best cupcakes in the country.I did my usual research - checked websites, blogs, newspapers - and it looks like "Magnolia's Bakery" is the winner. Or should I say, my next victim? I also asked a friend of mine who has lived in NYC for quite some time, and he told me that he didn't know the first thing about cupcakes, but he somehow knew that Magnolia's was "the place."
I found out that this is the shop that many people say started the "cupcake craze." Woah - that's quite the claim. It is also famous for being featured on HBO's Sex and the City. Needless to say, I had ridiculously high expectations for this place.
Magnolia's started out with 1 shop on Bleeker St, but now has 3 locations in Manhattan. I went to the shop on Columbus Ave. The outside of the shop isn't that impressive or cute, although I thought it was fairly large for a cupcake shop. The inside was simple and slightly industrial. It felt very "New York", which I liked. Didn't try to be too cutesy like so many bakeries. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the fact that this wasn't just a cupcake shop. Although you could tell cupcakes were very important items there, they also had quite a few other tempting desserts. Big cookies, mini cheesecakes, pies, birthday cakes, etc. But I didn't let my mind wander too far. I was here for cupcakes.
It was pretty busy, but there wasn't much of a line because it moves so quickly. You order at one end of the counter, then pay for it down at the other end of the counter. I must say, I felt a little nervous when I ordered. I could tell by the impatient looks of customers behind me as well as the shop worker that I needed to be quick. That's New York. So I quickly blurted out an
order of a half dozen different cupcakes (Luckily there weren't that many more varieties to choose from, so it was pretty easy). I went with my usual Red Velvet, then ordered a Chocolate, Vanilla, "Hummingbird," Carrot, and Devil's Food. The Chocolate and Vanilla were $2.75 each, and the others were $3.25.
When I got home (45 minutes later), I pulled out the white cupcake box, and I noticed a pretty big grease spot on the top of it (check out the pic if you don't believe me). I opened the box and saw that the grease spot came from the Red Velvet.
Weird. But Red Velvet is my favorite, so I dove right in. Eeccchhh. Not good. It was really not good. The frosting tasted like barely sweetened Crisco. It left your mouth feeling slimy and greasy. They call it their "whipped vanilla icing." I call it Jersey Shore Hair Mousse. Not good. Really. At the shop they told me that they are also available with a cream cheese icing, but I guess that day they were out? The whipped vanilla tastes like a mistake. Like the time my adorable grandma left the sugar out of my mom's German Chocolate Birthday Cake. So anyway, I tried to move past the 
frosting, and just tasted the cake. Wasn't very impressive. Dry. Boring. Also - the color of the red velvet was a little crazy. I don't even wanna know how much food coloring they used to make it look like the color of Satan's cape.
Let's move on before I lose all faith in this place. I promise, the rest of it is better.
So after eating some crackers to get the grease out of my mouth, I moved on to the Hummingbird ("bananas, pineapples & pecans make up this classic southern cake with sweet cream cheese icing"). AMAZING. PERFECT. All is forgiven. It almost tasted like a spin on carrot cake (even though it didn't have carrots.) It was sooo moist, and had the perfect amount of sweetness. They totally nailed this one. I think I'll go back and order a half dozen Hummingbirds.
The Vanilla (vanilla cake w/ vanilla frosting) and the Devil's Food (with cream cheese frosting) were both really good. The vanilla cake had a great flavor but was a little dry. The devil's food was good but also slightly dry. Their frosting was great though. Both types of frosting way outshone the cakes. But I'd order both those types again.
I liked the Chocolate as well. Tasted like a really good home-made chocolate cupcake. The texture of the frosting was yummy and gooey - seemed like it would start melting off the cupcake if it were even 1 degree hotter. I just wanted to eat it with my finger.
The Carrot Cupcake might have been on steroids, or some kind of cupcake enhancing drug. It is not for your average carrot cake eater. I think you have to really love carrot cake to like this one. Luckily for me, I love carrot cake. It had so much going on: "freshly grated carrots, coconut, pineapple, raisins and walnuts with cream cheese icing". Very complicated little thing, but I loved it. Also, I found it interesting that the cream cheese icing was different than the one they used for the Devil's Food and the Hummingbird. It wasn't nearly as sweet, but much more "cheesy" instead. Magnolia's Carrot Cupcake isn't to be taken lightly. I'd eat it again in a heartbeat though.
Overall, I loved Magnolia's Bakery. I would probably give them an A- or maybe a B+. I had really high expectations, and I wasn't let down. For the most part. But if I were just grading them on their Red Velvet, I would fail them for sure.
I noticed on the menu that there are quite a few other flavors (like S'mores and Caramel) that weren't available the day I was there, but I'll probably go back to try.
Best in the country? Probably not. Best in NYC? Maybe.
So maybe it's time I take my journey out West.
A dozen cupcakes would make me forgive just about any indiscretion.
Magnolia's started out with 1 shop on Bleeker St, but now has 3 locations in Manhattan. I went to the shop on Columbus Ave. The outside of the shop isn't that impressive or cute, although I thought it was fairly large for a cupcake shop. The inside was simple and slightly industrial. It felt very "New York", which I liked. Didn't try to be too cutesy like so many bakeries. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the fact that this wasn't just a cupcake shop. Although you could tell cupcakes were very important items there, they also had quite a few other tempting desserts. Big cookies, mini cheesecakes, pies, birthday cakes, etc. But I didn't let my mind wander too far. I was here for cupcakes.It was pretty busy, but there wasn't much of a line because it moves so quickly. You order at one end of the counter, then pay for it down at the other end of the counter. I must say, I felt a little nervous when I ordered. I could tell by the impatient looks of customers behind me as well as the shop worker that I needed to be quick. That's New York. So I quickly blurted out an
order of a half dozen different cupcakes (Luckily there weren't that many more varieties to choose from, so it was pretty easy). I went with my usual Red Velvet, then ordered a Chocolate, Vanilla, "Hummingbird," Carrot, and Devil's Food. The Chocolate and Vanilla were $2.75 each, and the others were $3.25.When I got home (45 minutes later), I pulled out the white cupcake box, and I noticed a pretty big grease spot on the top of it (check out the pic if you don't believe me). I opened the box and saw that the grease spot came from the Red Velvet.
Weird. But Red Velvet is my favorite, so I dove right in. Eeccchhh. Not good. It was really not good. The frosting tasted like barely sweetened Crisco. It left your mouth feeling slimy and greasy. They call it their "whipped vanilla icing." I call it Jersey Shore Hair Mousse. Not good. Really. At the shop they told me that they are also available with a cream cheese icing, but I guess that day they were out? The whipped vanilla tastes like a mistake. Like the time my adorable grandma left the sugar out of my mom's German Chocolate Birthday Cake. So anyway, I tried to move past the 
frosting, and just tasted the cake. Wasn't very impressive. Dry. Boring. Also - the color of the red velvet was a little crazy. I don't even wanna know how much food coloring they used to make it look like the color of Satan's cape.Let's move on before I lose all faith in this place. I promise, the rest of it is better.
So after eating some crackers to get the grease out of my mouth, I moved on to the Hummingbird ("bananas, pineapples & pecans make up this classic southern cake with sweet cream cheese icing"). AMAZING. PERFECT. All is forgiven. It almost tasted like a spin on carrot cake (even though it didn't have carrots.) It was sooo moist, and had the perfect amount of sweetness. They totally nailed this one. I think I'll go back and order a half dozen Hummingbirds.
The Vanilla (vanilla cake w/ vanilla frosting) and the Devil's Food (with cream cheese frosting) were both really good. The vanilla cake had a great flavor but was a little dry. The devil's food was good but also slightly dry. Their frosting was great though. Both types of frosting way outshone the cakes. But I'd order both those types again.
I liked the Chocolate as well. Tasted like a really good home-made chocolate cupcake. The texture of the frosting was yummy and gooey - seemed like it would start melting off the cupcake if it were even 1 degree hotter. I just wanted to eat it with my finger.
The Carrot Cupcake might have been on steroids, or some kind of cupcake enhancing drug. It is not for your average carrot cake eater. I think you have to really love carrot cake to like this one. Luckily for me, I love carrot cake. It had so much going on: "freshly grated carrots, coconut, pineapple, raisins and walnuts with cream cheese icing". Very complicated little thing, but I loved it. Also, I found it interesting that the cream cheese icing was different than the one they used for the Devil's Food and the Hummingbird. It wasn't nearly as sweet, but much more "cheesy" instead. Magnolia's Carrot Cupcake isn't to be taken lightly. I'd eat it again in a heartbeat though.
Overall, I loved Magnolia's Bakery. I would probably give them an A- or maybe a B+. I had really high expectations, and I wasn't let down. For the most part. But if I were just grading them on their Red Velvet, I would fail them for sure.
I noticed on the menu that there are quite a few other flavors (like S'mores and Caramel) that weren't available the day I was there, but I'll probably go back to try.
Best in the country? Probably not. Best in NYC? Maybe.
So maybe it's time I take my journey out West.
A dozen cupcakes would make me forgive just about any indiscretion.
