Sunflower Bakery

#74 Whenever I’m at my family’s house in Hercules and there’s a party, I always try to stop by here and grab their caramel cake. Sometimes I just want a break from red velvet or mango cake. ESPECIALLY MANGO CAKE.
+ Caramel cake — light sponge cake filled with a slight lemon buttercream and topped with a, surprisingly, not-​so-​sweet caramel frosting. The caramel reminds me of the topping on rice bibinka.
+ Caramel cupcakes — Same thing as the cake but in a cupcake form.
+ Cream puffs — Good when you actually get cream inside. Seems like they «forget» putting in the cream often
+ Crema de fruita — Cake is a little dry but it’s not too sweet, which is good
For some reason, the last two times I’ve gotten a cake from here they’ve misspelled the name. First time they gave us the wrong cake and the second time they just completely misspelled it. We wrote it down and everything but I think they just guessed on the spelling? Luckily, their cake is so delicious that I don’t mind it. But my family gets really upset because they have to improvise and fix their mistake.

If you’re Filipino, or even Filipino at heart, you’ve probably tried the infamous caramel cake that this mom&pop bakery is known for.
Filipino cakes are chiffon based with a not so sweet whipped cream consistency filling, but Sunflower bakery tops this by adding a delectable caramel topping. The caramel is not too sweet. Not too many places bake this type of cake with a Filipino flair (not too sweet, but a great dessert).
If you want to add iced on flowers and a dedication on the cake, you can request, but may cost a few $ more.
DESSERTS/​BREADS: They also have mango cake, Buko (young coconut) pies, sans rival (a must try!), ensaymadas, pan de sal, mamon, food for the Gods (a Filipino brownie), and boat tarts just to name a few.
**TIP: They have the cupcake version of the caramel cake if you don’t want an entire cake and sometimes personal sized slices to grab and go!
SAVORY items: siopao (meat filled steam bun), and empanadas (meat filled pastries)
On occasion I’ve also seen some merienda (snack time) items like hopia (mung bean pastry), siomai (a must try as well), fresh lumpia (a salad type of lumpia), etc.
PROs: non sweet desserts that will get you craving for
more!
CONs: no eating area inside; but not a major con. It’s in Hercules, which can be a little of a drive for me, but I keep coming back! Wish they had more Bay Area locations!

Love everything here. Especially recommend the buko pie and sansrival cake. Normally not a fan of caramel, but the caramel cake is delicious. If you don’t want the whole cake they have a cupcake version too. Prices are pretty good too.

I woke up craving delicious Filipino baked goods and literally watched the clock until Sunflower Bakery opened. I vaguely remember their delicious caramel cake from being a kid, cause every family function/​birthday party had one of them as their dessert centerpiece. I needed something to jog my memory, and since I’ve relocated to the bay, I’ve been dying to try it again.
I walked in about 4 minutes after they opened and was greeted by the nice lady behind the counter. I was looking to try the caramel cupcakes, mamon, siopao, cream puffs and silvana. Perhaps I came too early, cause they didn’t have silvana or sansrival, and instead of siopao, I went for a couple pork buns. Thankfully, I was able to purchase the rest.
The mamon was so light and fluffy and buttery. I’m used to Goldilocks’ mamon but I actually prefer Sunflower’s a bit more. The pork bun was delicious after I toasted it a bit– the filling is so flavorful but there’s not nearly enough. Those cream puffs… Omg. They have this delicious sugary glaze on top and the cream filling is perfect– not too sweet. And the famous caramel cupcakes… One bite and I was brought right back to my childhood. So delicious. Light, not too sweet, filled with buttercream, and topped with the caramel frosting. I’m addicted!

This is the BEST bakery in the entire area!!! Their leche flan, senoritas & carmel cake are absolutely devine!!! TRUST ME!!!

As much as I would have loved to get their signature caramel cake (so good!), this time I only had eyes for the jars of small sweets on the counter. One of my coworkers brought a selection of these in one time to share with the office, and I was instantly won over. =]
My favorites are the empanaditas and of course the caramel tart. I’m still not sure what exactly is in the filling of the empanadita, but anything sweet is good with me. XD I’m really just a sucker for crusts though, and that shortbread-​esque shell on the empanadita just really does it for me.
I was impressed the first time I had the caramel tart, and just as impressed this time… the cookie/​crust on the bottom is in the shape of a cupped leaf, carrying a decent amount of caramel filling. Then, on top, there is a nice and thick layer of crisp meringue cookie top. Technically, I always stop and ponder how do you keep the meringue from weeping if it’s in direct contact with something wet (aka the caramel sauce). Buuuuuuuttttt, then I just end up popping it in my mouth and eating it. Done.
P. S. Dude! they also sell chicharones here! So dangerous… lol

It was one boring afternoon at my work because it was raining and that thought about how far salary day is makes me feel so sad…
Then my coworker told me there are few goodies at the pantry like ensaymadas, cookies and few candies. I saw this tiny, simple but inviting piece of cupcake. There it is only a piece waiting for someone to try it. I am not a risk taker but I so badly wanted it (haha!) I took it and ate it. You know that feeling when disco balls and laser lights with music from the 70’s and all you do is smile, puff your weed and be cool? Yeah, that’s the feeling (except for the weed lol!)
The cupcake is moist and delicious. The cake, caramel and the cream inside they fit well. Not too sweet but still the simplicity brings out the best of its flavors. I tried their buko pie, egg pie and hopia mongo. Man, they are sooo good :)
I wouldn’t mind going to Hercules for these treats even if Im from Daly City. Will go back to buy some more cupcakes for Christmas.

Just came here for the first time yesterday, because of a random cupcake craving, and saw this place on Unilocal & thought I’d give it a try. It’s a small little cute shop. I came here because I was interested in their Caramel Cupcakes, but unfortunately they didn’t have them ready when I was there, and it was a 15 minute wait until they were done baking, I didn’t have time to stay so I just grabbed their Red Velvet Cupcakes 6 pack, and one chocolate cupcake. The chocolate cupcake, I enjoyed. The red velvet cupcakes seemed to be a tad dry & not full of flavor, although I do like their cream cheese frosting. They don’t have enough frosting as other places do, but I still give it 4 stars for a fast & friendly service. Will come back.

My sister bought a birthday cake for my daughter from here, the hyped up caramel cake. While it isn’t the best thing I’ve ever eaten, it’s worth trying. It looks ridiculously sweet but it isn’t, and the cake is super light and tender. I wish it had a little more flavor, it’s a bit two dimensional, but I would pick one up for a special occasion and serve ice cream with it.
The selection is great for those familiar with traditional Filipino sweets, and even if you’re someone who isn’t the variety is worth exploring. They also serve palabok, which looked yummy but I didn’t get to try it!

We went here thinking“hey this seems like a nice place” WRONG! First of all the people who worked there immediately were looking at us like“what are you doing here”? I don’t know if it was because of our ethnicity. We are not Filipino. Undaunted, we started to ask some questions about the pastries and were treated extremely rudely. So we left.

I didn’t feel welcome or not welcome and I didn’t see a menu so those are the only negative-​ish things I have to say. And that their halo halo was kind of bland if it weren’t for the ice cream.
Anyway, I wanted some sweets and I didn’t know where to go. I really wanted to get a slice of a specific cake, but I’m already having that full cake tomorrow for my birthday so I felt like I was just being a fatty: T anyway, I still wanted a slice of cake and I went on Unilocal and saw this bakery with the kind of caramel cake that I grew up eating.

I had a sudden craving for chocolate cake and pizza and, having not lived here for long, had no idea where to find either. Unilocal to the rescue.
Chocolate cake is only made to order, so I opted for caramel cupcakes and since the buko pie (coconut) was so highly reviewed, I got a slice of that as well. I love coconut and was really looking forward to that slice of pie. Unfortunately, it was bland and had very little coconut flavor.
The caramel cupcakes, however, more than made up for it. So soft, so moist, and there’s a little bit of custard at the center. The icing is the perfect level of sweetness.
I still want chocolate cake and pizza but the caramel cupcake was delicious. The lady who helped me was so nice and answered all of my questions with a smile. I will definitely go back, though I sure wish the chocolate cake wasn’t made to order!

I grew up going to this bakery every week. My mom used to buy pandesal for breakfast and I would always get a cheese cupcake, cream puff, or an ube halaya ball (they haven’t has these in years).
By far the most popular item here is definitely the caramel cake. It has become a staple for all parties and get togethers I attend. For $ 18 you get a delicious cake and they will even write on it and decorate it for you.

Caramel cakes on deck! Ready to go, no need to pre-​order. All you have to do is tell them what size and what you want written it. Always been a quick, easy and smooth trip whenever I need it.

Yesterday was my daughter’s birthday and I needed to get a cake. We were driving home from Oakland and saw this place come up on Unilocal.It’s a small shop, but it’s right off the freeway so it was perfect for us. I love that they have small cakes you can come in and just purchase. No reservation needed. I ordered a ¹⁄₈ round caramel cake. It was SOOOO good! They wrote a birthday greeting on top and even added little edible confetti decorations on it. Not only was it delicious, but it was a great price, too! I will definitely be making a trip back here again!

30 minutes before they close… On a Sunday. They still had caramel cakes left! I got lucky!
Ever since I’ve been introduced to this bakery, I have gotten the last 4 birthday cakes from here& at every birthday, EVERYONE loved the cake. They always ask, «where’d you get it from?» Or «what kind of cake is this?» Their caramel cake is basically mamon, which is a Filipino sponge cake. Their frosting is caramel flavored, it’s not too sweet at all, like the typical American cakes that makes you feel bloated and not cute afterwards. Definitely a must try if you are looking for a cake for any occasion. You will be hooked.

Masarap = Delicious in Tagalog.
Would I drive all the way to Hercules for a piece of pie?
Several weekends ago, Wifey and her friend went gallivanting and she brought back a pie and a caramel cake, which she stated was for my birthday. (A little peace offering, I gather) So the pie was just sitting inside our fridge and decided to grab a slice. The pie is a buko pie, which is basically young coconut in Tagalog.
It didn’t look anything particularly special and it just looked like an ordinary pie to me. Until I had my first bite and I was wowed. I quickly cut off another piece from the slice with my fork and all I could hear myself saying was, «Wow! This is the best buko pie I have ever had!» The coconut meat was cut in just the right thickness and it was layered on top of one another so you get a piece of the coconut on every bite. If you love coconut, this is the pie for you.
A couple of days later, it was time for the caramel cake and this thing was also on point. It was moist, spongy, delicate and not too uberly sweet that it would induce you in a diabetic convulsion. I was very impressed.
However, I was still thinking of that buko pie so the following weekend, Wifey and I drove all the way to Hercules to this bakery. They serve other typical Filipino pastries, but we were strictly here for the buko pie and got two more to go.
Yes, it’s worth driving for.
Talagang Masarap!

Caramel Cake! Light and fluffy. Not too sweet. They have 8 inch round, cupcakes, and ¼ sheet cakes. If you want a larger cake, you can pre-​order a ½ sheet or full sheet cake.
They are open 7 days a week and early on the weekends. I drove from Oakland to Hercules on a Sunday morning to take a Caramel Cake to church in Berkeley. Everyone at church raved about the cake. The cake was decorated beautifully with colored sprinkles.

This place can get very busy especially during the holiday. Their cake are on the «lighter» and «fluffier» side, and it’s not as sweet as some of the Safeway/​Albertson cakes (I still prefer the ones from Sheng Kee or Kee Wah though).
They do have a wide variety of other pastries, but the tags are not very descriptive and they were too busy for me to ask what they were.
We ordered a caramel birthday cake that set us back $ 18.00 for a 12-​inch round cake and it was pretty good. It was still a bit soft and broke apart when we cut into it but overall the flavor was refreshing for an after dinner snack and goes well with a glass of wine.

It seems like every Filipino living in the Bay Area has heard of this bakery. Whenever at a work party someone brings their caramel cake, it doesn’t take long for the cake to disappear. If the department I’m doing my rotations at the time doesn’t finish the whole cake then word will get out to the other departments; by the time I leave for the day the cake is *gone*.
I placed my orders for cake at least a day in advance. Sunflower Bakery is located in a different complex than Cabalen — take note of this if you want to have Filipino food and dessert at the same time. Limited parking spaces are available but this isn’t much of an issue if you’re here just to pick up food.
Caramel Cake — $ 18 for a 8″ round, serves 10 – 15 people.
Cake Base — one of the lightest cake bases I’ve tasted in a cake, highly resembles the texture of mamon (sponge cake). Because of this base I actually think of this cake more like mamon with caramel buttercream filling on top.
Caramel Frosting — The frosting is a little thinner than typical cake frosting. You can taste the caramel but the frosting is not too rich. The cake goes very well with coffee.
If requested, they can decorate the cake to your liking.
I’ve had two versions of this cake, the cake made at this bakery in Hercules and the one served at Cabalen in Vallejo. I have a preference to the cake made in Vallejo as I could taste more of the caramel. Turns out that the original pastry chef from here moved to Vallejo. Nevertheless most people appreciate either version of the cake and I don’t have to pay an additional $ 5 bridge toll as I can pick up the cake here.
Looks like I found one of my go-​to places if I ever need to bring food to a party with lots of Filipinos present.