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