A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

So where did you first hear about Magnolia Bakery? I think I first heard about Magnolia on HBO’s Sex & the City. Magnolia Bakery is in every tour book, and one of ‘the’ places to go whenever you are in New York City. But you know when you go to some of these places that are so hyped up, and they don’t stand up? Not true of Magnolia. They are hyped up and they every bit as good as everyone says they are. They are my #1 cupcake choice!

Come early to the Bleeker Street store, who I hear just got renovated, because the line can stretch around the corner and down the block. Tourists and New York residents love their Magnolia’s cupcakes. The shop is tiny, only a few people can fit inside at once. There are no tables for hanging out and enjoying your cupcake 🙁 They have self serve cupcakes (the chocolate and vanilla kind) that you used to be only able to get a dozen maximum(I don’t know if that’s still true). You can go up to the counter where they have other things besides cupcakes: fruit pies, ice box pies, red velvet cakes, cheesecakes, cookies and banana pudding. They even have their own cookbook!

So you’ve waited in line, you’ve finally made it to the front, and are allowed to enter the shop! Cue angels, clouds and dream sequence! The smell of the buttercream is enough to send you straight into diabetic shock! Oh Magnolia’s how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

I have to admit that I’m craving these as I’m writing about them. There’s this show on the Food Network called “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” and the chefs/tv personalities talk about the best things (in different categories) that they love and where you can get them. With the wonders of tv magic, as they are talking about these places, whatever they are talking about suddenly appears and they get to eat it while they are talking…I wish that were happening while I was writing this blog….

I digress…so here is the vanilla and vanilla frosting cupcake from Magnolia Bakery.

There is a perfect amount of frosting to cake. The frosting is sweet (but not overly so) and buttery (oh so buttery), smooth and light, plain and simple. They have the frosting in various pastel colors and simple sprinkles on top. The cupcake cake is always moist, fresh and light. If a friend goes to New York City, I have to admit that I bully them into bringing me back some cupcakes! That’s how good they are.

Just for reference, my top 5 cupcakes spots are: (in no particular order)

• Georgetown Cupcake Washington, DC
• Southport Grocery and Cafe Chicago, IL
• Sugar Sweet Sunshine New York, NY (The Sunshine-yellow cake and vanilla frosting)
• Magnolia Bakery New York, NY
• Party Favors Brookline, MA

Magnolia Bakery

http://www.magnoliabakery.com/

Downtown: 401 Bleeker Street (212) 462-2572 (cupcakes and photos from this location)

Sun-Thurs 9am-11:30pm; Fri-Sat 9am-12:30am

Rockefeller Center: 1240 Avenue of the Americas (212) 767-1123

Mon-Thurs 7am-10pm; Fri 7am-12am; Sat 8am-12am; Sun 8am-10pm

Uptown: 200 Columbus Ave (212)724-8101

Sun-Thurs 8am-10pm; Fri-Sat 8am-12am

Tags: bakery, cupcakes, new york