Cookies, brownies, lemon bars, mini pies, and other pastries delight at the Frosted Fox Cake Shop, but this Mount Airy bakery’s custom cakes really — well — take the cake. Frosted Fox will design a cake to reflect even your heart’s strangest whims (a Guy Fieri-inspired cake, anyone?), making this the go-to for celebrations. You can place custom orders over the phone or stop by the shop to pick up treats of the more handheld variety.

All kinds of sweet Colombian treats are available at La Caleñita Bakery in Olney. Whether you’re interested in pan de queso, panderos, or pastel de maiz, you’ll find a tantalizing array of pastries and desserts alongside sandwiches, arepas, and empanadas.

This old-world German bake shop in Mayfair has been pumping out the same apfelknoedel (apple dumplings), bienenstich (bee sting) cake, and butterkuchen (butter cake) since 1930, and after three generations in the family, Haegele’s hasn’t changed much. Of course, German sweets are the specialty, but don't sleep on the Washington cake — a Philadelphia tradition dating back to the 1700s.

At Stock's, pound cake is the name of the game, and it’s the best in town — not shocking since the Port Richmond bakery has been practicing since 1924. The pillowy cake turns to an almost fudge-like consistency as you chew, and the icing on top is good enough to eat alone. Try the marble cake, too.

Noelle Blizzard is a true baking wizard: At New June, her cottage bakery in Fairmount, Blizzard creates anything from beautiful wedding cakes to wonderful tarts, all decorated and dressed up immaculately. Her custom cakes in flavors like chamomile, orange, and honey cake will make any occasion feel extra special. Place an order through New June’s website.

At the Kettle Black in Northern Liberties, husband-and-wife team Marc Basile and Claire Ogilvie make traditional French viennoiseries and breads that are genuinely wonderful — and while it seems far-fetched, the bakery’s croissants, pain au chocolat, and cinnamon buns have just-as-good vegan counterparts. Whatever else you do, don’t miss the bubbly bagels.

Bakers and chefs Kyle Cuffie-Scott and Joe Loupe serve giant brownies, iced cakes, and other fantastic treats alongside lunch and brunch options at Darnel’s Cakes in Northern Liberties. The icing on the cake is that the bakery uses its business to support the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Jezabel Careaga’s eponymous West Philly cafe, bakery, and studio is Philly’s top spot for Argentine sweets like alfajores and custard-and-quince vigilantes. Avoid decision fatigue by preordering a chef’s selection pastry box on the weekends.

With one location in Fishtown and another in South Philly, Ramona Susan’s Bake Shop will keep you well-stocked with baked goods, no matter what part of the city you live in. Betty Halpenny and Elly Koenig named the business after Halpenny’s mom, and the menu offers high-quality hits of American nostalgia from galactic brownies to seasonal plays on Dunkaroos. You can preorder for pickup, order custom cakes, and even ship some of the sweets via the bakery’s website.

If you’ve inhaled a roast pork sandwich from Porco’s, Chad Durkin’s Graduate Hospital sandwich shop, and you still have room for more, head next door to sibling bakery Small Oven Pastry Shop. The menu includes plenty of precious petit fours, chai cinnamon buns, and danishes to end your meal on a high note.

The ricotta cookies and filled-to-order cannoli are unbeatable at Isgro, an Italian shop dating back to 1904 that you can smell from two blocks away. Be prepared to wait in a long line around holidays, when it seems like everyone in South Philly stops in for a box of assorted butter cookies — that said, Isgro also ships some cookie tins nationwide.

Elegance is in high supply at Cake and Joe, the Pennsport pastry and coffee shop started by longtime friends Sarah Qi and Trista Tang. The French pastries on offer are magical: Mousse cakes including passion fruit and hazelnut come in colors and shapes so dreamy they feel almost too perfect to eat. Almost. Keep an eye out for a second location coming soon to Fishtown.

Known for its killer cannoli and long history in Philadelphia, the flagship Termini Brothers location is still a crucial destination for Italian treats of all kinds. Need someone to translate pignoli, musticiolli, imbutitti, scumetti, and quorasemali? Don't worry, the friendly staff is here to help. You’ll also find Termini in several other locations, including Reading Terminal Market.

Kouklet Brazilian Bakehouse specializes in — you guessed it — delightful Brazilian baked goods, like orange and caramelized milk cake rolls and yuca and coconut cakes. Prefer savory to sweet? The pão de queijo — traditional cheesy tapioca bread — is an excellent option. The shop ships some goodies nationwide, too.

Husband-and-wife team Andre Chin and Amanda Eap have been in the business of pastries and bread since 2002, and there’s a reason their South Philly corner shop is such a local favorite. Show up for the flaky pistachio croissants, stay for the crunchy banh mi.

Sisters Rhonda Saltzman and Mercedes Brooks are the geniuses behind Second Daughter Baking Co., an artisan bakery that crafts beautiful wedding cakes, elegant tarts, and fudgy, gooey brownies inside the Bok Building. Seriously, don’t miss those brownies. Luckily you don’t have to be in Philly proper to enjoy many of Second Daughter’s treats: Saltzman and Brooks ship some goods like brownies, focaccia, and cookies nationwide.