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It’s no secret that Melbourne, Australia is home to some of the most aesthetic hole-in-the-wall cafes. Everywhere you turn, there’s bound to be one teeming with hungry brunch-goers and cafe-hoppers.
That said, with such a large cafe scene, finding the best sure isn’t easy. But if you’re ever looking for something light and sweet, I have a place you might want to bookmark.
Located right in the heart of the Melbourne CBD is Shortstop Coffee & Donuts, an artisanal doughnut shop.
The shop, snuggled along Sutherland Street, boasts a minimalistic design.
There were very few seats available for dine-in, but that didn’t hinder anyone at all. Many customers were willingly sitting outside in the cold weather and enjoying their doughnuts!
In addition, the shop also has an open kitchen where Shortstop Coffee & Donuts bakes all their doughnuts. You can be sure that they’re super fresh, as a result!
We had super high expectations and we couldn’t wait to try the famous doughnuts from Shortstop Coffee & Donuts.
We were told that the S’Mores (AUD$6) is a crowd-favourite. In fact, it’s a seasonal item which came back due to popular demand!
For one, the hefty doughnut featured a beautiful, glossy coating of dark chocolate over it. However, what intrigued me even more was how heavy the doughnut felt when I picked it up.
As I sank my teeth into the soft and pillowy doughnut, a fluffy yet dense cream oozed out. It wasn’t normal whipped cream, however. The creamy substance was actually a decadent combination of marshmallows and Graham cracker crumbles.
I’d recommend getting the doughnut to share as it became rather filling after a while. Every component was slightly dense, making the doughnut very cloying.
Another highly popular item was the Maple Walnut & Brown Butter (AUD$5.50).
Unlike the S’Mores, this doughnut didn’t have any fillings. Instead, they glazed it with rich and fragrant brown butter before generously coating it with maple roasted walnuts.
Once again, the chewy doughnut proved to be all too addictive. It actually reminded me of a youtiao!
Not only that, but I also loved how the roasted walnuts gave a delightful crunch to every bite. Their nuttiness certainly complemented the caramel-like flavour of the brown butter very well.
On a separate visit (because they were that good), we went for the Triple Matcha (AUD$5), a returning favourite flavour too.
Right off the bat, the texture of this doughnut tasted different from the previous ones we had. It turns out that it was actually of a cake doughnut base.
As such, the doughnut was surprisingly moist and dense, but that wasn’t all.
True to its name, the doughnut consisted of three matcha elements. Not only was the doughnut itself matcha-flavoured, but so were the glaze and finishing icing strips!
With that, I reckon matcha lovers will absolutely love this bittersweet treat.
Rounding up our second doughnut run was the ever-classic Cinnamon, Cardamom & Sugar (AUD$4).
Being the simplest and most affordable of the lot, I was honestly not expecting a lot from it. However, the fact that they used cardamom as one of the ingredients piqued my curiosity.
That said, the three ingredients formed a powerful flavour combination which was to be reckoned with. The savoury and minty notes from the two spices contrasted well with the doughnut’s overall strong sweetness.
I also appreciated the soft crisp from the sugar crystals in every bite. This made the doughnut simply addictive and had me going back for bigger bites.
So if you’re ever in Melbourne, Shortstop Coffee & Donuts is definitely the place to go for a quick doughnut fix. They rotate their flavours once every few months, so perhaps you’ll get to try something different!
I’d recommend visiting the shop within the first half of the day. Several of the more popular flavours tend to sell out just before the end of the day, so take note!
Expected Damage: AUD$4 – AUD$6 per doughnut
