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Thank you friends for all your comments and conversation about the Rugalech. Let’s keep talking baked goods, shall we?

This past summer, while in New York City, I made my first pilgrimage to Magnolia Bakery. I went at night, waited around the corner and then gave into my hoarding instincts and grabbed cupcakes madly to fill my box. If you were reading back then, you will remember my report was less than enthusiastic.

During my more recent trip to the Big Apple, I followed the advice of friends and visited Billy’s Bakery. We ordered a sampling including Red Velvet Cake (one of my all time favorite things), Banana Cake and a few different cupcakes.

The decor was quaint and cute, the staff more friendly than Magnolia’s and the line shorter. And now I tiptoe to my true opinion…I didn’t love the cakes. Eeeek… can little midwestern girl truly turn her nose up at two of the most popular bakeries in New York City?! The cakes were nice and pretty but all were quite dry. Perhaps I am so spoiled by fresh cake out of the oven that I am not realistic about bakery case cake. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing… some friends later told me the Ice Box Cake was the way to go or even a slice of pie. Finally, I might be realizing that I prefer desserts that are not too sweet and the icings at bakeries are often sugary as can be.

Excuses, excuses. Anyway, I just really wanted to love Billy’s Bakery and I do suggest you swing by if you are in the neighborhood. There is a good chance it isn’t the bakery… it might just be me.

p.s. Speaking of Red Velvet Cake, it may be time to bake one up with Valentine’s Day on its way. (Seems like a good time to eat red cake.) I think I will revisit this Red Velvet Cake recipe, which i haven’t made since last year.

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6 Responses

  1. amanda

    oohh no, you didn’t like billys? I didn’t fall head over heels for the vanilla cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes from Magnolia’s, but their red velvet cupcake and coconut pecan bar were delicious. Yup, I made out of there like a kid in a candy store. But my biggest pet peeve about ALL bakeries is dry cake and overly sweet frosting. I have yet to find a cake from a bakery that knocks my socks off.

  2. beatrice

    yes i agree completely. magnolia and billy’s SMELL divine and LOOK fantastic but the goods are not actually all that tasty! did you manage to try city bakery’s chocolate chip cookies? those really do live up to their reputation (and smell, and look) i find!

  3. Liz

    I also don’t like bakery cake at all. It sounds snotty, like only *I* can bake a great cake, but I really can’t stand them and I LOVE cake.

  4. Luisa

    Okay, so for next time :) you should go to Baked in Red Hook – it’s a bit of a trek, but my goodness, their baked goods blow every other “home-style” bakery in NYC out of the water and then some.

  5. Kitty

    My favorite NYC cupcakes, hands down, are from Sugar Sweet Sunshine, on the Lower East Side. The lemon cupcakes are to die for. They did the cupcake tower for my Halloween wedding, and were a huge hit.

    Baked has some good items, but their cupcakes are dry and lackluster, in my opinion. Cute shop though, and a good add-on to a Red Hook Fairway shopping trip.

  6. Cakespy

    I was just in NYC, and I am wondering if you might like the Cupcake Cafe–they are a more buttery, rich cupcake (kind of like a “sipping drink” versus the Cosmo that Magnolia’s cupcakes are?). I like them a lot, but they’re a bit more of an acquired taste. Also, went to a place in Brooklyn called Sweet Farm that had good cupcakes, and we liked Sugar Sweet Sunshine on the LES. More to try??

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