Buttercup Bake Shop

East Side 973 2nd Avenue New York, NY 10022 (212) 350-4144. West Side 141 West 72nd Street New York, NY 10023 (212) 787-3800. www.buttercupbakeshop.com

Buttercup was the very first bake shop that I visited in New York because it was part of an article forwarded to me by a good friend on the best 15 cupcake places in NYC and, honestly, because it was the nearest bake shop from our apartment.

Nevertheless, Buttercup is a bake shop I still frequent even after trying other talked about places – Magnolia, Chikalicious, Crumbs... save for Two Little Red Hens and Billy’s, Buttercup is another favorite for wonderful cakes and cupcakes. I loved their goodies so much that I would walk through rain, the biting cold, harsh wind and snow (yes, even during snow storms) just to treat myself and friends to their lovely cupcakes and cakes.

Within the small space that they occupy along 2nd Avenue, Buttercup is a heaven for cupcake aficionados like me as this wonderful place whips up a wide array of freshly baked cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, pies, bundts, puddings, trifles, brownies and squares that don’t just look good but really taste good too.

My favorite cupcakes: Red Velvet (lovely with a hint of cocoa topped with cream cheese frosting), Lemon (made with fresh lemon juice and zest topped with lemon buttercream), Buttercup Golden (with Vanilla or Chocolate Icing), Hummingbird (fruity cake with bananas, pineapple and pecans topped with cream cheese icing), German Chocolate (with a coconut pecan filling), Lady Baltimore (almond-flavored white cake filled with coconut, candied cherries, cookie crumbs and almonds and frosted with meringue). Yes, I will admit that these are most of their cupcakes...I must say I like almost everything that they make. And by the way, they make these in layered cake versions too that are just as moist and luscious but with more layers of icing.

So what else is there to say about Buttercup? That owner Jennifer Appel (who was part of the team that created Magnolia Bakery) has created cake heaven through Buttercup. That it deserves praises it has received from New Yorkers, including celebrities such as Martha Stewart, amongst others. That it is indeed one of the best bake shops in Manhattan. That is definitely a must to visit this place to try out these delectable treats!

NOTE: All photos are from Buttercup Bake Shop's published photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttercupny

CBK Cookies

337 East 81st Street New York, NY 10028 (212) 794-3383 http://www.cbkcookies.com/.

It was through NY Magazine’s Critic’s Pick list that I discovered CBK Cookies, which stands for the creator's name, Cynthia Bruce Kramer. Wanting to leave her career in the hotel business back in 1988, she started to bake cookies, making her own original recipes in a small kitchen with friends and family as her customers. Said to be her then well-loved creations were chocolate truffles, key limes, and mint juleps.

Today, CBK Cookies is no longer a little kitchen business but a famous NY bake shop at the Upper East Side that serves its customers by appointment only and whose clients include The Plaza, Tiffany's Lincoln Center and The American Museum of Natural History. It has also been mentioned as the "Butter Cream of the Crop" by New York Magazine (http://www.nymag.com/) and "A Martha Stewart's Dream" by Zagat (http://www.zagat.com/).

Current famous fancy Cookies are the Chocolate Chips, Almond Crescents, Pecan Sandies, Chocolate Truffles, Key Lime Flowers, Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan, Raspberry Linzer Hearts, which are baked from the freshest ingredients and come in a box ($25 per pound) or on a party tray ($42.50 per pound). CBK also creates Vanilla or Chocolate Cakes (priced at $75 for a single Layer Cake and $150 for a Double Layer Cake) and Cupcakes (prices start at $2 each for regular-sized ones and minis at $1.00 each, with minimum orders) delicately designed for special occasions, whether for Birthdays, Christmas, Weddings, Baptisms or Showers.

Before I realised its “By Appointment Only” policy, I tried to walk to CBK Cookies to sample some of its most famous products. And yes, I was disappointed that it was closed when I got there. Not to be dissuaded, I am writing about CBK as I have heard it to be one of the best palate pleasers of Manhattan. I am merely waiting for an opportunity and a reason to place an order and serve these supposedly wonderfully sumptuous cookies. I cannot wait to share how this experience will be and see if the price and exclusivity will all be worth it.

Billy's Bakery

Chelsea 184 9th Avenue (212) 647-9956. Tribeca 75 Franklin Street (212) 647-9958. http://www.billysbakerynyc.com/.

Billy’s Bakery was founded in 2003 by two friends from business school with the goal of providing “classic American baked goods in a warm, friendly atmosphere”. And such is the character of Billy’s, a brightly lit place that, indeed, reminds you of Grandma’s kitchen and where the delicious smell of fresh cakes and pastries from goodies baked on site greets you as soon as you step into the bake shop. Not to mention the friendly staff who make you feel right at home.

A wide variety of scrumptious and lovely looking cakes, cupcakes, pies and pastries adorn the chillers and behind, trays and counters of freshly baked wonderful little sweet things being prepared by the staff. I did my homework and asked friends, who very highly recommended Billy’s, to tell me what their favorites were but it was not easy to pick what I wanted to try from this charming place because everything looked so delightful!

There were layers of beautiful cakes such as Red Velvet and German Chocolate Cake, mouth watering pies such as Apple Crumb and Peanut Butter Chocolate, tempting pastries such as Hello Dollies (bars with graham crackers, chocolate chips, butterscotch, coconut and pecans) and Lemon Bars, creamy Banana Pudding, delectable mini Key Lime and Cherry Cheesecakes, and so many pretty little cupcakes.

I finally settled to trying a slice of Key Lime Pie (my favourite kind of pie), a slice of Pineapple Upside Down Cake and a Carrot Cupcake. Again, do not worry as I did not enjoy all of these in a single sitting. But mind you, I wanted to!

The Key Lime Pie had a thick, creamy lime filling that was slightly tangy and slightly sweet, and was complemented by the slightly buttery gingersnap crust. It was pleasing but I recommend Two Little Red Hen’s Key Lime Pie – really the best Key Lime Pie I have tried so far.

The Pineapple Upside Down cake was wonderfully moist and hinted of vanilla with bits of pineapple and cherries baked within  the cake, and on top, more pineapple and cherries caramelized with golden brown sugar. This one I loved and found very refreshing! A perfect summer cake!

And the Carrot cupcake, which had a creamy cream cheese icing on top and a soft and moist cake made of cinnamon, carrots, coconut, pineapple and pecans, was really wonderful! One of the best carrot cupcakes I have tried too!

If Two Little Red Hens is my cupcake heaven...Billy’s is my cakes and pies heaven! Every time I remember stepping into Billy’s and seeing all these beautiful, delectable freshly baked goodies, I cannot help but feel my mouth water. They definitely deserve receiving my first ever perfect rating. I still can’t forget the luscious looking cakes and pastries and I can’t wait to go back as my goal is to try each and every one of these.  Next on my list would be their “Famous” Chocolate Icebox Cake, the Banana Cream Pie and Caramel Pecan Cheesecake. Billy’s here I come!

Two Little Red Hens

1652 Second Avenue New York, NY 10028. (212) 452-0476. www.twolittleredhens.com.

To begin my journey, I came to an "American Bakery" called Two Little Red Hens, a place which had been highly recommended by girl friends who are fellow foodies and which, based on my research, had numerous positive reviews on thier cupcakes.

From the outside, it looked like a little country store beside the numerous establishments along a very busy Second Avenue. Inside, it looked like your neighborhood bakeshop, with small tables and chairs, shelves of coffee and chillers of freshly baked, pretty-looking cakes and pastries.

I was cheerfully greeted by the ladies behind the counter, but as friends have told me that the cupcakes were the best here, I did not waste any time an ordered a box of cupcakes to bring home – Red Velvet, Banana, Chocolate Marble and Vanilla Butter Cream. The average price for a cupcake would be around $2.75 for regular sized ones and around $1.75 for the mini cupcakes. Not bad, I thought, and definitely comparable to most bakeshops around the city.

I was not disappointed! I have tried a number of bakeshops in Manhattan since I arrived (Chikalicious, Crumbs, Magnolia and Buttercup included), and Two Little Red Hens had the moistest cupcakes (even after days in my refrigerator as I could not eat all at once, of course) and the creamiest icing with just the right amount of sweetness! It was definitely bliss with each bite! Since then, I have returned every other week to Two Little Red Hens and have excitedly tried the rest of the cupcakes - Carrot, Brooklyn Blackout (this is the best choice if you are dangerously craving for chocolate) and Vanilla with Chocolate Fudge. Again, these had consistent moistness to the cake and just the right amount of sweetness to the creamy icing. I had found my cupcake heaven!


But I did not stop there as I became mighty curious about their cakes, pies and pastries as well. This is after all, a search for the best local bake shops. So I tried their Chocolate Chip cookies, Lemon Bar, Banana and Carrot Slices (exactly like the cupcake version but these are cut like cakes), Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream filling, Chocolate Mousse Pie and the Key Lime Pie. Rest assured, I did not enjoy all of these in one sitting but did so over a number of weeks while making sure I continued with my weekly physical activities – we all know what happens when you enjoy these things TOO much.

Anyway, I can say that the pastries (though I have only tried a few) are not as heavenly as the cupcakes. Quite a bit ordinary actually and not something I would tell everyone about. I had another wonderful discovery though – the Chocolate Mousse Pie and the Key Lime Pie were to die for! The Chocolate Mousse Pie had a thin light, buttery crust, creamy mousse that had just the right amount of chocolate, and lightly sweetened whipped cream on top. The Key Lime Pie was the best I have ever tasted, with a nice graham crust and creamy, sweet with a nice little bite of sourness from the lime that tasted fresh. It was definitely unforgettable!

So what is my opinion of Two Little Red Hens? It is definitely one of the best local bakeshops in Manhattan, not only for their to-die-for pretty little cupcakes and their deliciously unforgettable pies, but also for the homey, little neighborhood feel of the place, their always cheerful ladies ready to take your order, and the variety of cakes and pastries you may indulge in. Yes, there is a line sometimes but they efficiently take your orders and normally do not take a lot of time packing them for you. And yes, it can get crowded since it is a small place so, I recommend buying to go. Just a tip too, the Key Lime Pie sells out easily, so Friday (the day they make these wonderful pies) is usually the best time to go.