by 
For such a familiar delicacy – a spiced base full of dried vine fruit and nuggets of citrus peel under a piping bag of flour paste – the difference between the offerings on the street is surprising.
From the driest rolls to the bountiful batches that can’t contain any more sultanas, we’ve eaten them all to find the best one for your Easter breakfast.
And for those who want something a little more unorthodox, we also tried a selection of cross buns with a twist. Forget the raisins and sultanas and put the citrus peel aside – these specialties are for chocolate fiends, toffee fans and lovers of unusual flavor combinations. There’s no shame here: we all know there isn’t true hot cross buns, but when they taste as good as the indulgent chocolate-orange numbers below, we’re not judging.
The best classic hot stars
These smell and look just like a pack of bread rolls, close and crisp, and there’s nothing in the smell to suggest they’ve come in contact with fruit, spice or citrus. Meanwhile, the flavor tastes artificial. Totally joyless.
Pillowy buns with an overpowering smell of lemon sink cleaner, no doubt thanks to the many citrus oils on the ingredient list. Definitely unfruity; instead, these deliver a sharp burnt spice aftertaste.
Squidgy little squares that look like someone sat on them. Although they are generous with the fruit, they are extremely moist and claggy; toast saves them just a little from being sad and pappy.
Squishy throughout, with a rather vague, stale spice flavor, powdered by pockets of soft fruit only. Middle of the road.
Darkly baked, this is another set with a decidedly moist texture. The flavor is one-note and the fruit is small and bitty.
Slipping through the attractive domed tops, there are rumbles of sultanas and raisins but no evidence of Easter spices. There’s no subtle citrus, too, and the biggest hint of soap is a slight twist.
It’s attractively dark and burnt and the well-distributed fruit promises great things but won’t taste good. Another middle ground muddler.
A very uniform pack of four who really look the part, all dark golden brown with neat crosses and a big lift. The fruit gives plenty of flavor.
These sticky buns have a beautiful golden crust and are irregular in shape. Inside there is a large variety of fruit and very prominent citrus peel. The results are, in fact, glorious.
These are the models of hot cross buns: rustic, plump, glazed and studded inside and outside with large vine fruits. they smell citrusy and spicy too, a truly festive batch. Absolute cork.
The best cross buns to spin
A strange chemical smell hardly makes one want to race to the toaster. The texture of the batter is surprisingly supple but we can’t get over the fruit and artificial spice combo.
Firm buns with a dense, firm crumb and a definite aroma of apple and cinnamon. Threatening to be too dry, the fruit delivers some welcome juiciness. One could easily pass these off as homemade.
The aroma of toffee sauce sings from these dark, glossy buns but they are claggy with chopped dates and caramel fudge. Redemption without being too sickly sweet.
Oozy pockets of melted caramel make for a pleasant texture but the saccharine flavor is overpowering.
Chunks of dark, milk and white chocolate can be seen in these and indeed there is a strong taste and smell of cocoa; the full-on taste really lingers.
Gooey, fudgy and still smelling fresh, these offer a salty welcome to the fudge blobs. Honestly, ridiculously unnecessary treatment for a hot cross but (whisper it) we love it.
Thin slices out of the tops with a golden dome and smeared with the innards and the banana purée. It’s surprising that a banana flavor that is completely artificial is something that we manage, in spite of ourselves.
Each mouthful delivers something bright and tangy, filled with lumps of golden fruit (sultanas, dried apricots and golden raisins). The smell of marmalade is excellent; a citrus success that’s close enough to a classic hot cross to not be offensive.
It’s like hot cross buns were born to host melting chocolate chips instead of sultanas; the citrus is perfectly balanced to offset the sweetness and has a really grown-up flavor. We can’t get enough of these.
