Ok, so I am on a mission, for my b-day, God willing, I want to have a bonafide cutesy cupcake.....no, I don't want to make one myself. I want to buy a reall good and hopefully overdecorated cupcake for my b-day.

Which bakery in NYC has the best cupcakes?

http://www.nymetro.com/bestofny/food...kes/index.html

There are a lot of cupcake reviews on the New York magazine site.

You can also try the standards: Buttercup Bake Shop or Cupcake Cafe. Magnolia Cafe also has a well-known cupcake.

cupcake cafe is horrid- dry heavy cake and frosting that tastes like nothing but butter

I found this place when researching for my upcoming trip. I'm going to try them in a few weeks.

www.sugarsweetsunshine.com

Amy's Bakery is also highly recommended.

sugar sweet sunshine or buttercup have delicious cupcakes (i prefer both to magnolia)

cupcakes are my most favorite thing & I've tried them all - Magnolia bakery - you cannot beat it - i promise. the line is out the door and around the block and it's worth it!!!!!

Another vote for Magnolia Bakery.

-Bill

But did Magnolia Bakery have lines around the block before it was on "Sex and the City"?

I'm generally a believer that if a place has lines it's for a reason - usually good food or good value. But in this case, it may just be good airtime . . .

SUGAR SWEET SUNSHINE!!!!

I agree, Cupcake Cafe gets lots of buzz but the cupcakes are small and dry with weird milky frosting.

SSS is on Rivington Street downtown. Look at this yummy picture:
www.sugarsweetsunshine.com

I have drive an hour from NJ for those stupid cupcakes!!!

the best cupcake in NYC question is source of constant debate, along with best lobster roll, best kobe beef, best eyebrow wax..etc.

Magnolia is good but I personally find it a bit too sweet and the line is always too long. I prefer cupcakes at Billy's even though I live closer to Magnolia.

Worth noting is Babycakes in the lower east side. they have many "allergy" options for people allergic to eggs, wheat and other things you thought were essential to make a cupcake. I'm not allergic to any of the above but tried a cupcake there and it wasn't bad at all.

flatfeet beat me to it! i've had magnolia, and they are good. but babycakes by far surpasses magnolia. this is indeed the best cupcake in new york!! the frosting is better at babycakes.

Who knew--cupcake aficionados in NY even!! I don't know why that strikes me as odd, but it does.

If you wait in the line at Magnolia, get a few cookies as well - the cupcakes weren't anything special at all (I didn't even finish mine) but the peanut butter cookie? SO good.

A friend swears by Crumbs at 75th and Amsterdam.
Malesherbes, I know what you mean. I lived in NY for over 20 yrs when no one was into bakery-bought cupcakes. Bagels, pizza, other great ethnic food, wonderful European pastries like strudels and Napoleans...but CUPCAKES??
Perhaps it's the dainty sound of the word that seems so out of place in the NYC I know and love. "Hey youse guys, gimme a ...cupcake." OY!!

I am a huge fan of Crumbs on 75th/Amsterdam. I've tried Buttercup Bakeshop and they were ok... but not as great as I thought they would be. I really didn't care for the cupcake cafe. I had a great cupcake from a place called Billy's...not sure where it's located.. but they were yummy.

Here is the website for Crumbs:
www.crumbsbakeshop.com

Jenny

I don't care too much for cupcakes in general, but at Magnolia you can also get their peanut butter pie, and their banana pudding. Both are amazing!

Does anyone have a Wegman's where they live? They have the BEST chocolate muffin with powdered sugar I have ever tasted. Try one.

Crumbs is the BEST! Light, buttery, delicious and beautiful. That's my favorite!

Crumbs on the UES or UWS ... excellent!

Yesterday was haircut day. My hairdresser had an album of his recent trip to NY, and what do you suppose was prominently featured, but, CUPCAKES. I had to laugh. They went to the Cupcake Cafe...said they were fabulous. Had more the consistency of pound cake, denser than your average run of the mill cupcake.

I still have to giggle at the thought of one of the to-dos in that sophisticated city being a quest for the best cupcake. I have to get with the times here!!