Babycakes NYC

If it's vegan it's healthy, right?!? That's what I told myself as I bit into a carrot cake cupcake at Babycakes bakery in NYC a couple weeks ago. Skeptics would be surprised that desserts made from coconut oil, agave nectar, garbanzo flour, and spelt are actually very good and much more filling than those made from white flour and sugar at places like Magnolia Bakery and Sprinkles.

Owner and founder Erin McKenna, opened Babycakes in 2005 tapping into the cravings of those who need to eat wheat, gluten, dairy and sugar free or even stick to a Kosher diet. McKenna's sweet factory was named the Best Cupcakes in NYC by NY Magazine in 2006.

Babycakes' menu offers cupcakes, loaves, cookies, cookie sandwiches, crumb cakes, muffins, spelt tea cake, brownies, macaroons, scones, pies and more. Among my favorite menu options are the tiny sweets like the cupcake tops and frosting shots.

Babycakes is currently located at 248 Broome Street (between Orchard & Ludlow) in Manhattan but are planning to open a Los Angeles location soon. The LA location will be cool, near The Grove and will share a space with the denim design shop Earnest Sewn.

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Not only can you smell the goodness of Sprinkles Cupcakes a mile away but you can see a line of people waiting in a line a mile long just to experience the famous treats. And yes, I too stood in that line outside of the Beverly Hills store excited for my first Sprinkles cupcake! The flavors change daily but we were able to pick up a great sampling of the Black & White (Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy vanilla frosting), Cinnamon Sugar (lightly spiced buttermilk cake dusted with cinnamon sugar), Peanut Butter Chip (chocolate chip-studded peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting), Red Velvet, Strawberry (strawberry cake with sweet strawberry frosting), and Vanilla (Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake with creamy vanilla frosting). Overall I'd have to say my favorite was the Strawberry cupcake but I also really liked the Cinnamon Sugar- it tasted more like a sweet breakfast coffee cake. Today, via Twitter, I asked my followers what their favorite cupcake flavors were and/or bakery. The response, keeping in mind I only heard back from New Yorkers, was Red Velvet from Buttercup Bake Shop. Obviously, my favorite cupcakes are from Emily Knapp (my little sister)- I mean just look at these cupcakes- she's amazing!