Mandorla Affogato gelato at Cow and the Moon

Even the birthplace of gelato has noticed this Enmore institution. Italy’s Gelato World Tour championship recognised Cow and the Moon for one of the world’s best scoops in 2014. This award-winning creation, the Mandorla Affogato, features roasted almonds rolled in espresso-caramel sauce. The nuts are then folded through the gelato for a crunchy, decadent effect. Other acclaimed treats include the olive oil, honey, lemon and thyme flavour, available at the original location and newer outposts in Wollongong and Sydney Fish Market.

Cow and the Moon, Enmore - Credit: Cow and the Moon

Finger bun at Humble Bakery

Humble Bakery’s nostalgic finger bun has been reimagined in countless ways – it’s been an Iced VoVo, received a rainbow glow-up for Mardi Gras and even been interpreted as a keyring (butter slab included). But the best take might be the original: pink cream-cheese swirls atop a milk-dough bun, filled with a triple hit of fruit (currants, raisins and cranberries) and wedged with a generous serve of Coppertree Farms butter.

Humble Bakery, Surry Hills - Credit: Caroline McCredie

Monte Carlo biscuits at Luca Bakery

Luca Bakery is named after co-owner Larissa Takchi’s son – it’s one of many personal elements at this Castle Hill cafe. Visitors are welcome to leave a meaningful recipe for bakers to recreate: that’s how a grandmother’s Medovik honey cake ended up on the menu. Don’t miss the bakery’s tribute to the classic Arnott’s Monte Carlo: these giant honey biscuits are filled with salted vanilla buttercream and raspberry compote that’s so good, staff also spoon it into the matcha cloud drink.

Luca Bakery, Castle Hill - Credit: Luca Bakery

Strawberry watermelon cake at Black Star Pastry

It’s known as the most Instagrammed cake in the world. With its pretty-as-a-picture layers of almond dacquoise, rose-scented cream and watermelon – topped with strawberries, pistachios and dried rose petals – it’s easy to see why it’s the most-photographed order at Black Star Pastry. Some people even arrive straight from the airport to pick one up!

Black Star Pastry, Newtown - Credit: Black Star Pastry

Dubai chocolate ma’amoul at Smeed

Step into this Belmore bakery for a diverse take on ma'amoul (Lebanese biscuits). Amal Elhani and daughter Serena Tajjour offer flavours that tap into current food trends – the Dubai chocolate creation features crispy kataifi threads, pistachio cream and Australian nuts. Smeed also offers more classic flavours, like ashta biscuits with traditional Lebanese clotted cream (available in pistachio and salted macadamia-Biscoff options, both sandwiched in Smeed’s signature ma’amoul dough).

Smeed, Belmore - Credit: Smeed

Japonaise cake at Du Plessy Pralin & Otello

What began as a gluten-free option in 1988 would explode over three decades later when the Japonaise at Du Plessy Pralin & Otello became an internationally famous cake. Decorated with cocoa-powder rosellas and flavoured with layers of dark chocolate mousse and almond and hazelnut meringue, the cake is known to sell out by 10.30am. While it attracts tourists from overseas, some Sydneysiders will catch two trains and two buses just for a Japonaise slice at this West Pymble bakery.

Du Plessy Pralin & Otello, West Pymble - Credit: Monique Mary Photography

Ginger crème brûlée tart at Bourke Street Bakery

Bourke Street Bakery opened its first Surry Hills location over 20 years ago and the ginger brûlée tart has been a pastry counter star for just as long. Inspired by founder David McGuinness’s love of masala chai, his memorable trip to the Himalayas and the baker’s dinner-party-winning crème brûlée dessert, this tart features a rich, fragrant custard that’s spiced with ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. The top is caramelised with a blowtorch and finished with crushed pistachio sprinkles.

Bourke Street Bakery, Surry Hills - Credit: Bourke Street Bakery

Fruit and ricotta Danish from AP Bakery

With AP Bakery's commitment to seasonal ingredients, the fruit in this sweet, sticky, creamy wonder varies throughout the year at its original Surry Hills store. In winter, you can expect poached quince with dark chocolate cremeux, hazelnut praline and ricotta cream. During the warmer months, fresh figs are paired with almond frangipane and ricotta. What’s constant: its availability at AP Bakery’s many other outlets, from Circular Quay to Newtown.

AP Bakery, Surry Hills - Credit: AP Bakery

Pink Somer Donut from Grumpy Donuts

Sometimes you can’t beat the classics. Grumpy Donuts has an ever-changing menu of flavours like French toast, lamington, apple caramel fritter, crème brûlée and a fairy bread option rich with brown butter frosting. But a traditional version slathered in bright pink icing and rainbow sprinkles – the kind you can imagine Homer Simpson happily succumbing to – will leave you the very opposite of grumpy.

Grumpy Donuts, Camperdown - Credit: Grumpy Donuts

Nomtella Cake at Koi Dessert Bar

Reynold Poernomo became famous as a contestant on MasterChef, but one of his most beloved creations was launched after his time on the TV show. The aptly named Nomtella is one of the most-ordered items at Koi. Layers of dark chocolate brownie, espresso mousse, salted caramel ganache and hazelnuts come together in a perfectly nutty, mocha-y bite.

Koi Dessert Bar, Chippendale - Credit: Koi Dessert Bar

Crown on 487 from Lode Pies & Pastries

You should arrive early at the original Lode location in Surry Hills to try the signature sweet. The Crown on 487 (named after the bakery’s street address) is a delicate croissant dough bracelet topped with raspberry glaze, rose petals and pistachio crumbs. It’s so complex to make, only 15 emerge from the kitchen daily. Don’t worry if you miss out – the raspberry tarts or banana and pecan croissants are just as good. Or browse the menu at Lode’s other stores, located in Chatswood, Rozelle, Circular Quay and North Sydney.

Lode Pies and Pastries, Surry Hills - Credit: Lode Pies and Pastries

Pistachio Praline gelato at Gelato Messina

When Gelato Messina was faced with a pistachio shortage, it created a praline with roasted nuts to layer through fior di latte gelato as an alternative to its purely pistachio flavour. It ended up a mega hit: 10,500 scoops a week are sold across its stores, from Brighton-Le-Sands to Manly and its Marrickville headquarters. Pistachio praline has been the top-selling flavour for half a decade and, like all Messina scoops, it’s freshly churned using milk from the company’s own farm.

Gelato Messina, Darling Square - Credit: Gelato Messina

Baked ricotta cake at Pasticceria Papa

This traditional southern Italian bakery has been a Sydney favourite for more than 30 years and its counters of colourful treats offer everything from cannoli to mini tiramisu cups. Those in the know always order the baked ricotta cake at Pasticceria Papa. The ricotta is light, the pastry is flaky and the recipe is, understandably, a well-kept secret in the Papa family.

Pasticceria Papa, Haberfield

The OG lamington at Tokyo Lamington

Tokyo Lamington translates the iconic Australian sweet in countless ‘yes please!’ ways. Fairybread popcorn and yuzu meringue are always on the menu, while specials can include gluten-free apple toffee and vegan-friendly choc-mint brownie. It’s hard to go past the classic OG version, inspired by Tokyo Lamington co-founder Eddie Stewart’s grandmother: fluffy sponge sweetened with raspberry jam and vanilla cream, dipped in dark chocolate and coated in toasted coconut – bliss.

Tokyo Lamington, Newtown - Credit: Tokyo Lamington

Portuguese tart at Sweet Belem

If you’ve ever daydreamed about a Portuguese tart that rivals the famous delights from the streets of Belem in Lisbon, then you must head to Petersham’s Sweet Belem. It’s known for selling as many as 1,000 pasteis de nata a day. Bite through the flaky outer shell and savour the warm custard inside – you’ll understand why the Inner West bakery has become an institution.

Sweet Belem, Petersham - Credit: Sweet Belem

Strawberry and watermelon cake 2.0 at Hearthe

After Christopher The created the world-famous strawberry and watermelon cake, he produced a sequel at Hearthe, the quiet Stanmore cafe he opened after selling Black Star Pastry. Hearthe celebrates Indigenous ingredients and the strawberry and watermelon cake 2.0 version does this in inspired ways: there’s wattleseed and rose myrtle in the cream, muntrie berries are placed with the strawberries and the layers are built with strawberry gum and pumpkin seed flour. The sprinkling of rose petals echoes the pretty floral scattering on the original cake.

Hearthe, Stanmore - Credit: Chris Pearce | Molotov Creative

Panna cotta lamington at Flour and Stone

Wander through the back streets of Woolloomooloo and you’ll find Flour and Stone’s showstopping lamington. Chef Nadine Ingram steeps her vanilla sponge in panna cotta overnight. It’s then layered with chunky berry compote and coated in dark chocolate before being enveloped in a generous coating of coconut flakes.

Flour and Stone, Woolloomooloo - Credit: Alan Benson