The Cupcake Wars

Ever since I moved here I have eaten two cupcakes a day, every day, no joke. I also joined a gym - one month ago - but I haven't been there yet. New York has AMAZING cupcakes. There are a few very popular bakeries that specialize in cupcakes: Magnolia, in Greenwich Village (the Sex in the City bus tour stops here, because the cupcakes were mentioned on the show once), Sugar Sweet Sunshine, in the Lower East Side, Buttercup (various locations), Billy's Bakery, and Cupcake Cafe. I have been to all of these except Billy's.

The first time I went to Magnolia I was very excited, due to all the hype. I went on a bit of a whim - I hadn't been to Greenwich Village yet (or West Village, that's what everyone calls it), and I went exclusively for the cupcakes. It took me forever to find the place because Bleecker Street is an insanely long street by New York standards. I had heard that there is usually a line up outside the door, and that it is not unusual to wait 30-40 minutes to buy one cupcake. I am serious. I was lucky because I got there late at night (it's open til 11) so there was no lineup, but it was still very hectic. It's a tiny shop, and the cupcakes - vanilla and chocolate - are laid out on trays in the front window. I bought 4 (3 vanilla vanilla, and one chocolate vanilla) and immediately rushed to a bench outside to devour one. It was....good, but not amazing. If I hadn't had such high expectations it wouldn't have been such a blow. The cake part was excellent, and the icing generous, but it was very sweet and not as creamy as I like.

I have been to Magnolia several times since, because I just don't have the willpower to pass by a bakery without buying something, and each time the cupcakes grow on me a little more. I witnessed the infamous line one Saturday afternoon as I passed by with Sabrina; she refused to wait (smart!) When my brother visited, we did wait in line, and it was crazy. We bought 7 cupcakes between us just to make us feel like it was worth it. Joseph was an instant fan (he has less discriminating tastes than me). The second he bit into one, he said "I am so glad I bought 4 of these."

My latest bakery of choice is Sugar Sweet Sunshine, just because it is much closer to my apartment. Too close, actually. It, along with Buttercup (the original) are operated by people who defected from Magnolia, so their cupcakes taste very similar. Sugar Sweet Sunshine is my favourite so far of all the bakeries listed above. They have a wider variety of flavours (pistachio, lemon etc) and the place has a more relaxed atmosphere. No frenzied lines! You can actually sit down there. The coffee sucks though, which is, surprisingly, often the case in New York. The worst cupcakes are at Cupcake Cafe, on 18th Street (top picture) because they are extremely dry, hard and overpriced, although they are decorated so beautifully with the most intricate flowers that I have still been there 3 times.

Wow I can't believe I just wrote so many words about cupcakes. Now if only I could write that many words about symbolic anthropology, which is what I should be doing right now instead of boring you all, my audience of five (thanks audience!) with cupcake tales.