French expats and fellow bakers Brice Antier and Tim Beylie are behind this Melbourne carb institution. This year, the duo has brought back its classic spiced fruit Hot XXX Bun – made with Lard Ass Butter, fresh citrus, ginger, and a blend of currants, cherries, blueberries, cranberries and sultanas, slow fermented overnight before baking – as well as its triple-chocolate hot cross buns, spiked with chunks of Hunted & Gathered bean-to-bar chocolate, cocoa, choc chips and house-made toffee. This year, Bread Club is also running a pop-up at cult Fitzroy fashion boutique Mane by Stable, until March 29. Grab a box of either variety, or go for a mixed box. North Melbourne and Albert Park; cookaborough.com/bread-club

Tokyo Lamington has brought back their now-signature Easter switch-up, the Hot Cross Lamington, and the Lamington Hot Cross Bun. For the former, spiced sponge encases cream dotted with fruit, with the whole thing dipped in cinnamon white chocolate and topped with a white choc cross. The latter takes a classic hot cross bun, coats it with chocolate and sprinkles coconut on top for good measure. This year, Tokyo Lamington has also expanded their range with a grown-up collaboration with Benriach distillery. The Scotch Cross Bun keeps things classic, with a sticky Scotch whisky glaze, while the The Scotch Caramel Easter Lamington goes all-out with chocolate sponge, filled with choc mouse, caramel whisky whip and a coating of dark chocolate. Newtown and Marrickville, Sydney, and Carlton, Melbourne; tokyolamington.com

The ever-popular hot cross buns at Andrew McConnell’s Morning Market are back, perfect orbs of dough flavoured with cardamom, allspice and a lick of pastis and brandy, with dried apricots, sultanas and currants all soaked in spices and citrus for three days before being folded in and baked. Available until April 8 at both Melbourne stores – get them while they’re hot. 59 Gertrude St, Fitzroy and 579 High St, Prahran; morning.market

Wild Life Bakery founder Huw Murdoch is a baking purist, so it stands to reason that his hot cross buns are textbook. The traditional bun is made with the addition of wholemeal rye flour, a yeasted dough with butter and mixed spice, and a blend of citrus peel, currants and sultanas: a pitch-perfect rendition of the classic recipe. This year however, the bakery has waded into wilder territory by bringing back its collab with Brunswick neighbour Inner North Brewing Co, harnessing its roasty, toasty nitro stout for Wild Life’s chocolate and Irish stout bun. If you’re feeling inclined, Wild Life recommends picking up a wedge of blue cheese from the deli section of Wild Life Superette, for a salty, sweet, malted overload. East Brunswick, and Wild Life Superette, Brunswick; shop.wildlifebakery.com.

Baker Bleu has brought back its classic spiced hot cross buns, perfectly chewy and filled with plump fruit, plus its popular spin-off sour cherry & dark chocolate buns, now on offer at all Melbourne locations and at the Sydney outpost in Double Bay. New this year at Double Bay, and at Cremorne and South Yarra in Melbourne, is an iced hot cross bun latte and iced cherry choc drink, plus an exclusive hot cross bun soft serve at South Yarra. Various locations; bakerbleu.com.au

To Be Frank traditional hot cross buns are a mini masterwork, aromatic with cinnamon and nutmeg and filled with organic sultanas, currants and orange candied in house. But we’re a bit besotted by their saffron, lemon and currant buns, with the saffron giving a delicate golden glow. A new addition by the popular baker, which is this year expanding into the CBD, is the Hot “Cross”ant with delicate, flaky laminated pastry encasing a spiced fruit cream. Various locations; tobefrankbakery.com.au

Another contender for the choc/cherry HCB crown, Cobb Lane is baking up the popular hot cross bun combo again this year, with chunks of rich dark chocolate and sour cherry, as well as the traditional fluffy buns filled with juicy sultanas, citrus peel and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, served with lashings of Pepe Saya cultured butter. Various locations (with the new CBD Cobb Lane opening soon); cobblane.com.au

The ‘not-hot’ cross bun (AKA the hot cross doughnut) is back at gelateria Pidapipó, baked daily at The Fitzroy Laboratorio. The hot-cross-bun-flavoured dough is studded with dried fig, and filled with custard on one side and still more fig on the other, and dolloped with almond gelato and spiced caramel sauce. The team is also cracking on with house-made chocolate eggs, available at all four Pidapipó locations. Fitzroy, Melbourne CBD, Windsor and Carlton; pidapipo.com

The dainty hot cross madeleine is back at Madeleine de Proust, with the talented HyoJu Park and team rendering a blend of hot cross spices in their signature French treat, with each mouthful revealing raisins and zesty orange peel soaked in a subtle blend of Grand Marnier and rum. Be warned though, it will be difficult to stop at one. 253 Lygon Street, Carlton; madeleinedeproust.com.au