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Reviews

I Tasted the Best Cupcakes in NYC to Find the True Winner

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at MMM chapter.

Having New York City in the palm of my hand has given me many opportunities; one of them being the exposure to incredible food. This city is filled with the best cuisine and options around the world. I personally am a sweets type of girl: brownies, cake, ice-cream, shakes, and of course—cupcakes. Just the word alone brings music to my ears, so I made it my mission to find the most mouthwatering cupcakes in New York City. I tasted five different cupcakes all around the city to determine the best.

Crumbs Bake Shop

Best Cupcakes in NYC chocolate cream
Maya Giaquinta

I started my sweet journey at the local and very popular Crumbs Bake Shop. This vanilla cupcake was super moist and melted in my mouth. After the first bite, I was overwhelmed by the amount of sweetness. The frosting was yummy but very artificially sweet. The overall taste of the cupcake was enjoyable, but had a more generic flavor. Crumbs is a the perfect place to go if you want a seriously HUGE cupcake.

Magnolia Bakery 

side effect of sugar buttercream cupcake
Photo courtesy of Wes Tarca

Next, I experienced Magnolia Bakery for the first time since moving to New York. I must say, Magnolia Bakery has a very cute aesthetic and vibe in their shops. The presentation of the cupcake was adorable as they handed me a Magnolia Box and bag.

This vanilla cupcake with purple colored icing is the iconic “homemade” cupcake. Everything about the flavors I tasted were delightful. The vanilla had a more mature taste than the other cupcakes I consumed. Overall, the cake was on the dryer side, but the frosting added a special kick. Magnolia Bakery is the perfect place to get a dessert and a cup of coffee.

Sprinkles 

Best Cupcakes in NYC candy chocolate
Photo courtesy of Sprinkles Cupcakes

Oh, Sprinkles, how you capture my heart. The Sprinkles store in NYC has to be the coolest place for the ultimate cupcake experience. Sprinkles is the most convenient out of these places offering a cupcake ATM. That’s right, a CUPCAKE ATM.

I ordered a classic vanilla cupcake with a pretty pink Sprinkles emblem on top. This frosting was very unique. It had remanence of a cream cheese taste with a hint of vanilla. The cake was also more of a corn meal texture, but extremely tasty. Sprinkles is probably one of the coolest cupcake stores to bring a friend to.

Baked By Melissa 

Best Cupcakes in NYC chocolate sweet
Caroline Ingalls

These mini cupcakes make me feel like I could eat 50 of them! Baked By Melissa offers a variety of flavors, all in mini sizes. The pumpkin-flavored cupcake was a tiny bite of sweetness. This little bite was moist, sweet, and filled with extra pumpkin spice. This dessert was the perfect amount of sugariness in a perfect serving size. 

Little Cupcake Bake Shop

Best Cupcakes in NYC cream cupcake
Photo by Kara Schiaparelli

Finally, down on Prince street is the most scrumptious cupcake and dessert cafe. Little Cupcake Bake Shop is a lovable place to pick up a sweet treat. I ordered the pumpkin spice cupcake and a hot coffee. The flavor was so distinct and the cake was spongey and moist.

Best Cupcakes in NYC pizza beer
Olivia Vantuno

After a long day of eating nothing but coffee and cupcakes—one of the happiest day of my life might I add, I have come to my conclusion. My absolute favorite cupcake shop is (drum roll please) Little Cupcake Bake Shop!

This, however, does not mean I won’t eat a cupcake from any of these places ever again. I plan on going back to Magnolia Bakery the next time I pass it. This taste experiment was so interesting. When you have all the cupcakes and flavors next to each other, the flavors and consistency of each cake becomes more apparent. If theres anything to take out of this article, it’s to eat more cupcakes. Check out all these amazing places and try them for yourself.

A girl enjoying food in the big city...