Let Them Eat Cake: Favorite Bakeries in Chicago

You'll find Swedish treats and coffee cake, along with all the standards in this Andersonville store.

Of all the cupcakes in the city, these consistently rank in the top. Plus, cakes, cookies, bars, pies, and more.

Classic spot in Lakeview offers cakes, doughnuts, and other breakfast treats.

Doughnuts! Sometimes you don't need to brave the line at Doughnut Vault and just want a seriously good cake round.

You don't get doughnuts any simpler—or better—than these.

My favorite spot for macarons, Vanille also has a location in the French Market.

Three words: Friday Night Flights. The shop sells pie flights so you won't ever have to debate chocolate cream versus pecan ever again.

You can build your own cupcake by mixing and matching cakes and frostings (I like the vanilla cupcake with brown butter frosting), or get one of the specialty cupcakes in flavors like cookies and cream and butterscotch.

Soft, fresh baked cookies. Need I say more?

Cozy spot to settle in with a sandwich, croissant, or other baked treat.

Sprinkles is a classic - and they have great chocolate frosting.

The newest doughnut shop, there are a handful of these around the city serving inventive rounds, like red velvet.

The candied maple bacon and pistachio doughnuts are new classics.

Get the amazing biscuits and then hit the jam and butter bar to add sweet and savory flavors. The pies are also awesome.

Yes, there will likely be a line. But I'd wait in line for hours to get my hands on the buttermilk doughnuts.

Crumbs has a handful of locations around Chicago, and they do a classic vanilla cupcake best.