A Month of Cupcakes (in conclusion...)

After a month of eating the most delicious cupcakes New York has to offer, here I am, back in Oberlin with broadened horizons. I have learned that a cupcake is not merely a miniature cake with icing on top--there is much more to them than meets the eye. I went into my cupcake adventure almost positive that my favorite cupcake (from Fairway) could not be beat, but I was quickly proven wrong by all the delectable goods my home city has to offer. Overall, I must say that my favorite cupcake is from Sugar Sweet Sunshine--it was so tasty that I had to go back a second time (I highly recommend the strawberry cream cheese flavor, which I was able to try on my second visit)! Billy's was another favorite, along with my long-time love, Fairway Cafe. And let's not forget the mini cupcakes from Baked by Melissa! In the end, I have learned that there are many, many delicious cupcakes to be had in New York City and there is no way to choose one as the "best," because they are all so different. My cupcake adventure would not have been possible without some help along the way from some dear friends, so I would like to give a special thanks to Harlee Ludwig, Ruby Dienstag, Sophie Zucker, Nick Plett, Sam Asheim, Michele Harris, Emily Glaser, Jeff From, and Tybie Etoy. 

Crumbs Bakeshop

 I must admit that up until now, I was pretty positive that I did not like the cupcakes from Crumbs Bakeshop. I always thought they were too big and sweet and just not what I wanted out of a cupcake. I decided to add Crumbs to my list so that I could once and for all prove how overrated it is. My plan failed. I walked in to crumbs and saw all of their crazy, huge flavored cupcakes that I have always disliked, but then I saw a simple, normal-sized vanilla cupcake which I decided to sample. It cost $2.95 for the smaller sized cupcake that I tried, and I must say it was pretty good. The cake was pretty moist and a little bit sweet, but the icing was not so sweet, so they worked together, with a nice ratio of icing to cake. The icing itself was very light and fluffy, almost marshmallow-like, but very delicious. The shop is very cute, with a nice seating area, and the staff was very friendly. Although Crumbs surprised me with its nice vanilla cupcake, I still must say it is a bit overrated. The sheer number of locations that Crumbs has is enough to show that it is merely a chain with pretty good baked goods, but definitely not the best. While the plain vanilla cupcake was very good, I still cannot say much about their larger, sweeter cupcakes--I'm still not quite willing to go for those.

Alice's Tea Cup

 Located on the Upper West and Upper East Sides, Alice's Tea Cup is an adorable Alice in Wonderland themed tea room. It has a small, health-conscious, delicious menu and a bakery that makes delectable sweets. I have been going to Alice's Tea Cup since I was young, but recently a friend recommended their cupcakes, so I just had to try them out. Although they cost $3, Alice's cupcakes are large enough to be worth the expense. The cake is pretty moist and they have a very nice icing to cake ratio. Personally, they are almost a little too large for me (I don't like my cupcakes to give me a stomach ache), but they are still very good cupcakes. Not my favorite, but not bad--I'd say they are pretty solid. However, the actual restaurant almost makes the stomach ache worth it. It is a lovely, magical place to have a cup of tea and a baked good, while admiring the drawings and quotes of Wonderland on the walls. The restaurant also has a small gift shop of candy and other Alice in Wonderland goodies that is very fun to look around in. Overall, I'd say the enjoyable atmosphere of Alice's Tea Cup is what makes the cupcake good--it is definitely a place worth visiting.

The Cake Ambiance

A few days ago, a friend and I ventured down to Brooklyn in search of a delicious cupcake. We were planning on visiting Cake Bliss, a bakery that a friend had recommended. However, Cake Bliss (which I hear is very good, but I cannot personally attest to) was not open, so we were a little lost as to where to go next. As we walked down Flatbush Avenue we came across a small bakery called The Cake Ambiance and decided to check it out. Located at 452 Dean Street, The Cake Ambiance was a delightful surprise! The bakery only had chocolate and red velvet cupcakes, so I decided to go red velvet, and I must say it was the best red velvet cupcake I have EVER had. Costing $3 (I know, but totally worth it), it was extremely moist with delicious cream cheese frosting on top. Adding to its perfection was its excellent cake to icing ratio. We were pleasantly surprised to say the least. The store itself is pretty small and plain, with a few tables to sit at, and an extremely friendly staff. I don't believe it is a well-known bakery, so we found quite the little treasure when we discovered this small hole in the wall. Though you may never have heard of it, I'd say The Cake Ambiance makes one of the best cupcakes in New York City.

Babycakes Bakery

Located in downtown Manhattan on Broome Street, Babycakes Bakery is an all vegan bakery that uses all-natural, organic alternatives for wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, and eggs. Also, instead of using white sugar, Babycakes uses agave nectar, a natural syrup that comes from a cactus. Although I am not a vegan or allergic to any of these things, I thought I would check out Babycakes for those who cannot enjoy the buttery goodness of a regular cupcake. However, I was a little put off when I saw the prices of the cupcakes--$3.75 for a regular vegan cupcake and $4.50 for a gluten-free cupcake. I decided to try the regular vegan vanilla cupcake. While the cake was pretty moist, it was a strange consistency and both the cake and icing had a strange taste. Though they tasted a bit weird, the cupcake had a nice cake to icing ratio. Because of the alternative ingredients used to make it, the cupcake is not sweet at all, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but an interesting one. My friend got the vegan chocolate cupcake, which I tasted and must say was much better tasting than the vanilla (even for a vanilla girl, like me). Yet, it still had that strange, almost tough, consistency. Let's put it this way: usually when you think of a cupcake, you think light and fluffy and soft, right? Well this cupcake was not any of those things. I don't want this to sound like I hated the cupcake, because I didn't. I was more simply intrigued by the new taste and consistency and believe that it is more of an acquired taste than the usual cupcake. The store itself is very cute and pretty small, with a few stools and benches to sit on. While it is undoubtedly an adorable bakery, I do wish it was a bit bigger or had a few more places to sit, because it tended to get pretty crowded in just the few minutes I was there. Overall, while Babycakes was not my favorite, it is a great option for those who are unable to eat a regular cupcake or for those who prefer a less sweet treat.

Hill Country BBQ Market

 It may seem odd that the title of this post has "BBQ" in it, but it's true--I got a cupcake at a barbeque restaurant. I was told by a family friend that Hill Country, located on West 26th Street, makes delicious specialty cupcakes, so I decided to check it out. Unfortunately Hill Country stopped making their specialty cupcakes a while ago, but they still make one! Peanut butter and jelly. For $4 (I know, I know), you can get a pretty large and darn good peanut butter with a little bit of jelly cupcake. Yes, I know the name of the cupcake is peanut butter AND jelly, but there was only enough jelly in that cupcake for maybe one bite! However, besides the disappointing amount of jelly, the cupcake is delicious. It is moist and flavorful and very tasty, but a little bit overwhelming and extremely filling at the same time. The peanut butter flavor is quite good, but also a tad bit rich, so I would recommend sharing this cupcake with someone else. My mom and I took advantage of being at Hill Country by also getting dinner there, and it is extremely good food. A perfect place to get some good old-fashioned barbeque, topped off with a hearty peanut butter and (bit of) jelly cupcake.

Billy's Bakery

Located in Chelsea, Nolita, and Tribeca, Billy's Bakery is another winner! Although a little pricey ($3 each), the cupcakes at Billy's are moist, have delicious not-too-sweet icing, and a pretty excellent cake to icing ratio (although there could possibly be a tiny bit too much icing). However, while I sampled a classic vanilla/vanilla cupcake as I have been doing, my mom tried a red velvet, which I must say was a little underwhelming. The cake was a little too dry and the icing a little too sour, even for red velvet. But overall, I'm still a big fan of Billy's. The store itself is adorable: pretty small and very cute with a couple tables to sit at; not to mention, it is located in three great neighborhoods (particularly the one in Chelsea, which is where I went). Besides taste itself, the cupcakes at Billy's were also very beautiful to look at, with a perfect dollop of icing on top of the fluffy, moist cake. Billy's is definitely a bakery to check out!