Buttercup Bake ShopButtercup Bake Shop

 212 350 4144

973 Second Avenue (near 51st)

We have long been fans of Magnolia Bakery, but more recently we have felt that their quality has started to slip, so you can imagine how pleased we were to find Buttercup Bake Shop. We rarely pass a bakery without stepping in for a second or two to sniff the air. Buttercup had a rich buttery smell, so we stayed to see their wares. And, there they were, the cupcakes, the German chocolate cake, the spice cake, the refrigerator cakes and so on, just like the ones at Magnolia Bakery.

We had to try. The cakes were excellent. They were as good as Magnolia Bakery in its prime, and they were better than we had been used to at Magnolia since.

We had to ask. Yes indeed, Buttercup Bake Shop was created after a split in the management of Magnolia. Some of their people left, and some of them stayed.

If Magnolia often seemed like a weird retro-hippie commune in the Village, Buttercup, as befits its mid-town location, seems more entrepreneurial. They will sell you a whole cake if you order in advance. They are even looking for franchisees to take the good cake movement global.

As for the quality of the baked goods, we actually like Buttercup more these days. The cakes are denser, the flavors richer, and the perceived butter ratio seems higher. While we will enjoy the ambience at Magnolia, Buttercup is our new cake shop home.

REVIEW: 5 November 2004


Kaleberg Home PageSend Mail to Kaleberg

Kaleberg Home Page > New York Reviews > Buttercup Bake Shop (Feedback)