More Thoughts on Cupcakes

Awhile ago, I made some observations and comparisons of "cupcakeries" in New York City. I noted that the world-famous Magnolia was a bit sweet and overrated ... then again, I find most cupcakes sweet and overrated. I'm more of a salty-savory-umami girl, so I'm kinda sad that "Sex and the City" didn't make cheese popcorn stands or steak tips vendors all the rage.

Anyway, last week I tried a few more cupcake places, with surprisingly delicious results.

BUTTER LANE CUPCAKES.

I like Butter Lane's simple formula — offer cupcakes in three flavors (classic vanilla bean, classic chocolate and banana) and choose your frosting (from a list of several delicious French- and American-style buttercreams). They will then frost your cupcakes before your very eyes.

The French vanilla and chocolate buttercreams were great — less sweet, more meringue-y. I like that a lot. And the American buttercreams came in so many flavors! I chose raspberry (with pieces of actual raspberry) and burnt caramel (pictured above, creatively topped with a few kernels of kettle corn).

I picked up a little postcard that listed all the frosting flavors available — there were several listed on the card that the shop didn't have that day, but that I would absolutely love to try: pistachio, salted chocolate, lemon rosemary.

CHIKALICIOUS DESSERT CLUB.

I'm absolutely flabbergasted after eating ChikaLicious cupcakes. I never thought I could really CRAVE a cupcake, you know? But ChikaLicious was perfect. Absolutely amazing. Like ... I want these all the time now. They are to be served at any future event in my life that could call for baked goods: my birthday, my wedding, my cat's birthday, my cat's wedding, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday, promotions, cat showers, what have you.

The cupcakes. Holy shit. Perfectly sized, perfectly moist. The frosting isn't some terribly sweet buttercream, it's smooth and light and airy and perfect. I want to swim in it. The deluxe cupcakes have a good-sized dollop of filling in them. May I recommend the caramel? Caramel inside, whipped-tasting frosting on top. I think I ate the thing in about three bites, then obsessively licked my fingers and the wrapper. My god.

The s'mores cupcake is positively out of this world. I've had a s'mores cupcake at Crumbs before — an oversized mess of mini marshmallows and unwieldy hunks of chocolate and graham crackers. The ChikaLicious s'mores cupcake was a yellow-brown cake with a hint of cinnamon to it, filled with chocolate frosting and topped with burnt marshmallow. Seriously ... it's a flattened marshmallow (perhaps marshmallow fluff) that was then toasted with a crème brûlée torch. (Both the caramel and s'mores cupcakes are pictured above.) 

That's it. Game over. ChikaLicious wins. 

Some Thoughts on Cupcakes

What's the deal with cupcakes?

They've certainly been a hot little thing for the past couple of years. I'm not exactly sure what or who launched this trend ... apparently "Sex and the City" had something to do with it? Carrie Bradshaw, taking breaks from typing absolutely ridiculous hypothetical questions into her iBook (or did she have a PowerBook?) in her sprawling Manhattan abode, calling up her quirky friends and marching down to Magnolia Bakery to mack on some cupcakes. Was the cupcake trend full-blown when Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell unleashed "Lazy Sunday" that fateful Saturday night? They love those cupcakes like McAdams loves Gosling.

But I digress. The thing is, I'm more of a savory person. My favorite meals and preferred snacks usually have a salty, spicy or umami thing going on. I love steak, potatoes, pasta, butter, cheese and popcorn. I have nothing against dessert, really, but I rarely bother with it. I'd rather order a greasy appetizer or an extra side dish in lieu of saving room for something described on the menu as "sinful" and served with more than one spoon.

However, when I moved to L.A., I couldn't help but notice all the boutique bakeries and the lavish praise they garnered for their cupcakes ... especially in Beverly Hills, just around the corner from where I worked. I had to know what all the fuss was about.

The cupcake works for me. I don't crave them, and I'm not sure they're worth standing in line for, but I appreciate them. I dig the individual portion size; the taste of thick, sugar-saturated cream mingling with moist, crumbly cake.

And now. Now. Now I am in New York Bloody Fucking City, the world's cupcake shenanigans headquarters, or something. So yes. Yes. Now. Here I am. And these are my thoughts.

LOLkat. (Get it?!) Erm, I didn't have any photos featuring me actually consuming cupcakes. Moving on.

CRUMBS BAKE SHOP.

The first time I ever had Crumbs was in Beverly Hills. Crumbs was on Santa Monica Boulevard, just a block away from the ultra-mega-hip cupcakery Sprinkles. There was an insane line for Sprinkles, and — like I've said — I am not a person possessed by cupcakes, so I ambled down the street to Crumbs, where the line was much more manageable. Turns out Crumbs is everywhere. Beverly Hills. New York City. Stamford. Probably even somewhere in the good ol' Midwest.

Cupcakes from Crumbs are huge, and I think that may be their downfall. Don't get me wrong — they are not inedible by any means. They do have the most creative toppings, and they always have a blob of chocolate, fruit jelly or cream in the center, which is delightful. But I've had several cupcakes from Crumbs that were a bit too dry, and sometimes the icing was almost stale-tasting. I also don't think it's necessary for the cupcakes to be quite so gigantic. Crumbs should scale down the size and focus on staying moist (that's what she said? Ewww).

MAGNOLIA BAKERY.

When I moved to L.A., people asked me if I saw celebrities. (And yes, I did. Fairly frequently.) When I moved to New York, people asked me if I'd gone to Magnolia yet.

Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell mentioned that this bakery had all the bomb frostings, but I'm not sure that I'm inclined to agree with them. Maybe if you're really into frosting this could float your boat, but it was so sweet it made my teeth ache after just two bites. It was like I could feel cavities forming. Excellent presentation though, as you can see. Very seasonal. And all those toppings were edible, save for those larger broom-toting snowmen. Alas! They were plastic.

The actual cake part was pretty phenomenal. Sweet, light and very moist. Maybe I'll just scrape off some of the frosting next time.

BILLY'S BAKERY.

I came across Billy's when I did a Google search for cupcakes within walking distance of my place of employment. They have two locations in Manhattan; a Chelsea spot is apparently their flagship, but there was also a TriBeCa location that was perfect for me. I waltzed up Broadway to check it out.

Turns out Billy makes a damn fine cupcake. A simple, classic cake that was neither too large or too dry, topped with buttercream icing that didn't make my molars ache. There was a nice dusting of jimmies to seal the deal. They were also selling some fantastic-looking slices of cake.

I'd say "until next time" at this point, but I think I've had my fill of cupcakes for awhile. Maybe I should start reviewing hot dog vendors.