Sunday, August 24, 2008

cupcakes


Before you embark on my cupcake dissertation
I would like to thank the ChowHounders who offered up great suggestions like Miss Needle who suggested Pinisi, stroms who suggested Sweet Revenge, and all the others I have not gotten to yet. I'd also like to thank MMRuth for the idea with her baguette survey. Next, many thanks to my three trainers- Allison, Antonio, and Troy who allow me to eat cupcakes but not look like one. And last but not least my husband for helping with and tolerating my cupcake obsession.

So you know what you are looking at I have listed each cupcake description to correlate with it's picture going from left to right.

Also, please know these are just my opinions based on my own personal tastes not to be taken too seriously.

Lastly, I'm sure most of you don't have an entire day to read about cupcakes so here's the cliff notes:

BAD: Out of the Kitchen
O.K.:
Ruthy's, Royale, Crumbs
GOOD:
Ciao For Now, Billy's, Cupcake Cafe, Magnolia, Little Pie Co.
VERY GOOD: Chikalicious Puddin', Amy's, Kyotofu
EXCELLENT:
Sweet Revenge, Tonnie's Minis, Eleni's, Two Little red Hens, Sage's (Dean and Deluca), William Greenberg
MY FAVORITE:
Batch


Out of the kitchen

420 Hudson St at Leroy St

www.outofthekitchenonline.com


Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting

Overall 5


icing

cake

taste

6- tasted like Betty Crocker chocolate frosting out of the can.

5- no flavor

texture

7- very smooth but too soft

4- very dry and crumbly almost stale

sweetness

5- way too sweet


The size of the cupcake is great, they looked simple and neat but the cake to icing ratio was off, too much icing and it being so soft made it a mess.

The dry, flavorless cake was not accompanied by an icing nearly good enough to make up for its problems. The same was true for the vanilla.

Never again.


Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate frosting

Overall 5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

6

5- no flavor and slightly eggy

TEXTURE

7

5- dry crumbly

SWEETNESS

5



Amy's

250 Bleeker St

www.amysbread.com

Devil's food

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- nice rich, dark choc flavor but not overwhelming or bitter

8- good chocolaty flavor

TEXTURE

9- smooth and firm

8- good but a little to crumbly, definitely needs the icing to hold it together

SWEETNESS

8- good amount of sweetness to balance the dark choc


Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate Icing

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7- good milk chocolate flavor but I prefer dark

7- a little plain

TEXTURE

8

8- moist not crumbly

SWEETNESS

6- too sweet


The icing to cake ratio had too much cake, it’s too tall for one bite so you are left with cake and no icing. But the cake is good enough that you still want to eat it without the icing. This is true for both.

The drawback is the annoying wrapper; it’s hard to get off.

I’m glad I went back. I had forgotten what a solid cup cake they make.


Batch

150 W 10th St

www.batchnyc.com


Strawberry Coconut

Overall 9.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

9.5- like biting into a super sweet strawberry

9.5- unconventional mix of flavors that work great together, nice touch of strawberry jam in the middle of the coconut cake

TEXTURE

10- smooth, creamy, perfect stiffness

9.5 moist, not too dense

SWEETNESS

9


Perfect icing to cake ratio. Perfect cup cake size. Very pretty color with sparkles and little purple candies that add to the aesthetic. An amazing cup cake.

Devil's Food

Overall 9.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

9.5- excellent chocolate taste with a hint of caramel and little chocolate crunchy pearls on top

10- excellent with a caramel ribbon that enhances the flavor

TEXTURE

9.5-smooth, creamy, firm

10- moist but not dense or sticky

SWEETNESS

10 perfect combo of bitter dark chocolate and sweetness


Again, great size, perfect icing to cake ratio, the little chocolate pearls are not only pretty but add beautiful crunch.

Generally I never go for just a chocolate or vanilla cupcake, I like more nontraditional flavors, but this cup cake has turned me into a HUGE fan. The best chocolate cup cake I’ve ever had.


Carmel Carrot

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- a nice hint of salt

8- spicy and nutty

TEXTURE

7- kinda grainy and soft

8.5- moist

SWEETNESS

7.5- a bit too sweet


Well done. The tiny pieces of nuts (which I usually don't like in cake) are the perfect size and add great flavor

The Velvet

Overall 7.5

TASTE

8.5- cream cheesy but not overwhelming

8- strawberry cake with choc cream center

TEXTURE

7.5- grainy

7- dry

SWEETNESS

8.5


I love this take on red velvet. All the elements of red velvet presented in a different way- the red color given by the strawberries, the traditional cream cheese icing and the cocoa represented with a dab of chocolate cream in the middle of the cake.

Unfortunately the cake part was dry. I would have given it a higher score if it wasn’t for that.

Green Tea

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7- strong, powdery, green tea aftertaste

8.5- nice surprise of peach (I think) jam in the middle

TEXTURE

7- too light

8.5- moist and not too dense

SWEETNESS

7- not sweet enough


I’m not a fan of green tea as a flavor in general. It is always remarkable when someone is able to take something you thought you didn’t like and make you enjoy it. That did not happen for me here.

I did like the cake part especially with the jam but I was left with an overwhelming green tea after taste. Not my cup of tea.


Vanilla Vanilla

Overall 9.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

9.5- excellent vanilla flavor , nice and buttery, you can see the vanilla beans

9.5- light but rich vanilla flavor, little lime (I think) cream in the middle

TEXTURE

8- touch grainy

8- touch dense

SWEETNESS

9


This was my third trip back to Batch and I would describe them as gourmet and sophisticated cupcakes. A sleek look backed up by an excellent little cake. If you like a more home made, traditional type you might not be overly impressed with these, but I love them. I never though I would like a vanilla cupcake so much.

Sweet Revenge

62 Carmine St

www.sweetrevengenyc.com

Dirty (chocolate with chocolate ganache)

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5- intense dark chocolate, too bitter for me

8- good chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

10- smooth rich firm

7.5- on the dry side

SWEETNESS

8- needed to be sweeter for my tastes


The look is unique, wrapped in brown parchment paper, giving them a very modern, contemporary feel. The names are great. The size is excellent, but the Dirty had too much icing especially since it was so intense. Very high % cocoa was obviously used.

I really like dark chocolate and usually prefer it but this was too much, even for me. But if you are a DARK CHOCOLATE PURIST this is the cupcake for you.


Crimson and Cream (red velvet)

Overall 9.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5- a tad too cream cheesy

10- raspberry filling makes this an awesome nontraditional red velvet but it works extremely well

TEXTURE

8- touch too soft

9- moist but not too dense

SWEETNESS

8


Excellent cup cake. Love the unique flavor and concept. Great icing and great cake. My favorite nontraditional red velvet.

Island Spice

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

9- great flavor

7.5- too much nutmeg

TEXTURE

8- touch too soft

9- a few small pieces of nut adding an occasional crunch

SWEETNESS

8


Very good, great size, good icing to cake ratio, but it was a bit messy since the icing was soft.


Sweet Revenge (peanut butter)

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5 nice rich peanut butter flavor, peanuts on the are great

8 nice chocolate dab in the center

TEXTURE

8 a little soft

7.5 a little dense

SWEETNESS

7 too sweet


I went back to Sweet Revenge to see if they had the Dulce De Leche that I was told was good. They didn’t have it again so I got this one and the plain. The peanuts on the outside are great but the icing was to sweet. The cake was good and the chocolate added a nice burst of flavor. I did like Eleni’s Peanut Butter Cup better (see further down).

Plain (vanilla)

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8-mild vanilla flavor

8-light vanilla, a bit eggy

TEXTURE

8- little grainy

8.5- very moist

SWEETNESS

7- too sweet


This is a solid cupcake. I think Sweet Revenge takes a very modern twist on cupcakes using great bold flavors and unique combinations. A great new additions to New York's cup cake scene.

Ciao for Now

107 W 10th St

http://www.ciaofornow.net/

Carrot (mini)

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- nice cream cheese flavor

7.5- could be a little spicier, has nut pieces too big for a mini cup cake ( I’m not a fan of nuts in my cake)

TEXTURE

8.5- firm smooth creamy

8- very moist

SWEETNESS

7- too sweet


Solid cupcake-moist, flavorful with tasty icing.

Red Velvet (mini)

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5- had a coffee undertone

7.5 -no cocoa flavor at all

TEXTURE

9- firm creamy thick

7- a little dry

SWEETNESS

7- not sweet enough


A decent red velvet. It was harder to judge these because I got the minis. My wallet was growing thin and my belly big...

Vanilla with Vanilla Icing (mini)

Overall 6.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

6 -not vanillay

7.5- buttery but no vanilla flavor

TEXTURE

7- too stiff

6- dry

SWEETNESS

7- too sweet


The stiff icing accentuates the dryness of the cake. Flavorless.


Chocolate with Chocolate Icing (mini)

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5

8- good dark chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

8- firm, smooth

8- moist especially for a mini

SWEETNESS

7


Nice flavor, great bite size, good ratio.


Royale

461 6th Ave



Chocolate Carmel Salt

Overall 6.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

6.5- tastes like coffee not caramel

8- nice chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

6- too soft and light

8-good but a little crumbly

SWEETNESS

6.5- not sweet enough


The icing killed it for me. I didn't care for the whipped cream type texture, it wasn't sweet and it tasted like coffee more than caramel. Too bad because the cake was really really good.

Vanilla Vanilla

Overall 6


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

6- funny after taste like it’s been sitting in a cardboard box for too long

8.5 buttery, vanilla, sweet, very nice

TEXTURE

6 -fluffy and light too much like whipped cream

7.5- a touch dry

SWEETNESS

6- not sweet


They have very cute presentation, great size, good cake icing ratio and the cake part was really good but I didn’t like the icing texture at all. It also a funny, cardboardy aftertaste .


Red Velvet

Overall 6


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- cinnamony, surprising, nice

6- plain, flavorless

TEXTURE

6 -too fluffy

6.5- dry

SWEETNESS

7.5- could be a touch sweeter


What a switch, even though I still don’t like the icing texture the flavor was very good. The cake, on the other hand, was dry and boring. Making a red velvet cake with a cinnamon icing didn’t work for me as a flavor combination.

Chocolate with Vanilla Icing

Overall 6.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7- mild vanilla flavor

8- nice chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

6- too fluffy and light

8-good but a little crumbly

SWEETNESS

6- not sweet


I’m told that the cup cakes sold here are from a well known Brooklyn Bakery called Baked. The cake, for most of them, was really good I just didn’t like the icing texture or taste.

Tonnie’s Minis

120 W 3rd St

www.carrotcakesonline.com



Red Velvet

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5-not too sweet, not too cream cheesy ,very nice

8.5- nice light cocoa flavor

TEXTURE

9- firm, smooth

8.5- moist not crumbly

SWEETNESS

8.5


Tonnie's Minis was delightful surprise. It's a very unassuming small shop up a flight of stairs with simply decorated cupcakes on display. The cup cakes are cheap $1.75 each and less if you buy 4 or more. The word “mini” is a misnomer. They are not the tiny bites sized cakes you might be thinking of. Actually they are a perfect cupcake size, they have excellent icing to cake ratio, and are flavorful and moist. So far my favorite for traditional red velvet.


Chocolate with Vanilla Butter Cream

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5- great buttery vanilla flavor

8- good chocolate taste

TEXTURE

8.5- firm smooth not greasy

8.5- moist

SWEETNESS

8.5- not too sweet


This off the radar shop is a winner for classic cupcakes and you can’t beat the price.

Chocolate Kiss (vanilla and chocolate cake with chocolate icing)

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5

7.5- a little weak,the choc and vanilla flavors just meld together

TEXTURE

8- firm smooth

8.5- moist

SWEETNESS

7- a little too sweet


This is vanilla cake with chocolate cake in the center. It looks pretty when you cut it but the flavors get muddled.


Coconut

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- a little cream cheesy with coconut shreds on outside

8 -nice van/butter flavor but no coconut taste

TEXTURE

8- firm, smooth

8.5- moist

SWEETNESS

7.5


The only coconut comes from the flakes on the outside of the icing,. I love coconut so I was disappointed by the lack of coconut flavor. When I went back and looked on their menu it’s called “taste of coconut” which makes more sense. A very tasty cupcake whatever they call it, just not really coconuty.

Crumbs

37 E 8th St

www.crumbsbakeshop.com



Pistachio

Overall 6.5

TASTE

6.5- fake pistachio, bits of nuts on the outside a plus but not enough of them

6.5- eggy

TEXTURE

7

7- dry

SWEETNESS

6- too sweet


Crumbs offers the kinds of flavors I love but they don’t deliver. They taste “fake”. For about $3.50 I don’t want my cupcakes to taste artificial. They are like a glorified hostess. The regular size is too big. Too much icing on top, too much cake left over. The smaller size is much better and has a good cake to icing ratio. They're like McDonald’s of cup cakes, but expensive.


Red Velvet

Overall 6.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7- vanilla, not cream cheese

6- eggy, no cocoa flavor at all

TEXTURE

6- greasy

6- dense and dry

SWEETNESS

6- too sweet



Devil Dog

Overall 7


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

6- a chemically after taste

7.5- ok but not chocolaty enough, good filling

TEXTURE

5 -greasy

7.5-a little dry

SWEETNESS

7-too sweet



Raspberry (small)

Overall 6.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7-fake raspberry candy flavor

7- ok but not chocolaty enough

TEXTURE

7 -too stiff

6-dense and dry

SWEETNESS

5 -way too sweet the kind that hurts


Pinisi

128 E 4th St

http://www.pinisibakerynyc.com/


Cannoli

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7- i'm just not a fan of cannoli

8.5- great chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

7.5- grainy, thick

8- moist but a little crumbly

SWEETNESS

7- not sweet


Pinisi made it's way into my first round of tastings, which was only going to be bakeries in the West Village, even though it’s on the east side. When my husband said he was going to a friend’s house I knew he'd be close by so I asked him to take a detour. I had never heard of Pinisi before so I was curious to try it. I was not able to pick the cupcakes myself and I don’t know their names or prices. My husband does not share my food obsession.He thinks I'm crazy, well...I can give him that. He told me this was chocolate chip. It’s actually cannoli. I do not like cannoli (what kind of Italian am I???) so it’s hard for me to fairly judge it. It wasn’t so great it all of a sudden it made me love cannoli but the cake part was really good.

Chocolate Chili


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8 vanilla

5 way too much spice tastes like you just did a Tabasco shot

TEXTURE

8 creamy firm

8

SWEETNESS

7.5 could be a little sweeter


Wow, this was way overdone. I like spicy chocolate like chili chocolates from Kee's, Il Lab’s chocolate chili gelato, chocolate spice cake but eating this cupcake was like doing a shot of Tabasco. It kills all the other flavors and you are left with a very long lasting chili aftertaste. Despite this one I think Pinisi has really good cupcakes and I'm so glad for the recommendation as I never knew existed before.

Red Velvet

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5- nice cream cheese flavor

9.5- great vanilla with a hint of cocoa

TEXTURE

7.5- a touch soft

9

SWEETNESS

7.5- could be a little sweeter


Pinisi's bigger sizecupcakes have a little too much cake to icing but it’s totally acceptable because the cake is so good. I REALLY REALLY liked this cupcake, an excellent Red Velvet. Hard to say if I like theirs or Tonnie's better. Tonnie's is a better size cupcake and less expensive (I’m assuming because I didn’t price these) but this one is very good. Too bad I didn’t get them on the same day.

Pistachio

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5

9- very good pistachio flavor with tiny bits of nuts

TEXTURE

7.5- too soft

8.5- moist but a tad crumbly

SWEETNESS

8.5


This was a smaller size, better cake to icing ratio. I really liked the flavor, I’ll have to try and compare it to Sugar Sweet when I make it over there. When compared to Crumbs it’s so easy to tell the high quality ingredients that they are using. No fake pistachio flavoring here.


Magnolia

401 Bleecker Street

www.magnoliacupcakes.com

Vanilla Vanilla

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

6.5- no vanilla flavor- like biting a stick of butter

7.5-o.k

TEXTURE

8-a touch greasy but forms a nice crust

7.5-moister the the other flavors

SWEETNESS

6- too sweet


Chocolate with Vanilla Icing

Overall 7


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

6.5- no vanilla flavor like biting a stick of butter

7-boring

TEXTURE

8- a touch greasy but forms a nice crust

7- dense and dry

SWEETNESS

6- too sweet



Red Velvet

Overall 6


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

6- not cream cheese, not butter cream,just whipped cream

6.5- not cocoa flavor

TEXTURE

6- soft

6- dry crumbly

SWEETNESS

6- not sweet


When I started this little experiment it was only to taste cupcakes I hadn’t tried before. On my walk to Sweet Revenge, where I’d never been, I decided to stop in Amy’s since I was passing right by. I though- hey I haven’t had an Amy’s cup cake in a while it would be good the have them right there to compare. I got a few and walked on to Sweet Revenge, then continued on to Out of the Kitchen, another place I’d never been. I got back home and got to tasting. I was so glad I stopped at Amy’s because I forgot how good they were. Then I though, well maybe my favorite cupcakes from Batch might not be my favorite if I tasted them with these others since I was so impressed with the crimson and cream from Sweet Revenge. I wanted to sample them within a close time frame to really be able to compare.


Next day off to Batch, then I thought-well if I’m doing all these places how I can leave out Magnolia? It’s an institution. I don’t like their cupcakes but to be honest I haven’t had one for at least 5 years. So off I go to Magnolias. I get there and the line is around the block. I so wanted to get some signs pointing to Batch and Sweet Revenge and be like the Pied Piper of cupcakes leading the people away from the trap. I just could not bring myself to wait on the line. So as a consolation I decided to try other places in the neighborhood that I had not visited recently. I ventured of to Crumbs and Tonnie’s Minis.


But, for the sake of fairness, I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied unless I snagged some Magnolia’s, so I tried again. This time I just gave in and got on line. It went fast, thank god. Being all to aware of the hype and hearing people time and time again want to make it a destination point when visiting the city I tried to be as unbiased as possible. To my surprise they were not horrible like I remember; actually they weren’t bad at all. (I know because I just recently tasted bad from Out of the Kitchen). But, they weren’t anything special either. They were fine….they look cute, they have a good ratio of icing to cake, but the icing was too sweet for my tastes, the cake was a little dry, and the red velvet didn’t have a cream cheese icing which I thought was weird for them. With all the buzz and lines around the block I expect something special, Magnolias isn’t it.

Chocolate Chocolate

Overall 7


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7- light chocolate flavor not enough

7

TEXTURE

7

7- a bit dry

SWEETNESS

7-not sweet enough


Cupcake Café

545 9th Ave

www.cupcakecafe.com

Maple Walnut

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5-more buttery than chocolaty

8- nice nutty flavor, pieces of walnuts

TEXTURE

8-smooth and creamy

7.5- too dense

SWEETNESS

7- could be sweeter



Chocolate with Mocha Icing

Overall 7


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7- boring

7- not a strong enough chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

8

6.5- very dry and dense

SWEETNESS

7



Chocolate with Vanilla

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- very buttery could use a bit more vanilla flavor

7-not a strong enough chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

8- smooth, creamy

6.5-dry

SWEETNESS

7- needs more sweetness


I got all of these in the small size which was perfect. There could have been a touch more icing but I think that might make it too messy since the icing is so soft. They are very pretty with an elegant look. Winning for classic beauty. The cupcakes themselves are good but nothing special. They suffer from the same problem as Magnolia's- tons of hype but they fall short. The cakes are dry, the icing is good if you like a super buttery less sweet butter cream. The stand out was the Maple Walnut. The cake was moist and flavorful, enhanced by the icing. I prefer a sweeter icing but they have a fine cup cake. Very Pretty, but very average taste.

Vanilla with Chocolate Icing

Overall 7


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

6.5- needs to be more chocolaty

8- good vanilla flavor

TEXTURE

8- smooth creamy

7- dry

SWEETNESS

7- not sweet enough


Kyotofu

705 9th Ave

www.kyotofu-nyc.com

Green Tea

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE


8.5- light green tea flavor

TEXTURE


8- moist and a little too dense

SWEETNESS



This one scored big on taste for me since I'm usually not a fan of green tea and thought this was really good. But ummmm... I want more thank just cake in a cupcake, icing please.

Miso Mini

Overall 9


ICING

CAKE

TASTE


9-nice and chocolaty with tiny sesame seeds on the bottom

TEXTURE


9.5 -firm but soft and fudgy

SWEETNESS



This little bite was awesome and delicious. It was like a mix between an under done brownie and a firmer molten chocolate cake in a two-bite size. Excellent dessert but not a cupcake.

Chocolate Soufflé

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE


8- good chocolate flavor, not bitter, not to sweet

TEXTURE


8.5- top is dense and rich, brownie like, gets more light and cakey toward the bottom but still moist

SWEETNESS



Really nice cake but it’s missing something…..THE ICING.

Ruthy's Baked Goods

75 9th Avenue

http://www.ruthys.com

Chocolate with Vanilla

Overall 7


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7- very nice butter cream taste, not overly buttery or sweet,BUT had refrigerator aftertaste

7- not strong enough chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

8.5-light, fluffy but still firm

7- a bit dry but not crumbly

SWEETNESS

8.5


This cupcake is all about the icing. There was a beautiful flower decoration on top. Despite the massive amount of icing it was not messy because the icing was firm. This is a cupcake for the icing lover. BIG problem was that when I was done I had a slight refrigerator after taste, like the icing was stored for too long. That's unacceptable, thus the low score.


Red Velvet

Overall 6.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8 -nice cream cheese flavor

6.5- no cocoa flavor, plain

TEXTURE

7- grainy

6.5 dry

SWEETNESS

8


The cupcakes are too big. The cake was plain, dry and tasted old. The icing was good but stale cake is not acceptable.


Billy's Bakery

184 9th Ave

www.billysbakerynyc.com

Red Velvet

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5- needs stronger cream cheese flavor

8-good, slight taste of cocoa

TEXTURE

8- smooth, creamy

7.5- a bit spongy and dense

SWEETNESS

8


This was the best of the three. The cake was tasty and moister than the others, the icing was good as well.

Vanilla with Chocolate Frosting

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- chocolaty and buttery

7.5- needs a stronger vanilla flavor

TEXTURE

8- smooth, creamy

6- dry

SWEETNESS

8



Chocolate with Vanilla Icing

Overall 7


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5- buttery

8- good cocoa flavor

TEXTURE

7.5 -smooth with a nice crust

6.5- dry and crumbly

SWEETNESS

6- too sweet


Great size, excellent cake to icing ratio, decent flavors but the cake was dry. Billy’s can be added to the list of supposedly “great ones” that are just good.



Eleni's Cookies

75 9th Avenue

www.elenis.com


Coconut

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5- good coconut flavor with shreds on the outside

8- a tad eggy

TEXTURE

8.5- firm but light and fluffy

7.5 a little dense

SWEETNESS

8.5


These are very pretty, cute, fun, colorful cupcakes. They are heavy on the icing but it’s tasty and not too sweet, it’s also firm enough to not be messy. This was a great coconut cupcake full of coconut flavor and the sweetened shredded coconut on the outside really brought it home. My favorite coconut so far.

Red Velvet

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5- not cream cheese

7.5- slight hint of cocoa

TEXTURE

8

7.5- touch dry

SWEETNESS

8


I was disappointed that this didn’t have a cream cheese icing. I love red velvet with cream cheese.

Vanilla with Chocolate Icing

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- nice cocoa taste

8- a tad eggy

TEXTURE

8.5

7.5- a little dense

SWEETNESS

8.5


Devil’s Food

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- rich chocolate flavor

7.5- the cream center makes it

TEXTURE

7- soft

7- a little dry

SWEETNESS

7- too sweet


The icing was rich and dark chocolaty but really soft and messy, too sweet as well. The cake was good and made better by the cream filling. Not my favorite of the bunch but still good. Eleni's is a lot more than just a pretty cupcake. They really back it up with taste. They have an excellent selection of pretty, fun and tasty cakes. With flavors like Oreo, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Coconut, Devil's Food, Spice, Maple Walnut, and Red Velvet they are what Crumb's wishes it could be.

Chocolate with Vanilla Icing

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8-the icing is flavorful and enhances the taste of the cake

8.5- excellent chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

8.5- light and smooth

7- dense and a little dry

SWEETNESS

8.5- great balance


As I have said before I’m not the chocolate or vanilla cup cake kinda girl. These are my favorite traditional vanilla/ chocolate cupcake.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

Overall 9


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

9-great peanut butter flavor with p.b. cup on top

8.5- good chocolate flavor filled with a p.b. cup

TEXTURE

9- smooth, creamy, rich

8- a little dense

SWEETNESS

8.5


This is a very rich cupcake but has awesome flavors. It really tastes like a peanut butter cup.

Chikalicious Puddin'

204 E 10th St

S’mores

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

9-a nice toasted meranguie

7.0-the cakes is overpowered by the dark chocolate center, can’t taste the cake at all

TEXTURE

8.5- light and fluffy

8- light

SWEETNESS

7.5- not sweet enough


I love meringue, so the icing is great. It is the cup cake to have a meringue icing.Big bonus for that. Unfortunately the cake might as well just be chocolate, it overwhelms what I think is supposed to be a graham flavored cake. So not really s'mors.

Coconut

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- toasted coconut on the outside give it a more mature less sweet flavor

8- delicate

TEXTURE

8

8.5- light and moist

SWEETNESS

7.5- could be sweeter


Chikalicious uses very delicate, sophisticated, flavors to put out a not too sweet, small, light cup cake. The cupcakes are a little too small but have a great cake to icing ratio. They offer a mild, not too sweet flavor that would defiantly appeal more to an adult pallet. This is exemplified with the use of toasted coconut instead of sweetened.

Caramel Filled

Overall 9


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

9- great caramel flavor

8.5- caramel center really makes this flavorful

TEXTURE

8.5 smooth, creamy, touch soft

9- light and moist

SWEETNESS

8


Excellent caramel flavor in the icing and middle of the cake. Sweeter than the others, my favorite of the bunch.

Banana

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8-delicate, fresh banana flavor

9- excellent banana flavor, no nuts

TEXTURE

7.5- a little soft

9- moist and light

SWEETNESS

8- good


As with all these cupcakes the flavors are delicate and won’t give you a tooth ache. This one was nice and light with no nuts in the cake which I prefer. Many times banana cake can be very dense and heavy this one was light, airy and moist.



Chocolate Chocolate

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5- chocolaty and buttery

7.5- only slightly chocolaty

TEXTURE

7.5- light, smooth but too soft

8.5- moist, light, airy

SWEETNESS

7.5- not sweet enough


A good cupcake but not for those with any sort of a real sweet tooth.

Red Velvet

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5-too cream cheesy

8- a nice hint of cocoa

TEXTURE

7.5- too softy

7.5- a little dry

SWEETNESS

7- not sweet enough


The cream cheese flavor overwhelmed the delicate taste of the cake and was not sweet at all.


My pre- Labor Day trek to the Upper East Side was well worth it. I often joke that I get a nosebleed traveling above 14th street but this trip was well worth any minor travel inconvenience.




Little Pie Company
Grand Central Terminal

www.littlepiecompany.com

Chocolate filled with Vanilla Icing

Overall 7


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7- sugary no vanilla flavor

6.5- no chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

7- grainy

6.5 dry needs the filling

SWEETNESS

8


Vanilla filled with Chocolate icing

Overall 7


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- nice and chocolaty

7.5- plain, cream not flavorful

TEXTURE

8- firm but a little grainy

6- dry, grainy texture

SWEETNESS

8- not too sweet


The icing was good but the cake was dry and the cream filling didn’t really help. Also not enough icing especially since the cake was not that good.

Carrot

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- nice cream cheese flavor with tiny nuts on top

8.5- spicy, nutty, with little bits of nuts that add nice flavor and texture

TEXTURE

8-firm, smooth

7- dry, especially for carrot cake which is easy to make moist

SWEETNESS

8- not too sweet


The best one from Little Pie Company. The cupcakes are too big, there is not enough icing which only emphasized the dryness of the cakes. The carrot did have a great flavor to it but was still a little dry. I think they should stick to pies.


Two Little Red Hens

1652 2nd Ave

www.twolittleredhens.com


Boston Cream

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- chocolate ganache with white chocolate shavings

8- touch eggy, but a good cream center

TEXTURE

8

8.5- moist

SWEETNESS

8


Raspberry

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5-

7.5- raspberry jam good but sweet and too much, can’t taste cake

TEXTURE

8- smooth, creamy

8- very moist but a little soggy from all the jam and very heavy

SWEETNESS

8


Jam made to wet and heavy

Vanilla with Chocolate Icing (mini)

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- nice chocolate flavor

8- light vanilla flavor

TEXTURE

8

8.5- very moist

SWEETNESS

8


Chocolate with Vanilla Icing (mini)

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5- too buttery no vanilla flavor

7.5- not quite chocolaty enough

TEXTURE

8

8- moist

SWEETNESS

7- not sweet enough


Blackout

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8 - good chocolate flavor

8.5- nice chocolate flavor with really good chocolate pudding center

TEXTURE

8

8- moist but a bit heavy

SWEETNESS

8


Very good but very heavy.

Red Velvet

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5- very mild cream cheese flavor

8.5- nice hint of cocoa

TEXTURE

8

8.5- very moist and light

SWEETNESS

8


Strawberry

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5- great fresh strawberry flavor

8.5- nice vanilla flavor with good amount of strawberry jam

TEXTURE

8

8- moist, a little heavy

SWEETNESS

8.5


Carrot

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5- very mild cream cheese flavor

8- good spicy flavor but the nut pieces were too big

TEXTURE

8

8- moist but too dense

SWEETNESS

8


Two Little Red Hens lives up to its reputation. They had so many beautiful cupcakes it was hard very hard to pick, as you can probably tell. The minis were very moist and tasty. The regular size is too big and very heavy. Putting that aside I was so impressed that every one I had was consistently good or very good. It seems to me like you just can’t go wrong with anything you pick. That says a lot about a place. I give then a lot of credit for the awesome consistency and excellent product. My favorite was the strawberry, it had such natural flavors and wasn’t overly filled or sweet but I would recommend any of them.


William Greenberg Jr. Desserts

1100 Madison Ave

www.wmgreenbergdesserts.com

Chocolate with Vanilla icing

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- vanilla and sprinkles

8/8.5- very good chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

8- this is like a glaze it’s smooth and hard

8.5- light and moist

SWEETNESS

8- good balance


Different than regular cake icing, it is a simple sugar glaze but not overly sweet. I really like that kind of icing especially on black and white cookies but was surprised how good it was on the cupcake. The cupcakes are a great size and flavorful. This is a very light cupcake, no led belly feeling after you eat it. They don’t look like anything special but are.

Vanilla with Chocolate Icing

Overall 8


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8.5- good chocolate flavor

8- nice vanilla flavor

TEXTURE

8

8.5 light and moist

SWEETNESS

8- for a sugar glaze, not too sweet at all


Very simple but very good.

Chocolate with Buttercream Icing

Overall 7.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

7.5- a little to buttery but the sprinkles add a needed sweetness

8- very good chocolate flavor

TEXTURE

8

8.5- light and moist

SWEETNESS

7.5- not sweet enough


Good icing to cake ratio but if it wasn’t sprinkles it would have been to plain, they were needed.


Sages at Dean and Deluca

1150 Madison Ave

http://www.deandeluca.com

Vanilla Vanilla Icing

Overall 8.5


ICING

CAKE

TASTE

8- vanillay

9- great vanilla flavor

TEXTURE

8- smooth with nice light crust

9- super moist but not dense or heavy

SWEETNESS

8- good, a tad sweet


This cupcake had excellent flavor and was extremely moist. The cupcakes are big but have a good cake to icing ratio. I was very impressed.