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Announced 6 days ago23rd St-Broadway (R, W)
14th St-6th Aves (F, V, L, 1, 2, 3)
Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)
Mon-Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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i heart them for being so close to adorama, i get a fix almost every time i go pick up prints.
i have tried their wedding cakes - which is pretty funny, that i only found out that it was cupcake cafe six weeks after the wedding. i still remember how good the cake was.
yes, i do have a running tally with which wedding cake tasted best. this one gets the number one spot.
true, the people behind the counter are so bored with what they are doing, you almost dont want to get a cupcake.
sadly they close early, BUT THEY ARE GOOD!
my friend and i stumbled upon this place-- the place is adorable. The cupcake was almost too pretty to eat! It was beautifully decorated and it was quite tasty. I can understand why they do wedding cakes too!
This place seems to be attached with a children's book store, but it gives it a cute atmosphere. The chairs are covered with ladybug print and it is definitely kid friendly.
The frosting wasn't your typical frosting because i think the design of the cupcake requires a thicker consistency, but it was still delicate enough to eat!
The apple cider was decent, but not worth the price. Go for two cupcakes instead! :)
My Favorite Cupcake Cafe~
Frosting is light, soft, and beautiful! Also cake is not too sweet.
I went in there today with my son for a cupcake. The server was MORE than bored and you could tell he didn't want to help us.
The cupcakes were really pretty and the cafe was cute, but the cake part was too dense in my opinion and the frosting was a bit too light for my taste.
I probably won't go back, they were too expensive and not very good.
Cupcake Cafe's cupcake is defintiely for a person with... let's say..an acquired taste.
And I am one of them.
To me, they have the Best BUTTERcream Frosting in NYC. Note the Caps, the frosting tastes just like BUTTER.
Not overly sweet, airy, and BUTTERY.
Cake is moist, beautifully decorated, but did I mention the frosting tastes like BUTTER?
Eat at your own risk.
My friend bought these for a birthday party, they are pieces of art! The designs are elegant, simple, and well eye candy.
I wish I could say the same about the taste, the cake was a bit dry for me, the icing was really sweet too. I had a chocolate icing, chocolate cake one. Perhaps I will have to go back and try one with the buttercream icing which seems to get rave reviews.
A friendly staff is about the only positive I can throw out for this place.
The cupcake I got was dry and less than flavorful. The icing was a strange consistency. It was also quite expensive for a small cupcake. Really I hate to write bad reviews but I took one bite and threw my cupcake away.
Do I eat cupcakes for breakfast? Yes.
Did I mean to pluralize 'cupcakes'? You bet.
Cupcakes + Cafe + Almost Alliteration = Get in there.
[Shameless promotion from someone who works in children's publishing: Conveniently located right next to Books of Wonder. Support your local indie children's bookseller!]
I think their buttercream is amazing, probably the best I have ever tasted. Its very light and silky. I almost want to say it is a French butter cream folded into whipped cream. It literally melts in your mouth. I do think that the cake itself tends to be on the dry side, which completely ruins the cupcake.
They are beautifully decorated with different flowers and you can indicate if you would like a cold or room temperature one. Another neat thing about this place is that it is adjacent to a children's book store. I don't really care for children but I have yet to see one there so it fine by me.
I went to a birthday that had a cake from Cupcake Cafe. It was delicious! The cake a moist but had a mealy consistency. It was nice because it gave the cake a little bit of texture. Overall, I wish that the cupcakes were a little more moist but I would definitely order a cake for a special event.
Really bad stuff. I mean, really bad. I went today- towards the end of the day- and ordered one vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting. The cake itself was far too dense and far too dry, and also managed to be completely tasteless- and the frosting was far too sweet. The saving grace was that the cupcake was beautifully decorated. But since it's ending up in my stomach and not a museum, decoration just doesn't do much for me.
I think its a major statement when someone brings these cupcakes to thanksgiving from NYC and someone else can recognize them because of how great they are. Enough said.... my wife loves this place and the fact that she is a teacher brings her here even more!
Not sure where the hating is coming from for the Cupcake Cafe. Those who turn up their noses at honest little buttercream-topped cakes--what exactly were you looking for? Do you think cupcakes come only in that ghastly Red Velvet flavor? CC was making cupcakes 20 years ago in NY. If you can't make a good, basic vanilla cake with chocolate frosting, get out of the game. They're still playing.
As far as a refrigerated cupcake, on an 85-degree day , that's fine with me.
The decor of the new outpost is Shabby Chic, emphasis on the shabby, and yes, service is slow, often because customers are asking to have boxes made to hold as few as two cupcakes. Lunchtime food is fine and cheaper than many nearby places. The location is 1000 times more convenient than 9th Avenue.
So, Cupcake Cafe, I'm glad you're here.
This location of the Cupcake Cafe bakery shares a space with the wonderful "Books Of Wonder" childrens book shop - this makes for a truly charming combination!
I've been a fan of the Cupcake Cafe for over a decade now. Their cakes are truly a work of art (check out the pics on their website to see what I mean) - the cake bakers here are truly gifted designers.
The cupcakes are great here - very different than the cupcakes at most of the other NYC cupcake meccas. The cake itself is very light and has that distinct homemade cake flavor. The buttercream frosting is so rich, yet light and airy. There is just the right amount of frosting on the cupcakes as well, so you don't slip into a sugar coma after eating one of these delicious little bites of heaven. Another plus is the fact that they come in 2 different sizes, so you can choose the small if you want a "snack" or a big one if you want to make a complete meal out of your cupcake experience :-P
The staff here is very friendly as well. The decor is very eclectic - vintage furniture shop meets kids tea party. Go here when you are having a bad day or just to reconnect with you inner child...you won't be disappointed!
This place is the bomb. As soon as i came back from my trip to NYC i bought their cookbook, it is really good. So they have 2 locations, i like this one better, because it is in a childs bookstore and it is so whimsical. The simplest things are the hardest to execute, and i give cupcake cafe props for serving beatiful authentic buttercream on a choc or vanilla cupcake. they dont find it necessary to dollop their cupcakes with sauces, and those overly sweet toppings, they keep it real. Also the best thing about this place, they serve room temp cupcakes as an option, much better than refrigertaed ones.
My numero uno for cupcakes. Melt in your mouth creamy icing.. you had me at butter.
Steps for maximum enjoyment:
1. Buy two of the large, two of the small (for friends).
2. Put them in the refrigerator when you get home.
3. Once chilled, heat in the microwave for just ten seconds.
Next thing you know.. where the hell are my cupcakes!? Oh, that's right, I guess I already ate it. And they are quite pretty to look at while they last too.
I love their cakes! They are so beautiful with colorful flowers all around.The buttercream is perfect and melts in your mouth, the cake is delicious too. My favorite cake in the city.
-the cup cakes and larger cakes are GORGEOUS
-the icing is DELICIOUS
-the cake itself is a little dry, but tastes WONDERFUL
-the staff definitely leaves something to be desired.
The cupcakes were just okay. They were a bit dry and forgettable. The service was bad. I went there on Saturday and the guy looked so bored and probably did not want to be there. He then started telling people at around 7: 45 (15 minutes before 8PM which I believe was closing time) that they have 5 minutes left to eat the cupcakes because they were closing.
One couple walked in and basically just walked out!
The problem with this place is that it's so CUTE. The decor is cute, the combination of the cupcakes with a children's bookstore is cute... and the cupcakes are gorgeous. When you see the artwork of these cupcakes, it's obvious why wedding magazines use them. That being said, the cupcakes are less than mediocre. They are DRY. The frosting tries to save them, but it can't. They aren't creamy, aren't moist at all, and just overall don't taste good. What I DO like about them is that they aren't overly sweet. If only they could find a way to keep their cakes soft and fluffy, I'd be back. Until then, it's Crumbs and Magnolia for me.
Not a big frosting chick so I always favored cupcakes over cake but Cupcake Cafe's Cakes are beautiful and delicious. The icing isn't too sweet and the cake is moist just how I like it. I host parties for a living so i always refer my clients to this bakery. I even ordered my mom's cake for her very 1st birthday party from here and she loved it. And she is one of the hardest women to please when it comes to food.
The frosting is literally a stick of butter with some sugar and food coloring, and if you're into that, it's delicious. The cake part is decent, not the best, but the combination of the frosting and cake part makes it oh so good.
I like the place itself. Cupcakery and children's bookstore combined. Very cute. However, the staff at the cupcake place was not nice. They stared while I was looking and almost seemed peeved when I ordered 4 cupcakes. Not comforting at all.
I really like the designs of the cupcakes. The frosted flowers look really pretty to the point it is hard to eat it! I've had the chocolate frosting/chocolate cake, maple/walnut, and vanilla frosting/chocolate cake (not all at once, haha!). The cupcakes are consistent as they are not too dry and the frosting is pretty light. $2.50 for the 'small' cupcake, and that's average for that size.
I wouldn't go out of my way to get a cupcake there, but if I am in the neighborhood, then I would consider grabbing one on the way.
If you want to buy a cupcake that will make you feel like a pretty pretty princess, get one from Cupcake Cafe. They really are beautiful, and if there were any way to ship them across the country without completely ruining them, I'd send some to my 6-year-old niece in Arizona - I know she'd dig 'em.
The frosting is definitely heavy on the butter, which I happen to like, and as everyone says, the cake is pretty dry. Still, I love the maple walnut, which is a flavor you can't get anywhere else, as far as I know. As everyone has said, the refrigeration dries out the cake, but if you eat it on the spot they'll get you one out of the room-temperature display case.
That said, this definitely isn't the place to have a grown-up, jaded "Oh God, not another cupcake... Well, I suppose if I must... But the synergy of flavors is utterly banal..." cupcake. But it's a good place to get in touch with the roots of the cupcake craze: cupcakes are a tasty treat for little kids, and you can do worse than to watch some cute children running around while you pretend to be the Duchess of Devonshire at High Tea.
Looks are a little deceiving here. I don't think the cupcakes are unreasonably priced, but I think they were a little dry. Pretty to look at, though.
I'm still in search of my perfect cupcake in NYC.
The cupcakes and cakes are beautifully decorated and they're known for their floral style.
The cake taste can be hit or miss, I stick to the maple walnut which never ever disappoints, tried the chocolate once and it was a little dry. I was once with a non picky person who tried a muffin that turned out to be inedible. So stick to the cupcakes and cakes...
The ambiance is great, adjacent to a delightful children's book shop the whole establishment is very charming.
My mother and my younger sisters were always telling me to check this place out, I'm glad I did! This place has the greatest cup cakes, ever! I love the atmosphere and the decor, and like i said cup cakes and other treats were awesome, and the people that work there were pretty cool too.
These cupcakes are big on style, short on substance. Gorgeous to look at, the frosting is perfectly ornamented with flowers and tastes amazing
But why, FOR THE LOVE OF BOB, are they refridgerated? I's sure its to protect the lovely frosting from running/mushing/losing its pretty floral forms, but...IT RUINS THE TASTE OF THE CAKE!!! Instead of a buttery cupcake, I get a cold, crumbly hockey puck.
WHAT THE F*CK?!
Can we compromise, Cupcake Cafe? Like maybe...just maybe, you'll leave the cupcakes out of the fridge and I promise to eat more and tell my friends about your awesome location within this uber-cute bookshop? Please?
First of all, I love that this place is next to a bookstore, as well as their dancing cupcake can-can ladies.
But I have a theory - the prettier the cupcake, the more awful they taste.
These were beautiful, if you want flowers, this is your place, absolutely beautiful and uniform. the cake part was good, a tad dry. But for the frosting...it was pretty flavorless and very shortening-y.
The taste of this bakery's cupcake is second in importance to its beautiful appearance. And the outside fools you into thinking the inside is just as good. While ornate flowers adorn the surface, the dough is insipid and the frosting nauseatingly saccharine.
It's a great place to sit with your little cupcake, buy a cupcake, and read the extensive collection of children books.
-There is a section of rare books
-A tiny gallery of original artwork by illustrators of children books
(Heidi Holder has amazing watercolors!)
First the good, their buttercream flowers are lovely, the problem is their icing tastes like eating butter and yet their cake is so dry is literally sucks the moisture out of your mouth. I have rarely met a cupcake I didn't like but these are pretty awful
The best cupcakes in the city hands down.
Moist, flavorful, not too sweet.
The walnut and maple cream cupcake is amazing!
They also make cakes!
I wasn't completely thrilled by this place but it served its purpose of providing me and my friends a spot for some caffeine and cupcakes. It's next door to a bookstore so many people sitting near us were reading books, several of which were parents reading to children (too cute). But the cupcakes themselves were mediocre. Not very moist (borderline dry) and the frosting was very thick and hard (not lickable, which is how I like it). But the surroundings were nice, especially liked the big cupcake manequins up near the ceiling over the counter and the location was convenient for us. So I give Cupcake Cafe a whopping 3.5 stars.
No doubt about it these cupcakes are beeeaaauuutiful.
As the other reviewers note...they are a bit dry. I loved the icing though. Not too sweet. Milky goodness.
I am a cupcake obsessive, snob and devotee. I sample cupcakes like others swill wine. I must disclose from the onset that I'm pro-frosting and that I rank frosting considerably higher in importance than the cake aspect. That said, the cake part of these sweetthangs is fucking good. For this I give the yum-yum nod.
The cupcakes are available both cooled and room temp, I have only had the one, chocolate on chocolate (the flavor of juicy sex), served cold. I'm thrilled that they offer two sizes, a big and small cupcake in various flavors. Because I like my ass, I try to rein it in. Because I like myself, I still eat dessert.
Back to this joint, I haven't decided on the frosting. I think I like it, but the buttercream is stiff when cold and I prefer sensual Duncan Hines- esque versions. What is lovely are the colorful flowers decorating each cupcake. This is a terrific place to pick out a festive selection to bring to the office or a party. They're beautiful (and not just because I'm attracted to them).
Lastly, the cafe is inside a delightful children's bookstore and offers tables to nosh at. You can have a full blown kid experience. Or if you're like me and you feel cupcakes are sexy food, it's a tad kinky. Go with it.
The cupcakes left me unsatisfied. The flavor of the cupcakes was good, though not soft enough (because it had been refrigerated). The icing (also too stiff, because refrigerated) wasn't as rich as I'd prefer. The cupcakes are pretty, though. I suppose I'd purchase them as gifts if I had some time to let them sit at room temperature, but I wouldn't get them for myself or drop in with a friend.
this cupcake exceeded my expectations, which were quite low. very pretty frosting in a sort of "victorian bedroom that my grandma set up for me at her house as a five year old" sort of way. the frosting was surprisingly soft, and the cake was actually pretty decent. i would guess though, that cake quality varies based on when you go, and what time etc. i was quite terrified by the giant sexy dancing cupcakes, whose only human features were sassy gams and GIANT eyelashes (no eyes).
adjacent is a children's book store so if you have children, i can see it being a potentially dangerous situation involving frosting smeared kids and hastily purchased books. sidenote: the counter girl was so cute and friendly that she seemed to have been genetically engineered to work in this cupcake place.
Cute place, cute for kids, their cupcakes and cakes are GORGEOUS, the frost is so tasty BUT the cake part...is DRY AND VERY MEDIOCRE. I have yet to find an amazing cupcake place in manhattan
as a cupcake connoisseur i can very surely tell you that this place does NOT know what they're doing. YOU DON'T REFRIGERATE CUPCAKES! if i wanted a hard overpriced cupcake, i'd buy one from my mom.
all of you people that gave this place anything over 1 star are from hell. except for that Jen W. she's kind of a cupcake herself.
i give it a D
The Cupcake Cafe Caper of '08 is a delightful romp through Midtown Manhattan, starring me, two gay guys and a Jack Russell Terrier named Mikey. Three stars, claims The Boston Herald!
I won't bore you with our carefree, madcap shenanigans; I'll get right to it: I don't care for these gorgeous, over-priced cupcakes. They're too high-falutin' for my simple tastes. In fact, I just checked their website and was stunned, stunned I say, to discover that the frosting is buttercream. I don't know if it's whipped or what, but it falls somewhere in between buttercream and whipped cream in my opinion.
I don't want to get any employees in trouble so I won't mention the after-hours transaction that occurred, but $72.00 for 2 dozen cupcakes????? One dozen were regular and one dozen were mini. Sheesh! But, we felt guilty because they were willing to let us in after hours, so we were compelled to buy more than the three cupcakes we really wanted.
It's clearly a cool place-very comfortable and casual, and the cupcakes are works of art. I guess I'm just on the wrong side of bourgeois.
P.S. The gay guys forced the leftovers on me: 1/3 of which Mikey crushed when jumping around inside the car. I brought the untouched ones with us on our car trip to Boston later in the week. They didn't stay fresh very long-but the guys didn't care. They loved them.
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Bookstores
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Kips Bay
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: Bakeries
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