanting to try them straight away, I begged off until my taste buds were back. They came back shortly after and I was looking forward to my visit.
Open for a mere 5 weeks, Buppa’s Bakehouse (Buppa rhymes with Papa) is on the quieter end of King Street in Newtown. In an elegantly hued building, it has a sparkling shopfront but you’d have to know it was there to find it amongst the jumble of shops. Buppa shows me her range of items and they’re certainly American in theme with peanut butter, chocolate and cream cheese featuring in many, cookies in many forms, all manner of American cakes and of course real boiled bagels - the New York way.
“My baking philosophy is that things should contain real ingredients, look delicious and be highly edible rather than just decorative. I am hoping that my ‘homemade’ style catches on and people start to remember what real cheesecake tastes like rather than the ones you can get that came out of a box, shipped from a warehouse etc.” she says. She’s more West Coast low key (actually San Franciscan) rather than the forward driven East Coast type.
Her story is interesting too – as the story goes she grew up very poor and to supplement the family’s income, her mum would enter baking contests but as there was a limit to the number of entries she could make, she entered under her children’s names. Buppa however was one of the 9 children that could cook so she entered her own goodies and ended up winning many prizes. The $5 for the children’s division and $10 for the adult’s division would prove a windfall for the family and set off a baking obsession for decades on and would urge her to quit her teaching job at an international school to open the bakehouse.
Blueberry bagel with cream cheese $4
I started with a blueberry bagel with cream cheese. She brings it out toasted and it’s generously spread with cream cheese. “It’s American style!” she says. “You’ve been to America right so you know that everything there is over the top and very generous in size” she says. The bagel is indeed a real boiled bagel with real blueberries (and her trick is to use dried blueberries which are costly but fresh ones are too soft). The cream cheese is thickly spread and some falls out as I bite in but it’s delicious. And yes it’s a bit more home made looking than bagels you may see which are made on a machine but that’s the point.
Pear & Plum Cheesecake $6
The baked cheesecake has small chunks of stewed cinnamon pears and plum and is topped with Beurre Bosc pears and cinnamon sugar. The filling is beautifully creamy and yet light. The buttery, crunchy crust is fantastic – possibly my favourite cheesecake crust ever and never discount the power of cheesecake crust. Get the wrong biscuit and it won’t be nearly as good.
Ugly Cake $7
The fabulously named Ugly Cake is a milk chocolate cake much like a German Chocolate Cake (a very American cake despite the name) with pecans, caramel and coconut frosting. Whilst I adored the coconutty and nutty frosting the cake inner was a bit too dry for me. But ugly it aint.
Tiramisu cupcake $3.50
The Tiramisu cupcake is a butter cupcake soaked in espresso and kahlua syrup and cream cheese frosting dusted with cinnamon sugar. Unfortunately I didn’t take a cross section photo but it would have revealed the centre of a butter cupcake (with a fantastic crunchy top) cut out and filled with a cream cheese filling that is just the right level of sweetness, just the right amount of coffee so that it’s not bitter and it’s rich, moist and mouthwatering at the same time.
Drunk Man’s muffin $4
The Drunk Man’s muffin is a chocolate muffin with a hint of vodka and kahlua with kahlua glaze. It is so moist and soft-wondrously so and with that distinct note of kahlua and vodka. It’s plain chocolate inside so if you want a bit more filling the Tiramisu is yours but this one certainly does well as a muffin.
Monkey muffin $4
We try the Banana, cinnamon and pecan muffin which is full of fresh bananas. It’s best heated up and slathered with some butter as it can tend to a bit too dense and on the dry side otherwise.
Death by Chocolate $4
Onto the cookies! This chocolate cookie is coated in pecans with melted caramel and chocolate drizzle. And did I mention in the centre of this is a pool of melted caramel? Have you any idea how genius that is? Yes? Ok good. Not surprisingly this is one of the best sellers with one woman requesting a spoon to scoop out the caramel.
Choc chip cookies $3
The chocolate chip is good-it’s in the Mrs Fields style of large soft chocolate chip cookie.
Credit Crunch $4
My favourite cookie however is the oatmeal sandwich cookie. I have a complete love of oatmeal cookies and cream cheese frosting and this one has butterscotch chips and cinnamon in it and is fused together with cream cheese frosting. So you can see how despite the fact that it is two large cookies with icing, I cannot resist its buttery, crunchy goodness.
Kat’s Cake: Red Velvet Cake $7
I had to go back to Buppa’s another day and she had some new cakes in the cabinet. Including… you guessed it, a Red Velvet Cake! We had Red Velvet cake for our wedding cake so I love this cake. I like the flavour to this although I do prefer them a smidge more moist and with more frosting. But you know me…cream cheese icing monster.
Sunny Side up $7
The Sunny Side up is a huge slice of a light, large crumbed moist lemon cake with a sweet lemon curd with a boiled coconut meringue frosting which I’d describe as a cross between a homemade marshmallow and meringue. It’s an unusual twist on the lemon meringue pie and nicely moist.
Blueberry Cheesecake $6
I’ve said how much I love the cheesecakes and the blueberry one somehow managed to be light yet creamy. Even though I rarely eat a whole piece of cheesecake, this lightness enables me to scoff entire slices of this and yes it comes with that buttery, crumbly aromatic biscuit base – a mix Buppa has experimented with to try and make her own version of a Graham cracker crust.
Cherry Chocolate Cookie $
The Cherry Chocolate Cookie is a rich chocolate cookie with a pool of melted chocolate and a marschino cherry in the centre which is gooey and soft when you bite into the soft cookie’s centre.
Cake Pop $3
One of the cutest things that I talked to Buppa about on my first visit was the Cake Pop which she is now playing around with making. I sampled her first go at them and it’s a wonderfully moist and rich cake crumbled up and shaped into a ball with frosting and then coated in milk chocolate. Think of a rumless rum ball but made with fresh, soft cake. “I’m going to play around with the sizes and rework it” she says.
Buppa also tells me “I am constantly rotating my items because I don’t want to become bored with something I love to do” and promises many more American style cakes possibly a 7 layer cake! I supress an internal squeal.
OK so it’s in the quieter end of Newtown but for all American home baked goodness and some home baked love, it’s worth the trip – and not an ugly cake in sight. And after my second visit when I brought home the cake box and greeted my Mother with it, her eyes lit up and she enquired hopefully “Buppa’s?”.
And if you needed another reason to visit, Buppa’s will also be one of the select delis that will stock Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream when it comes out in October!
And while we’re on the subject of American food, forgive my tardiness but here’s your Wallpaper Wednesday wallpaper. Agent Cooper’s Cherry Pie!
NQN ate as a guest of Buppa’s Bakehouse.
Buppa’s Bakehouse
482 King Street, Newtown, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 8065 0681
Thursday 11am-4.30pm
Wednesday & Friday 11am-6pm or later
Saturday & Sunday 9am-6pm or later
Closed Mondays & Tuesdays
Free regular coffee with purchases over $10. Catering also available.
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58 Comments | Add your own
Oh oh oh I think you’ve found something wonderful here! I was sooooooo excited to see what the next photo was, and the next, and the next! Buppa’s story is hearteningly inspiring and her baked goods beautiful! Oh and great to know another baker’s trying out cake pops – I have big dreams for the cake pop!
i tried a carrot cake they had, and it was delish.
What a wonderful bakery! And I agree that the ugly cake isn’t ugly at all.
I agree that when it comes to German Chocolate Cake, the frosting is definitely the highlight! Oh, and that bagel looks absolutely to die for…using dried blueberries is brilliant!
Buppas looks great. It reminds me so much of New York. The Bagels and the Red Velvet Cupcakes.
Not a bad way to spend a morning (or afternoon)! The ugly cake looks incredible, and the cookies just made me want a sweet snack.
Oh my goodness!!! With each picture of each tasty morsel my eyes lit up, so are now the size of rather large saucers!!! My goodness- I would travel just for the caramel soft centred cookie and “real” bagels- hmmm heaven
Those bagels are something else aren’t they!
There’s something in the water in Newtown. In 4 years, its gone from having a couple of standard high-street hot bread shops and Rise, who resell stuff from offsite commercial bakers, to a hub of amazing artisan bakers like Black Star, Buppas, Bakerman (at Erko) and la Cachette (also at Erko/Alexandria), Kentrose and the even the Eveleigh markets.
It still needs a good butcher though (hint AC/Hudsons/Vic’s).
I think I am going to make a trip there solely for the ‘Death by Chocolate’. Oh my goodness – Delish!!!
This reminds me a little bit of a bakery here in Brooklyn (Ivy Bakery, which carries some of my paintings as well as amazing fresh baked everything), though the owner’s story isn’t quite as interesting as Buppa’s. I think at the core Buppa and Daniellen are probably very similar, though – driven by a love of baking and a need to experiment!
OMG, where to start? I thought I definitely wanted the blueberry cream cheese bagel (it is still brekky time), but then I saw the pear and plum cheesecake and I was smitten!
Buppa’s looks so fun! what an interesting story, about her start in baking! everything looks amazing, especially the Sunny Side Up! and now i really want to make an Ugly Cake, just bc its so funny! I’ve never heard it called that before! great review, i felt like i was right there in the bakery with you!
another dessert place to try! simply love the look of the ‘credit crunch’ – must swing by this place the next time i’m in newtown, shame i don’t live there anymore
Oh what a find! You have lured me to go out to Newtown for this lil gem. Hubby and I was in NYC this time last year and loved loved love the bagels ~ perhaps this will satisfy the ‘authentic’ bagel craving we have been having…. Mmmmm!
Thanks for sharing! x
Wish I had a Buppas in my neighborhood! I may have to try and recreate that Death by Chocolate cookie!
Everything looks fabulously tasty! Especially the credit crunch and death by chocolate… I think I’d ask for a spoon to get at that caramel centre as well
I luv this story! She puts her heart and soul in the food u can just tell. Im going to visit for sure! =)
Ah cakepops!! That is my sole purpose for reading Bakerella’s blog. I’d love to see what you could do with cakepops too NQN!
LOL to the spoon for the caramel! It looks like a great cookie.
oh my goodness…I want to visit Buppa’s soooooooooooooo badly!!! Every single item you photographed would definitely find a home in my stomach!!!
Buppa has an interesting life story…and an interesting set of baked goods on offer!! I may have to get my sister to drive me there on Saturday afternoon
Thanks for letting us know about this, Lorraine
Looks yum! I don’t think Buppa has to worry about her ‘home-made’ style, everyone knows home-made tastes waaaay better than mass produced! Adelaide certainly doesn’t have anything like this.
Here’s my Buppa story. I must warn you though, you will be salivating quite a lot by the end of it, so make sure you have a napkin nearby to clean up the excess… I live in Newtown, and it was my friend’s birthday on Sunday. Having been into Buppa’s previously (the great surprises you discover when strolling around south King Street) and sampled her amazing baked goods, not to mention sublime mocha made by the gentleman (a good team by the looks of it at Buppa’s) I returned last Thursday to order my friend a cake… I ordered the mouthwatering blueberry cheesecake. A couple of days later I came back and picked up Buppa’s creation. Can I just say, if there is a heaven, it’s encased within blueberry cheesecake. Its appearance dripped with deliciousness, the craft(wo)manship so obvious that I could have just put it on the mantle piece as a work of art… But alas, my stomach had other ideas. That night my two friends and I gathered round the cake. They were both absolutely floored by its beauty. When the birthday girl cut into it and dished it up, our expectations and anticipation of its heavenliness were met by three deep and speechless sighs… The taste was out of this world, literally. This was one of the most amazing natural highs I have ever experienced. A breathtaking coma that we never ever wanted to come out of, but one I look forward to going into again and again. In short, WOW! (And thank you).
The cakes rock but they also pour a mean coffee as well. very nice.
Take the word of a repeat customer – you won’t be disappointed by the treats on offer at Buppa’s. Best bagel I’ve ever had, cheesecake goes down a treat, and the cakes! But my personal fav is the credit crunch biscuit – all the tastiest flavours harmoniously melded into a tastebud-tingling, addictive goodie. My husband prefers the sandwiches, but his sweet tooth is in training with the help of Buppa’s!
Wow, so impressive and I am really looking forward to her 7 layer cake. How refreshing to see different types of cakes ,made with lots of TLC, definitely worth the drive to Newtown, another to add to my ever-increasing list of places to try.
Wooooowwwwwww… Lucky me again, New town is near my area… the Drunk Man’s muffin , the tiramisu cupcake, the death by chocolate.. bagel…and also the mocha that someone mentioned..maybe this Saturday..hehe… Thanks Lorraine
I love the look and sound of them all…I will be off to Newtown soon so I can satisfy my tastebuds. A great post..thanks!
Dammit >_< I so wish I was going to Usyd main campus now
I would WALK there just for some of these!! Mmm everything looks so goooddd
Yummy! Those American goodies look great! I’ve been toying with the idea of making a tiramisu cupcake…hehe…was nice to see one here
Wow it all looks so rich and delicious! I do love cheesecake too. Mmm – and red velvet!
Lucky you to have had the chance to taste all of those goodies! It makes me want to go in my kitchen and bake bagels, cupcakes, well, everything!
WOW. I just ate lunch and these look sooooooooo divine… I wish i was there. I am a cookie and cake, and cupcake etc etc monster. mwhaha!
MMM MMM MMMMMM!!! You have to try the Chocolate Mud Cake. Absolutely delish!! Devoured in one sitting between four avid cake lovers. Overly generous sized cake that gave us the pleasure of being able to have seconds and thirds! Magically Iced – just heaven for the Chocoholic in all of us. Thanks again Buppa xx
Credit crunch cookies, all my favourite flavours in one hit – how good is that? As I scrolled down, each photo got me more and more excited, at last American style bakery treats in Sydney!
i agree with you, the title does seem like a fairy tale title
All the creations look mouth watering..
no, that supposed ugly cake isn’t ugly AT ALL. creamy coconut frosting can never and will never be unattractive to me. the snockered cookie and sunny cake are also extremely appealing.
WHat a wide selection! The death by chocolate looks amazing!
I wouldn’t mind having a slice of that ugly bugger over nice warm cup of coffee!
If everything American is over the top and oversized, what is Texan–ginormous?
Hmm.
When can I come visit Buppa and her bagels? (drooling)
They named the ugly cake appropriately, it looks like rissotto was stuffed onto the top of it haha
the ugly cake aint that ugly
hehe but it looks delish.. buppas story is interesting also m loving that blueberry cake!! yummm!!
Evil evil Lorraine! Why did you have to post this?!?!! Ha ha. When I’m in Sydney, I’m going to come home 10kg heavier due to your blog!
omg im definitely gonna check this place out! i absolutely LOVE bagels! i can eat them all da every day and those bagels look amazing!
I tried the Rabbit Food cake (carrot cake) yesterday and it was sooo moist and fresh, plus it had cream cheese frosting- I think have a new favourite! I can’t decide, my ‘favourite’ keeps changing
what an interesting place to visit! Hmm I think I have seen the ugly cake from somewhere before… but not from Buppa’s bakehouse. I can’t remember where or who..
Red velvet cake is such a beautiful thing, I’d definitely go another slice for its pretty color LOL
Hi Trisha-I think she’s onto something good here! I remember your cake pops with much fondness!
Hi karLos-Oh cool! I haven’t tried that yet!
Hi Faith-I know, it’s so not ugly but it’s a good name as it stands out! Yes I wish I could my hands on some to try making some
Hi Katherine-Ooh yes how fabulous-a slice of NY in Newtown
Hi lisa-Yes it was very nice indeed
That Credit Crunch cookie was sooo good!
Hi sandra-Yes real bagels! I was so excited and they were feshly baked too
Hi md-They are!
Yes there’s definitely lots of good things happening there aren’t there! It’s great! Haha yes hinting can’t hurt!
Hi Meg-Haha definitely do!
Hi anna-Yes I think that counts for an awful lot doesn’t it!
Hi Cakelaw-Oh yes that cheesecake crust! I’m determined to make a crust like that one day
Hi DessertObsessed-I know, I had to ask whether it was true as it’s such a great story!
Oh cool, thankyou!
Hi Mei-Yes I’m almost glad that I love a few subrubs away or I’d gain kilos on that CC cookie alone eating several a day!
Hi Eve-Oh very cool!
Yes authentic bagels are hard to find aren’t they! 
You’re very welcome! x
Hi Barbara-oh yes that would be a great idea! I bet you’d do a great job too!
Hi Jacq-Hehe yes a spoon to savour it and to dig into the caramel-yum!
Hi Brianna-Yes it’s great that it’s all baked there by her!
Hi Rebecca-Haha cool! I should give them a go except I have problems finding the sticks!
Hi Arwen-Hehe yes it’s very Seinfeld!
Hi Liv-Oh cool!
Yes she’ll be duly rewarded for driving I’m sure 
You’re welcome!
Hi Gab-Yes that is very true!
There aren’t enough places like this!
Hi Andrew-Wow, sounds like you were well and truly impressed (which I’m not surprised at, that cheesecake is gorgeous). Great idea to give it as a birthday cake too! Much better than many others on offer by a galaxy really
Hi mitch -Yes that’s actually very true, the coffee is great!
Hi Michelle-Yes that was my favourite too. I didn’t try any of the sandwiches as I couldn’t get my eyes off the cakes!
Hi Matilda-Yes me too! How great would a 7 layer cake be? Yes I’m so glad I know about Buppa’s!
Hi Ja-Cool!
Sorry to hear that it was closed when you went! 
You’re welcome! 
Hi Noodlehead-Oh cool! I’d love to know what you think of it!
You’re welcome!
Hi FFichiban-Yes all those lucky students huh!?
Hi Alexandra-Ooh yes a cupcake is a great way to enjoy tiramisu!
Hi Esz-Yes I’m crazy for that cheesecake! That plum and pear-mmm!
Hi Jamie-Hehe me too! Or just eat copious amounts of them in my case!
Hi ArtemisIII-Hehe ok then well you have to stop by here then!
Hi alexa-OH really! OK I will if I see it
I love the generous sizing of the cakes I have to say 
Hi Moya-I know! I knew I’d love it-after all a cookie with cream cheese frosting just has to be food
Yes I now, finally! 
Hi Parita-Hehe I know! I thought that as soon as I wrote it!
Hi grace-I know, isn’t that funny!
Cool, I bet you are very familiar with these goodies!
Hi Pigpigscorner-It was very, very good indeed
Hi Big Boys Oven-Haha yes!
Hi Blond Duck-Yes come over here and open up a Texan sized place please!
Sure come on over! 
Hi sydneyguyrojoe-well that means more for everyone else right?
Hi nora-Haha yes I don’t think it’s ugly at all
Oh cool!
Hi Vanessa-Hehe sorry!
Yes but it will be a fun trip no? 
Hi K-Cool! I’d love to know what you think of it!
Hi Kat-Anything with that cream cheese frosting just has to be tried
Hi Yas-Yes I love that vivid red colour! I can’t say no to red velvet, especially after the Steel Magnolias Armadillo one
The conversation went something like, “so bagels will be out of the oven in 10 minutes”. “Okay, I’ll come back – I wanna get a couple of things – I saw Lorraine’s review on NQN” Laughter comes from the table to my left, “us too!”, “me too” from the woman, standing beside me at the counter!
What a great “treat shop” Buppas is – and the bagels are JUST LIKE New York Bagels!
My visit on a Sunday morning was rather disappointing. I don’t know whether it was because we were too early (10 ish), but the displays were rather sad… just one bagel on top of the counter, and solitary slice of cheesecake in the cabinet. There were a few other cakes, but certainly nothing that looked like the pictures above, and definitely there were only a few. Not the variety as pcitured.
There were a few plates of cookies though. Tried one, was good.
I really hope this will improve with time. Bakeries need to exude a sense of abundance, you want to see lots of goodies, and breathe in the aroma of baking, but unfortunately none was in evidence on this particular morning. I mean, would you buy a solitary bagel from a shop which had no other customers, and this was early in the day?
Actually, my partner and I popped in just before 10:30 Sunday morning and had some fresh blueberry bagels and cream cheese, and took half a strawberry cheesecake and some cookies with us to a friend’s house. This was the second weekend in a row that we visited Buppa’s for fresh bagels, and we are planning on making it a Sunday morning ritual! YUM!
You know, there’s so much mass-produced, generic, tasteless, soul-less baked goods available in Sydney I’m glad to see a place like Buppa’s that values flavour, quality and variety. Of course they’re not going to have the entire range constantly available but that’s the point…it’s home-made! and I think you really can ‘taste the love’
You should try them again, pojaya and not be such a negative nelly!
Didn’t end up going on Saturday
We went to the zoo, and on the way back, we were so tired (5.5 hours of walking around in the sun!), that we just wanted to get home & sleep!! LOL
I will have to ‘bribe’ my sister into driving me another Saturday…maybe the bribe can be that I pay for what she eats
That might work 
Hi mikey-Aww that’s great! hehe I wish I was there!
Thanks so much for letting me know! Absolutely, just like NY-no wonder she sells out of them so quickly! 
Hi pojaya-the thing is about Buppa is that she makes it all in small batches and once it sells she makes another which means that it’s super fresh. Also her bagels sell out really quickly as people love real NY style bagels. There were lots of other cakes to choose from and if there’s only one piece of cheesecake left I don’t quite understand what’s wrong with that? It means that it sells well. I’m not sure what you were expecting but her bakehouse is different from others and she is the one that makes it all on the premises by her and she’s the one greeting customers.
Hi Giannini-That’s great! Sounds like you really enjoy it!
Hi Michelle-I absolutely agree, there are always bulk cakes in cafes everywhere and to bring down someone that is starting a new business and trying to amke food in small batches and fresh using real ingredients seems unnecessary but hey everyone is entitled to their own opinion
Hi Liv-Ahh the zoo is so tiring isn’t it! :O I’m exhausted after the zoo! Haha good idea nd let us know what you think!
We popped into Buppa’s today…. and we were really impressed. Really fresh cakes and pies (just out of the oven!)…. and my blueberry cheesecake was amazing. A great little place that is scarily too close to home!
I’m coming here for sure, if I ever do come to Australia that is!
Hi Buggle & Squeak-That’s great to hear and you have to love something that’s literally just come out of the oven!
Hi Avanika-Definitely do!
OMFG! Just came across this site when seeking my nearest Ben & Jerry’s stockist…forget B&J, I want to try all the homemade stuff!! Luckily I live 500m away, and am pregnant so can blame my planned binges on cravings. Funnily enough the one thing I’ve been craving is real bagels
How can one little shop offer so much yumminess?? Am restraining myself from running up there now and instead will go first thing Tuesday. MMMMM
ahhh I’m an original Newtowner and this is a bona fide reason for me to return! looks SO delicious
ok i must’ve missed this when it was posted (i think it was when i was overseas!) but thankfully have been pointed back by Helen Greenwood. and, WOW. i can’t believe i didn’t know about this place! i am so excited to go here and try some baked goodness!
do you have any pics of your wedding cake? Was it a hit? I love red velvet cake!
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