savory-bites » Cupcakes

Magnolia Midtown & all of their Red Velvets (cupcake, cheesecake, cake)

Jessie — Sun, 16 May 2010 00:21:40 +0000

Despite how little I love Magnolia, I’m always excited when I discover a new location of theirs. Now that I’ve been to the one Downtown on Bleeker, the one Uptown on Columbus Ave, and this time to the one in Midtown on 6th Ave, the only one left is the other Midtown location in Grand Central. Even though they all have the same white panels, the same rectangular layout, the same baby blue title on their hanging menu, and even the same exact shade of pastel colored frosting on their cupcakes, each location has managed to exude a different style and ambiance. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s part of the reason why I love walking into a new Magnolia even though I (think I) can bake a better cupcake.

Don’t those Apple Fruit Crisps ($3) look yum? And that over-bubbling Blueberry Crisp ($3)..?!

Patrick and I happened upon Magnolia in Midtown moments before my graduation ceremony at Radio City. It’s on the edge of Rockefeller Center and smack in the middle of all those investment bank skyscrapers. We came back four hours later, only to find it as busy as when we first saw it. It’s actually really weird, seeing men in suits and ties buying cupcakes. Can you imagine bankers gathering around a conference table and demolishing cupcakes while discussing how to find a loophole in the financial reform bill?

Like every Magnolia, there’s a separate line for cupcakes and for cakes/cheesecakes/cookies/pudding/crisps/etc. But the line for the cupcakes was so long that it spilled into the other line. I’m not exactly sure why because I’d say that their famous Banana Bread Pudding and their Red Velvet mini cheesecake is their forte.

That Thursday morning, I saw more cupcake varieties than I’ve ever seen at Magnolia (and I’ve been there six times or so?). For anyone who hasn’t gone, all “classic” cupcakes are $2.75 and their specialty cupcakes are $3.25, which is $0.25 more than four years ago when I was a freshman at NYU. They don’t have every type of specialty cupcake everyday, so it’s worth calling ahead if you want a specific flavor. Their specialty cupcakes include:

Red Velvet: whipped vanilla icing (although also available with cream cheese icing)
Devil’s Food: choice of mocha, vanilla, chocolate, buttercream, or caramel cream cheese icing
Coconut: meringue icing topped with flaked coconut
Lemon: lemon cream filled cupcake with lemon meringue buttercream
Caramel: caramel meringue buttercream with caramel drizzle
Banana: caramel filled cupcake with caramel meringue buttercream
Hummingbird: sweet cream cheese icing
Carrot: cream cheese icing topped with walnuts
German Chocolate: coconut caramel pecan icing
Pumpkin: maple cream cheese icing topped with toasted pecans
Truffled Chocolate: white or chocolate truffle center with chocolate glaze
Sno-cap: devil’s food cupcake with peaks of meringue icing
S’mores: honey graham cake with a chocolate center and meringue icing

And so there you have it. Even though you can get the Red Velvet and Devil’s Food in different types of frosting, Magnolia is usually so busy that you’d have to wait forever for an alternative frosting. Plus, the cupcakes disappear like hot cakes, and most people don’t know that certain cupcakes have alternative frostings so they just grab what they can… before it all disappears. This must be the most profitable cupcakery in the WORLD.

Red Velvet Cupcake ($3.25)

Today, I want to tell you about all the Red Velvet’s that Magnolia offers. First at bat is the Red Velvet Cupcake with whipped vanilla icing (it does come in cream cheese frosting icing too, but we didn’t know that). Here are deets of the taste test:

Taste

The cupcake is a deep, rich, red color- just like the way red velvet should be. However, it comes short in flavor. Red velvet is actually made with cocoa and gets its tanginess from buttermilk. I didn’t taste any of the cocoa. If anything, the cupcake was… bland (?!- as in, how is that possible for a cupcake!).
The whipped vanilla icing is a tragedy. When a cupcake falls short in sweetness, it should make up in its frosting, which Magnolia usually over-does. For most Magnolia cupcakes, the frosting is so sweet that I end up only eating half of it. The vanilla icing on the Red Velvet lacked any sweetness and almost tasted like whipped heavy cream with a tad bit of sugar. I would have loved to try it with cream cheese frosting because I think that would have really elevated the cupcake.

Texture

The cupcake was unusually moist for a Magnolia cupcake. I’m used to a dense and somewhat dry cupcake from this bakery, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it different this time.

Price

At $3.25, the cupcake is WAY too overpriced. I’d suggest going to Crumbs and grabbing their Red Velvet (which does use a cream cheese frosting) for $3.75. I’d reckon that it’s like 50% bigger too (and a whopping 500 calories, unfortunately).

Red Velvet with a Chocolate Cookie Crust Mini Cheesecake ($6)

This is by far, the best dessert I’ve had from Magnolia and vies for close competition with Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake at the Cheesecake Factory. Here’s why:

Taste

Spot on, at least cheesecake wise. It’s rich and sweet, although light on that smooth, velvety flavor. The chocolate crumbs give a dark contrast to the sweetness from the cheesecake. The topping, which seems to be straight up whipped heavy cream, is a nice neutral balance. Everything just blends harmoniously together.

Texture

Soft and creamy. The cookie crust obviously crumbles and the cheesecake, although soft, holds firm.

Price

OUCH! $6?! It’s a bit overpriced, considering how for a buck more, you can get a slice of that heavenly cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. $4 would be the perfect price in my view. But definitely worth the splurge if you’re looking for a delectable red velvet option.

Slice of Red Velvet Specialty Cake ($5)

Described as “the Mae West of cakes. Made red with cocoa, a little vanilla and a lot of southern mystery. With its own special whipped vanilla icing (also available with cream cheese icing).” Really? I didn’t know that cocoa made things red! And I like how they compared Red Velvet to Mae West. Is it because it’s red…?

Taste

This is essentially Magnolia’s Red Velvet Cupcake in a cake form. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the same exact recipe. So bland both on the cake and on the whipping front.

Texture

A tad bit on the dry end, but the rich redness would trick your eye into thinking otherwise. Luckily, we have our tongues to distinguish truth from false.

Price

While $5 for this slice of cake is a bit steep, it is definitely more bang for your buck than that Red Velvet cupcake. And if you’re sharing between two, then it’s not a bad bargain- presuming you like a very mild Red Velvet cake that is.

So overall? Save yourself some money by skipping the Red Velvet cupcake and slice of cake and dive right into the Red Velvet cheesecake. The mini cheesecake was so good that I’m going forget how forgettable everything else was and list this as a “top pick.”

Last but not least, a special thank you to my super awesome cousin, Patrick, for his love of Red Velvet and for making this post possible. Oh, and also for making it possible for me to be at my graduation too. I OWE YOU BIG!

MENU
1240 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
nr. 49th St. See Map | Subway Directions
212-767-1123 Send to Phone
See other locations >>

—

Photo du jour:

You should also check out:

Royale Cafe & Pastry

Jessie — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:34:37 +0000

Meet Yun. Doesn’t she look snug and warm with her fingered mittens and large warm latte? Those gloves do look nifty…

After those filling noodles at Sammy’s, Yun and I couldn’t resist a peek into Royale. She mentioned something about “cupcakes,” and “next door” when we were eating and so I asked, “dessert?” to which she replied, “of course!” That’s what I love about Yun. She’s never one to resist dessert.

That’s essentially everything- in that glass case. It’s not a whole lot and so Yun and I were wondering how this place possibly make money, especially considering how they actually charge less than most bakeries. There are a few stools but other than that, this is one small shop.

While everything did look somewhat enticing, I had to go for that cupcake. At $2 a pop, they’re pretty decent especially since I’ve been shelling near $3 at some other places recently. I did enjoy their handmade signs though.

The red velvet cupcake was different from most others that I’ve had. The cake part wasn’t anything special, but I really loved how the frosting actually wasn’t a cream cheese base! If anything, it tasted like a whipped frosting, making it light and airy, which is a welcoming combination with the somewhat dense cake.

Red Hook: red hot red velvet cake with a hint of valrhona cocoa topped with cinnamon buttercream

The one thing that I did NOT like, however, was that red dot. It was hard and a full on burst of cinnamon exploded into my mouth when I chewed it. Yuck!

So overall, the cupcake was good, but not great.

Yun came out with a large latte at only $2.50. What a steal! I’d probably come back for coffee and maybe for a cupcake. After all, cupcakes are the exception to not visiting a restaurant more than once.

MENU
461 Sixth Ave.
New York, NY 10011
At 11th St.Â See Map | Subway Directions
212-255-5236 Send to Phone

You should also check out:

Butter Lane Cupcakes

Jessie — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:52:53 +0000

The great thing about NYU is that it’s in the center of everything. I sat in Emerging Markets, sipping Chilean wine and listening to the Chilean presentation (Marty J. isn’t exactly your orthodox academic; he believes in “experiencing” the presentation content through drinks), and I thought to myself, “Man, I really want a cupcake. Where to go? Crumbs? Toni’s Mini’s? Butter Lane?” So many choices, so little time. By chance, I ran into Yun and she agreed to Butter Lane.

TUBS OF FROSTING!

I’ve heard alot about Butter Lane, but this was my first time here. Everything is fresh and organic. The bakery uses pure vanilla, chocolate, and fruit for their frostings. That means no artificial colors or flavoring. Cupcakes are frosted on the spot. You choose from vanilla, chocolate, or banana for the cake and pick a frosting. According to NYMAG:

The chocolate and vanilla buttercream frosting is whipped up in both French and American versionsâ€”the French version is made with egg whites and melted sugar for a lighter consistency.Unlike the majority of its competitors, which venture into puddings, brownies, and bars, Butter Lane sticks exclusively to cupcakes, keeping its small staff busy frosting freshly baked batches just behind the counter.

Frosting shots?! Sorry, that’s a bit too much for me!

Cupcakes on display at the window.

At first, I told Yun that I was only getting one. She looked hesitant. “Really?”

And so I gave in. “Let’s get three and split the third.”

So she got the Espresso on vanilla, I the Pumpkin on vanilla, and together the Apple Cider on vanilla. I tried getting the Pumpkin on Banana but they didn’t have banana. Nor did they have Maple Pecan. That was my only complaint- they should have what they list!

Espresso: Yun tried the Espresso before and loved it so much that she had to get it again. I had a bite and it was like taking a sip out of a latte. The espresso flavoring is strong, but it mellows out with the cupcake. Perfect combination of bitter coffee and sweet. I almost regretted not getting that.

Pumpkin: The pumpkin was good, but not great. I think it’s because I’m not that into pumpkin, but I had wanted to get a seasonal flavor.

Apple Cider: This is also a top pick. Imagine sipping apple cider on a frosty day at the Farmer’s Market. That’s what the cupcake immediately brought memories of. It’s almost reminiscent of childhood memories where my dad would buy those gallons of apple cider and I’d heat them up on a cold day next to the fireplace.

What I love about Butter Lane is that all three cupcakes were consistent. At Crumbs or Billy’s Bakery, I felt that different cupcakes had varying degrees of moistness. I guess it’s tougher to deviate at Butter Lane since they streamline everything by frosting it on spot. All of their frostings were delightfully light and not overly sweet. The cake part is somewhat moist but also fluffy at the same time. At $3, it’s a bit steep for a cupcake, but what’s an extra quarter or two?

MENU
123 E. 7th St.
New York, NY 10009
Near Ave. AÂ See Map | Subway Directions
212-677-2880 Send to Phone

You should also check out:

Billy’s Bakery

Jessie — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:44:24 +0000

Today, David and I started backwards by eating dessert first.Â Actually, we didn’t really plan on eating dinner, but we overestimated and each got two cupcakes. Thus, sugar overload..

I’ve had Billy’s cupcakes only once before and totally fell in love with the carrot cake cupcake. More about that later though. But what I really love is how simplistic the cupcakery is, and how you can watch the cupcake lady frost each cupcake. She then lays them gently along neat rows on a metal tray for your viewing pleasure.

They’re perfect in size, shape, and looks. Almost like a Magnolia cupcake but frosted with a tube tip as opposed to Magnolia’s naked frosting where they actually don’t pipe it out and just use a spatula. While all of these pastel colored cupcakes looked delectable, David and I chose some other ones to sample.

After raving about the carrot cake cupcake, David decided that he just had to get it. He also got a chocolate on top of chocolate while I settled for a carrot cake with a banana cupcake.

Chocolate on top of chocolate

This is probably the most photogenic of the 3 types of cupcakes that we got (partially due to the sprinkles), but it was probably also the driest. I’ve had their red velvet and it was disappointing to see how it was significantly drier than the carrot cake cupcake. David couldn’t finish it because he ran out of milk…

Banana

The banana was surprisingly moist and I loved the pairing of the cream cheese frosting to complement the cake. But the winner still goes to the carrot cupcake which holds a speck of raisin in each bite and is topped off with a walnut on the cream cheese frosting. I think it’s the raisins that really put the cake over the top. The cream cheese frosting is also impeccably perfect although I can never finish all of it.

There are two locations- this is the one in Chelsea. Cupcakes are $2.25 each. They also sell slices of cake, brownies, and of course, milk!

Billy’s Bakery (Chelsea)
184 Ninth Ave.
New York, NY 10011
Near 21st St.Â See Map | Subway Directions
212-647-9956 Send to Phone

You should also check out:

Buttercup Bake Shop

Jessie — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:59:50 +0000

I love simple beautifully frosted cupcakes. It’s like having a high-end homemade cupcake. I don’t know how they did it, but Buttercup Bake Shop had some of the most carefree yet gorgeous frosting I’ve ever seen.

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 7

Buttercup cupcake with chocolate icing

This cupcakery ranks #13 on Nancy Olsen’s top cupcake in New York list for Grub Street. My experience is quite similar to her’s. The cupcake was decent, but could have been much more moist. Definitely a Magnolia-like cake (except not as dense), but I personally thought the cream cheese frosting was out of the world. It was almost the perfect amount too.

We all got the red velvet. According to Nancy Olsen, this is their moistest cupcake, which is pretty bad. The first remark that everyone made today was how dry the cake was.

You should also check out:

savory-bites » Cupcakes

Magnolia Midtown & all of their Red Velvets (cupcake, cheesecake, cake)

Royale Cafe & Pastry

Butter Lane Cupcakes

Billy’s Bakery

Buttercup Bake Shop

◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 7 Buttercup cupcake with chocolate icing

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 7

Buttercup cupcake with chocolate icing