The Cupcake Diaries

Georgetown Cupcake

3301 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-8448
www.georgetowncupcake.com

I visited Georgetown Cupcake on a sweltering hot day in D.C. I personally think that this place is the epitome of designer cupcakes!! Its just so adorable! "Bliss baked daily", "Happiness in the palm of your hand" Okay, how can you NOT love a place with those little mottos?? This is a MUST visit!!!!!!

stay classy,
madeleine

The Cupcake Diaries

Crumbs Bakeshop
1675 Broadway (53rd)
New York City, NY
www.crumbs.com

I've tried many cupcake shops in New York City, and I must say that Crumbs, although it may be a chain, is by far the best little shop. I visited after seeing Jersey Boys on Broadway, and was impressed. I was greeted by smiling and excited workers who were energetic and helpful. I asked if I could take a few pictures for my blog, and one of the amazing workers there, his name was Aaron, said jokingly only if he could be in it. So, meet Aaron!
Outloud, I thought to myself which cupcake I should order, when helpful Mr. Aaron exclaimed that their Red Velvet was their bestseller. And Red Velvet it was. Aaron hands me a HUGE, muffin sized cupcake, so he can pose for the picture, but ends up putting it in this amazing packaging, which I thought was a great added bonus. The plastic packaging was like a mini to go container, but had a holder for the actual cupcake part, so the frosting part and the cake part were all compartamentalized and contained... which was perfect, since I was headed to the theater for a matinee anyways! When I got to finally enjoy my mega cupcake, it was absolutely heavenly... I think I had a cupcake orgasm. The cake was deliciously moist, and the frosting was to die for. I'm telling you! They're all over New York!! Cali girls? There's four Crumbs locations opening up in Beverley Hills and all over SoCal, and one already open in Malibu.

stay classy,
madeleine

concrete jungle

"In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can't do." -Empire State of Mind - JayZ & Alicia Keyes

day 1: The weather was absolutely fabulous! Hotel right in the middle of Times Square... a bit hectic, but I love being in the middle of it all! Dinner at this itty bitty trendy little Italian restaurant called Etcetera. Super yummy!

day 2: Walked around downtown/Wall Street. Took the ferry ride to Liberty Island and Ellis Island... more beautiful weather, more lovely people. Maybe I'm used to being courteous, but a lot of people were oh so rude! We encountered this 50 people group from Wisconsin that thought they were entitled to everything, just because they were a big group (which included cutting us in a line we'd been waiting in for awhile). Let's just say things got a bit confrontational. After enjoying the beautiful weather and ferry rides, we walked down to So-Ho, peeked in some cute shops, and had cupcakes at Buttercup Bakery (see "Cupcake Diaries")
day 3: Subway ride to Columbia University, and enjoyed yet another sunny, beautiful day! Had an AMAZING lunch at 5 Napkin Burger in the Upper West Side. Mmmm. Walked through Central Park where others were enjoying the sun just as much as I was! Explored the Met for hours. I wish I could just stay there forever! Like Claudia in the book, "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" - one of my favorites.

day 4: Easter Sunday mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral... it was quite beautiful! Saw Jersey Boys on Broadway! Let's just say I'm obsessed. Probably one of my favorite Broadway musicals, and I've seen quite a few. Cupcakes at Crumbs Bakery. Dinner at a yummy restaurant in the Time Warner center that overlooked Midtown. What a nice Easter Sunday!

day 5: Visited the school I will be attending next year, Fordham University! Train to Washington D.C... I concluded my New York trip with 2 days spent in D.C. where the heat was almost unbearable! 88 degrees!!!

All in all it was a lovely and fun trip!! Quite a beautiful way to spend my spring vacation. And visiting Fordham made me 45708372525 times more excited to go there in the fall!

stay classy,
madeleine

The Cupcake Diaries

Buttercup Bake Shop

New York City
141 West 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023
(212) 787-3800
buttercupbakeshop.com

I visited Buttercup at their West Side location. Walking in, it felt a bit like a deli, I'm not sure why. We ordered a Lemon cupcake, and a Red Velvet. Both were so delicious! The Lemon had very tart frosting, and was filled too, with a sweet, moist cake. The Red Velvet was yummy as well, the cake was super rich and moist, and the frosting was sweet, but not overwhelmingly sweet. Buttercup cupcakes do not have the best presentation, they nix the sprinkles, and cutesy presentation and all... but don't let that fool you! Their cupcakes are absolutely delicious, tastier than some of the cutest cupcakes I've tasted before. I would definitely recommend Buttercup Bakeshop! I wouldn't buy here if you're looking to sit down and enjoy your cupcake in the shop... but buy one, take it to Central Park, and enjoy! And again, even though these may not be the CUTEST cupcakes out there, they surely are of the best tasting. They also have a location in the East Side on 2nd Avenue. If I'm in the area, I would definitely make a stop again at Buttercup!

-Price Per Cupcake: $2.25
-Store Decor: C+ (it's clean! but not cute)
-Yelp gives it 4 stars.
-I give it 4.5 stars.

stay classy,
madeleine

The Cupcake Diaries

Magnolia Bakery

New York City
1240 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
(212) 767-1123
www.magnoliacupcakes.com

Visited this cute corner bakery while walking around Rockefeller Center. I opened the door to an overpoweringly strong scent of sugar... which I usually find pleasant, except that there were so many people in the little tiny bakery that I just couldn't stand the smell/lack of space/body heat. Personally, I did not like the cupcakes all too much. The decor of the bakery is very cute though! Very clean, cute, and light. For being located in a heavy tourist spot, I'd say the bakery takes full advantage of the Rockefeller crowds. When I went outside to catch my breath, and get some air, I stood in front of the store window and watched a very declicious Red Velvet cake being made. Another day I walked by to see some of the bakers frosting cupcakes with beautiful pastel vanilla frostings! But like I said, the cupcakes aren't exactly to die for, the frosting is very sweet, for my taste, but the cake is very moist! If you're not into the touristy crowd, or the overwhelming numbers, Magnolia has 2 other locations, one in the Upper West Side, and in West Village. Although Magnolia has been featured in Sex In The City, I hate to say their cupcakes were not fantastic, but then again, I haven't tried their other baked goods! I would probably skip Magnolia Bakery if I was in the area again... but that's just me!

-Price Per Cupcake: $2.75
-Store Decor: B-
-Yelp gives it 3 stars.
-I give it 3 stars.

stay classy,
madeleine