Crumbs Bake Shop, the famous cupcake bakery that originally opened its doors in 2003 in Manhattan and was one of the first to make New Yorkers fall in love with the cupcake trend, is back. Didn’t know they even left? Well here’s the scoop:
One fateful summer day this past July, Crumbs shockingly announced that by the end of the business day their entire chain of stores would close for good. The company went public in 2011 when the cupcake craze was at its height. However, just like a viral YouTube video can only be watched so many times, the cupcake fad has been slowly fizzling since then.
After years of under-performance and money losses, Crumbs finally took the hit.
According to the Wall Street Journal, on July 1, 2014, Crumbs’ shares were no longer permitted to be traded after the NASDAQ Stock Market declared that Crumbs did not meet the minimum requirement for shareholder equity. Shortly thereafter, the company declared bankruptcy and closed all 48 of its locations immediately, breaking the hearts of thousands of Crumbs followers.
Photo by Alex Hawkins
Fortunately for the company, Marcus Lemonis (a famous CNBC star) and Fischer Enterprises (think Dippin’ Dots) revived the company in July 2014 and officially won court approval in late August to reopen stores.
Cue the ‘Hallelujah’ soundtrack.
According to Lemonis, the Bake Shop was selling cupcakes that people loved, but that wasn’t enough to keep the company from falling through the cracks. He believed that they needed more to persuade their loyal fans to return, day and night. So when Crumbs reopened, they came back with a vengeance… or maybe just a few new items.
Some of the new goodies include: more gluten free products, a baissant (bagel croissant), key lime pie bars, pie in a jar, cookies, breads and gourmet brownies. So now instead of thinking that Crumbs = Cupcakes, the company is now strongly emphasizing the “Bake Shop” aspect.
Photo by Alex Hawkins
When I heard that Crumbs was making a comeback, I couldn’t resist taste testing a few of their mini cupcakes. So I gathered a few close friends, broke out the mini forks and milk (as a palette cleanser of course), and got to work.
Since we are clearly professionals here, we rated the cupcakes based on overall taste. Did the cupcake actually taste like cookie dough? Did one aspect of the cupcake stand out over the rest? Or did it just taste like a really yummy baked good? After assessing them we ranked the top 5 mini cupcakes that are worth buying, least to best. Here are the results:
5. Cookie Dough
We wished this cupcake had actually tasted like a spoonful of delicious cookie dough. The attempted cookie dough flavored icing is not too sweet and pairs nicely with the fudge filling, and the plain vanilla cake is just a little too plain for our taste. If you’re looking for a step up from a basic cupcake and don’t want to get too crazy, this one is for you.
Photo by Crumbs Bake Shop
4. Cookies and Cream
If you like Oreo cookies, this cupcake is a nice alternative. Although it doesn’t exactly taste like one, the main elements of an Oreo are there. As a dry chocolate cake with Oreo-vanilla cream cheese frosting, this cupcake leaves you craving an actual Oreo cookie (or two or three..or an entire package), so be mentally prepared with your wallet and car keys in hand. Good, but not what we had expected.
Photo by Alex Hawkins
3. Vanilla Coconut
Although it’s a love it or hate it flavor, this cupcake does not disappoint. True to its coconut claim, this cupcake is simply designed as a vanilla cake topped with cream cheese frosting and shredded coconut. Not too overpowering and not too underwhelming makes it a successful combination for a satisfying cupcake.
Photo by Alex Hawkins
2. Vanilla/Chocolate Sprinkle & Vanilla/Vanilla Sprinkle
Basic, but on point. These two unfilled cupcakes are perfect for those who like to keep it simple. There’s no fear in purchasing one of these because you are definitely getting what you ask for. Humbly coming in at number two with moist vanilla cake and rich vanilla or chocolate buttercream icings, they are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Photo by Alex Hawkins
1. Squiggle (Hostess Cupcake)
If you’re expecting an exact replica of a Hostess in cupcake form, you will be sweetly surprised as this cupcake is legitimately one step above and beyond the real deal. This bad boy is a dense chocolate cake filled with vanilla buttercream and topped with chocolate ganache, easily stealing the number one spot. Go ahead, buy the regular sized one. It’s worth it.
Photo by Alex Hawkins
Hungry for more details on what happened this summer? Check out these articles/websites: