Nine Next-Level Takeaway Desserts to Try When You Need Something to Perk You Up

If you’re going to be stuck at home for a little while, you’ll want to have one of these cult favourite Japanese cheesecakes to work your way through. One of the joys of Uncle Tetsu’s products is their simplicity. A slice of the original signature Japanese cheesecake is melt-in-your-mouth soft and fluffy. There is no biscuit base, as the style dictates, and, having been baked in a water bath, the sides are moist like pudding. As for the taste, it’s eggy and pancake-y, with little sweetness. Resist the temptation to eat it all at once. When you cool it in the fridge, it grows denser and crumbly, with a soft, sweet cheese flavour. Uncle Tetsu’s is working on a delivery system. In the meantime, it’s open for takeaway.

How? Takeaway in-store or delivery via the Easi app or Menulog.

Image: Ryan La

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Lune Croissanterie has the best croissants in Melbourne — and possibly the world. So, there’s a good chance you’ve already had a croissant (or twenty). And though it’s hard to go past a classic, special times call for special treats. Use this as an opportunity to branch out into some of the patisseries more inventive creations, like the cruffin — a twisted knot of chewy croissant pastry filled with tart lemon curd, dusted with citrus sugar and topped with candied lemon zest. You can get this sweet treat at its CBD store, which is still open for takeaway for now (as is the Fitzroy warehouse) or get it delivered right to your door.

How? Takeaway and preorder for pick up or delivery via the website.

Image: Marcie Raw

You can’t go past the shattering goodness of Italian cannoli — those sweet tubes of fried pastry loaded with creamy fillings. And when it comes to those delicate morsels, many will tell you Avondale Heights’ Cannoli Bar is the undisputed master. This cheery cafe serves up hundreds of the little beauties each day, favouring traditional Sicilian-style recipes filled with ricotta cream, sprinkled with crushed pistachios or chocolate nibs and showered in icing sugar. There are also less-conventional versions based on Oreo, Kinder Bueno and lemon meringue. For an ultra decadent hit, treat yourself to The Cannolone — a giant version filled with one kilogram of ricotta filling. This monstrous treat is actually designed to feed between four and six people — but we think you can manage it. The best part? In Italy, cannoli actually falls into the realm of breakfast food, which means a cheeky morning fix is totally acceptable.

How? Takeaway in-store and delivery within 30 minutes of Avondale. To place your order, call (03) 9337 7049.

Image: Julia Sansone

You know a dessert is really good when it sticks around on a restaurant’s menu for years. Supernormal’s peanut butter parfait is that dessert. Adding the nutty goodness of peanut butter to a light and creamy parfait has proved endlessly popular since the restaurant opened in 2014. To make it even better, the dish is served with crushed peanuts, salted caramel and a big scoop of soft chocolate. Order it for collection or delivery today and you could be spooning this into your mouth for dessert tonight.

How? Preorder for collection from Builders Arms Hotel or delivery via Providoor.

Image: Harvard Wang

Monarch Cakes in St Kilda has been making desserts on Acland Street since the 1930s. With more than 80 years’ of collective experience, the staff at this place know a thing or two about making delicious treats. There’s the Polish baked cheesecake made from a 100-year-old recipe, the locally loved chocolate kooglhoupf and the continental custard vanilla slice. One of the shop’s most popular cakes is the creamy custard vanilla slice, made using milk from a small dairy in Gippsland and free-range eggs from a local farm. All the ingredients used in the slice are natural and fresh, and it’s known for being a messy dessert to devour. The long-running shop is accepting Australia-wide delivery orders, so you can send one to an interstate mate and enjoy them together over Facetime.

How? Takeaway in-store or delivery via the website.

Image: Tracey Ah Kee

It is hardly surprising that exquisite local liqueur would feature in Capitano’s take on tiramisu, given the owners also run Fitzroy wine bar Bar Liberty. Here the tiramisu is made to order, and features sponge cake soaked in coffee cream and Marionette orange curaçao (made from navel, Seville and blood oranges sourced directly from Glenn, a third-generation citrus farmer in Mildura). You’ll find a splash of Rutherglen muscat in the mascarpone cream, too. The suggestion is to share, but if you want the whole thing to yourself, that’s okay, too. The Carlton eatery has made much of its menu available for takeaway, including this legendary dessert.

How? Preorder takeaway and direct delivery via the website.

Image: Kate Shanasy

Lukumades (the food) are round doughnuts made by hole-in-the-wall patisseries in Greece, usually served slathered in honey and walnuts, and beloved by Greek people. A few years back, a Melbourne food truck started selling these doughy balls of deliciousness, and Lukamades (the business) bloomed from there. Now a bricks and mortar store in Windsor, it serves up classic lukumades, as well as modern takes that feature Nutella, salted caramel, or white chocolate with crushed Oreo. These deep-fried doughnut holes are as sweet as a treat could possibly come, and are the perfect sugary pick-me-up to get you through the afternoon.

How? Takeaway in-store or order delivery via Uber Eats.

Serving up homely yet modern takes on Indonesian fare on Franklin Street, Yoi is a family-run affair. It’s helmed by Ibu Lie Tjoa along with her two sons Dion and Michael Sanusi who are together hoping to share a part of their culture, history and family traditions through their meals. The menu features popular Indonesian dishes like spicy beef rendang, fried chicken covered in Yoi’s signature salted egg sauce and iced teler made with avocado, jackfruit and coconut gel in a mix of coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. But it’s the martabak that really caught our attention. Popular on the streets of Jakarta, this is a thick stuffed pancake that comes with your choice of sweet or savoury filling. Yoi’s recommendation is this curious combination of cheese, Nutella and condensed milk.

How? Takeaway in-store or delivery via Yoi’s website, UberEats and Deliveroo.

Pastry chef and Parisian expatriate Agathe Kerr has been delighting South Melbourne Marker visitors with her pastries since 2015. Highlights of the stall include croissants fused with matcha, pandan or cafe au lait; Nutella, salted caramel and peanut caramel custard-filled cruffins; delicately layered millefeuilles and extravagant cheesecakes. The market counter is still open for takeaway treats, but if you don’t want to risk missing out on your favourite items, Kerr has also launched an online store, so you can preorder some of the patisserie’s best sellers including hot cross brioche buns, a box of mixed croissants or a large apple puff tart for next-day pickup or delivery around across Melbourne.

How? Takeaway for next-day pick up at South Melbourne Market or Royal Arcade, or delivery via the website.

Image: Tracey Ah-kee