Why are New Yorkers so obsessed with cupcakes? Is it because they are small so we don’t feel too guilty about eating one? Perhaps they appeal to our individualistic leanings with a large variety of colors, flavors, and bakeries to choose from? Or maybe we like them because they are cute?
Doe Deere tends to lean toward the latter. But, as much as I love them, I’m not going to waste my daily calorie allowance on just any cake in a cup! Being a typical New Yorker, I needed to know where I get the best stuff, for cheap – so a Cupcake Expedition was in order. On a quest to find the best-tasting cupcake in Manhattan, I took a hike from Chelsea to West Village to Lower East Side, hitting up places on the way.
Bakeries covered & what I discovered
- Stop 1: Billy’s Bakery (184 9th Ave. at 22nd Street)
Our first stop was Billy’s Bakery in Chelsea. This place is pretty famous, so beware: you’ll be waiting in line for a cupcake. I had a ‘Vanilla Vanilla’ cupcake which was okay, but a little dry. Sorry Billy’s – not impressed. Next!
- Stop 2: Eleni’s Bakery (75 9th Ave. at West 15th Street)
Located inside the Chelsea Market, this bakery has a gorgeous decor. Too bad they don’t let you take pictures because “everything is patented”. Patented-schmatented, gimme a cupcake! I had a large chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing and white cream filling – and it was excellent. In fact, I loved it so much I got a regular vanilla mini-cupcake to go! Unfortunately, that one turned out to be less than fantastic. Tsk, tsk – inconsistency! At least I got them for 50% off as everything in the store goes on sale after 6 pm.
- Stop 3: Crumbs (37 E. 8th Street at University Place)
Perhaps due to offering the flashiest cupcakes in NYC, Crumbs is popular with catering companies. Their cupcakes are $3.50 a pop and HUGE (big enough for two). I was impressed with the assortment and overall look of the cupcakes they had. If you like the more robust, muffin-y kind of a cupcake with generous amounts of icing, this place is for you. But I don’t, so moving on!
This is where we took a small detour and stumbled into an upscale chocolate/ice-cream shop. There, we made friends with a staff guy named Vampee (Voltaire would be proud!). I gave Vampee a signed Doe Deere CD and he gave me a free cup of coconut gelato in exchange. Awesome! :)
Wait. STILL NO PERFECT CUPCAKE!!
- Stop 4: Sugar Sweet Sunshine (126 Rivington Street)
Our last stop – for a reason. :) Gala believes this place to have the best cupcake in New York City and I didn’t want it to skew my perception – so I left it for last. ;) And so, I am happy to announce… that their cupcakes are, indeed, the best! Moist, creamy, buttery-tasting icing – and really cheap to boot (only $1.50 per cake)! Granted, they are on the smaller side, but that’s a bonus in my book – I get to sample more flavors in one sitting! ;)
Indulging in the park!
Kat is proof that the business types like cupcakes, too!
In the process I found out that when it comes to cupcakes, I’m very much a ‘vanilla’ kinda gal. I like my frosting to taste natural, not too sweet and cream filling is always a plus! My favorite sprinkle color combo is bright blue and pink. :)
Deerlings: what is your favorite treat?
P.S. Special thanks to my beautiful friend Margarita and sister Kat for helping me with the pictures and tasting!
I love Cupcakes but I always have to make them by myself because here in Germany there is only one store(!) who sells them. And that is in Berlin T____________T
I like Vanilla ones the most and of course Pink sprinkles
You know, I have never really been much of a fan of frosting of any kind.. the only kinds I can stand are the ones that are not too sweet and I usually scrape most of it off anyway… but I do love sprinkles! I like just plain chocolate cake, and white cake I suppose.. I like the swirled kind best. I also make these cinnamon cupcakes that are to DIE for! Or FROM if you have too many! haha! <3 Lovely post M’Deere.
ohgosh.. that sounds like it was loads of fun.
I think the only kind of cupcake I’ve ever had is chocolate with a chocolate icing. Guess I should try to make a bunch of different kinds since I love making sweet stuff.
My favorite treat, or just sweet thing, would be cotton candy. Sitting with me to talk and nibble on some cotton candy is the quickest way to become one of my favorite people. hah
Mmm cupcakes! Have you ever had strawberry swirl ones? They are amazing and so pretty!
Mmmm, wish I’d read this before I went to New York! Cupcakes are amazing and can be so cute!! Of the tastiest treats I’ve had, my favorites would be hazelnut cream cake, cupcakes, danish butterhorns, cinnamon buns and the croissants I fill with chocolate icing when I should be working >_< (What can I say, I work in a bakery!)
Oooo Cupcakes, I was going to buy a mix pack today but they dind’t have any good ones. Sadly the Uk don’t seem to of caught on to cupcakes because they only sell disgusting processed ones. No love in them at all! Though there is a place that sells them off Carnaby Street but they’re still not the most amazing. I have to settle for chocolate and jasmine maccarons.
Mini – oh deer! No cupcakes?? You should learn to make your own, it’s fairly easy – and very enjoyable. :)
Aether – I never used to be a fan of sprinkles – until now. They are so much fun!!
Jessi – now I now what to bring should I ever come visit you. A big bag of fluffy cotton candy!
Oshley Onn – I actually haven’t. Sounds heavenly though, yum. :)
Chelsaur – hazelnut cream cake sounds BRILLIANT! I love nuts and anything with them!
Clara – hmmm I’m starting to wonder if cupcakes are a predominantly American phenomenon. To think about it, I don’t recall having them in Russia, either.
I’m fond of vanilla, myself, with not too much frosting. I also like anything citrus-y. Lemon cake with vanilla creme frosting is divine. I make most of my cupcakes myself, though. :)
oooh, naomi – I’m gonna have to try lemon with vanilla frosting. I love citrus too.
I’m living in Western Australia and we don’t have much of a cupcake cult following. But I quite enjoy making my own and experimenting with flavours. If you make your own, you also have more to eat :)
I’ll be ‘watching’…although a cupcake a cd will help :)
Imelda,
How sweet of you to check out my blog. :) I would be happy to mail you a CD – just let me know where to send it! Don’t know about a cupcake though – unless you’re into revolutionary flavors like ‘moldy chic’ and ‘when I’m bad I’m better’! :D
hello! thanks for commenting on my blog!!
i wanna go on a cupcake expedition too. how exciting! i love my cupcakes and i’m not picky. but i do hate those that are either waaaay too sweet (even though i have a sweet tooth) and those that add almond essence in them!
I will def. make sure to go to Sugar Sweet Sunshine when I next go into the city. (which is tuesday!!) I looooove cupcakes!! My fav is vanilla cake with chocolate frosting!! or orange frosting! YUM!! I think I make a pretty good citrus cupcake myself!! :P
Gilda – wanna go together??
Toni – yay, so good to see you on here! I was just thinking of you and our clownage the other day!
Mmmm, cuppycakes are my favorite. :) this sounds like such a fun thing to do. If I lived in a place with lots of opportunities for cupcake eating, I’d definitely do this.
Fact: Cupcakes are heaven.
Also Fact: This article nearly killed me with all the deliciousness. Yum!
Ha, I love cupcakes. I love making them, my nickname is Cupcake. :D
I’m going to baking school, so I looove cupcakes. :D
Stefanie Reply:
March 5, 2011 at 9:14 pm
How cool :) I love to make cupcakes as well, usually with regular sugar frosting or vanilla fondant, sometimes with chocolate frosting… The cupcake market has started to boom in Belgium, so fiiinally I’m able to find fondant + little forms to make decorations etc.
One of my best friends calls me cupcake too ;)
[...] Yes, these are from the same day as Cupcake Expedition [...]
In Calgary we have Crave Cupcakes – yummy cupcake covered in a mass of amazing butter cream icing. And butter cream icing is the only icing to use. Sadly the time I tried to make butter cream icing, it ended horribly, chunky and not icing like at all.
From Crave though, I love the Chocolate coconut one, chocolate cake with vanilla icing dipped in coconut shavings… YUM!