Magnolia Bakery – New York

It seems that in every major U.S. city, there is a cupcake shop that draws lines out the door. In Los Angeles, it’s Sprinkles, and in New York, it seems to be a competition between Magnolia Bakery and Billy’s Cupcakes – which are both favorites among locals and tourists alike.

After my brunch at The Spotted Pig in the West Village, I was jonesing for something sweet, so how convenient it was that Magnolia Bakery was just a hop, skip and jump away. Surprisingly, I was the only one in my group who wanted a cupcake, but curiosity got the best of one of my friends Krys, so he decided to wait in line with me to see what all the hype was about. The other folks in our group went shopping at the many fab boutiques on Bleecker Street.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing

Chocolate Buttermilk w/ Pastel Vanilla Frosting & Sprinkles

At the front door, stood an employee who played the “bouncer” role delegating how many cupcake fiends could enter at a time. The major difference with this bouncer as opposed to the ones you see at the nightclubs was 1) he was super friendly 2) had no attitude and 3) was super excited to talk cupcakes. Once inside, I found myself  feeling like I was at a bake sale at a friend’s house. The space was a down home, relaxed neighborhood vibe. There were various self serve signature Chocolate Buttermilk and Vanilla Cupcakes laid out on tables to place in a box and bring to the counter. Magnolia also has daily cupcake specials such as Red Velvet, German Chocolate, and Pumpkin which are a dozen minimum order.

Magnolia Bakery was a favorite of Carrie Bradshaw on the popular Sex and the City series. They definitely got a lot of buzz on that show and in the press which they proudly display on their wall. Below are my photos of Magnolia New York:

My two Colorful Happy Cupcakes – before I eat them!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Pastel Vanilla Frosting & Sprinkles

 

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