Cupcakes Part 2: Reporting from New York City

After a disappointing start with Billy's Bakery cupcakes, we decided to move on to the intriguing little cakes of Sprinkles. The first Sprinkles Cupcakes store opened in 2005 in Beverly Hills and has now grown into 10 locations across the United States. And earlier this year on May 13, Sprinkles opened its first store in New York City. Just in time for my arrival in New York.

Sprinkles was founded by Candace Nelson, a pastry chef and entrepreneur who also happens to be a judge on Food Network's Cupcake Wars! How cool is that?

Sprinkles is located at Lexington Avenue between 60th and 61st streets in New York City. The funny thing was when I realized I walked right past Sprinkles trying to find the said store along Lex. How could I have missed its flamboyant facade?!

Upon walking in, I was greeted by the ladies behind the counter gleefully, as did the Sprinkles' signature bold and bright colors painted on the wall. The wall was also lined with assembled boxes, cupcake towers, merchandise and cupcake mixes which added to the modern and playful ambience.

Tubes of cupcake premix line the walls of Sprinkles Cupcakes

But when it came to their cupcakes, the owners decided to go the other route. The cupcakes looked understated and minimally adorned. The colors were kept within a neutral palette, with color only coming from the gumpaste dots that indicate the cupcake's flavor. It looked very stylish and modern yet maintaining its mouth-watering appeal.

As with my purchase at Billy's Bakery, I decided to get a box of four. I got dark chocolate, vanilla milk chocolate, vanilla and of course, red velvet. 

We tried the vanilla first. First thing I noticed is that this was a cupcake that you could really sink your teeth into, being that it was larger than the usual 3-ounce cupcake. The cake was moist and dense with  an intense vanilla flavor. The icing was thick and had good body, though to me it tasted like good store-bought icing. My brother-in-law found the icing too sweet which was probably caused by the confetti of sprinkles on the icing. My sister disagreed that it was too sweet but agreed that the icing would indeed be less sweet if there were less of the white sprinkles. I didn't care much for the sprinkles. In fact, I think it distracts you from the smoothness of the icing.

We moved on to the Red Velvet with high expectations because it did look quite appetizing. Upon biting through the layer of icing, I found that it had very faint cream cheese flavor. It was more like an old fashioned buttercream than cream cheese icing and that thoroughly disappointed me. The cake however was moist and chocolatey without being overly red. It was a good cupcake, but its not the red velvet that I am used to. I have to tell you that I tried the gum paste dots as well. And as soon as I bit into one of those things, I deeply regretted it. I think I might have knocked out a filling. They were really hard and really bad. They tasted like plastic and had no business being on top of a good cupcake.

We moved up in the hierarchy of flavors (light flavors first) and tried the vanilla milk chocolate. I got very excited with this cupcake, to tell you honestly. The icing smelled really good and aromatic and it did smell of good quality chocolate. The vanilla cake underneath was as expected, moist and dense and delicious. The icing however was the winner. While it didn't taste unique or sophisticated, it did taste like birthday cake icing which made that cupcake very comforting and satisfying.

Last on our agenda was the Dark Chocolate Cupcake. This had a strong chocolatey aroma, almost like a bar of dark bittersweet chocolate. It was great to know that the icing did not taste any different. It tasted rich and sophisticated. We immediately called it a 'grown-up' cupcake upon realizing that it tasted pleasantly bitter and sweet. The icing compensated though for the lack-luster chocolate cake that sat beneath the dark crown of chocolate. It was moist and dense but lacked the depth and intensity found in the icing. It was a good cupcake but we all agreed that it could have been much, much better.

To sum up my Sprinkles Cupcakes experience, I would have to say it was above average. The cupcakes were good and pleasant to eat. They tasted and looked more sophisticated than Billy's Bakery cupcakes. You could tell that they used good chocolate and vanilla and worked hard on their cake recipes. But at the end of the day, they are just cupcakes. It's a $3.50 cake with icing on it. That to me is quite pricey. And in the culinary melting pot that is New York City, I could get more than just a cake with icing on it for $3.50. I could get ice cream from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, a welcome treat in the sweltering NY summer heat.

Black Sesame and Pistachio Ice Cream; Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Or I could get a Payard Chocolate Fondant or Chocolate Eclair. Okay those were 4 bucks a pop but come on, for 50 cents more, you get an ACTUAL gourmet treat! Oh my goodness, were they good!!!

Chocolate Fondant aka Flourless Chocolate Cake from the Payard Patisserie, Bastille Day at 60th Street.

Raspberry Tarts

I just died.

Sprinkles Cupcakes

780 Lexington Ave

bet 60th & 61st Sts.

NY, NY 10065

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

65 Bayard Street
Manhattan Chinatown
New York, NY 10013

Bastille Day at 60th Street

Cupcakes: Reporting from New York City!!!

After a nerve-wracking visa interview and a 19-hour flight, I am back in New York! Being here does not only mean I get to attend my sister's wedding, but I could also get to try all the cupcakes that have been made famous in New York City. It has been a tiring but fun week with dinners and lunches to go to, friends and family to meet, preparations leading to my sisters wedding and of course, discovering the city that is New York.

After mustering all my strength and confidence to venture into the city alone without the aid of a 3G-enabled phone (which would allow me to access maps and routes anywhere in case I get lost), I was able to navigate through the avenues and streets of NY much easier than I thought. The city is set up in a grid, and the subway system in a similar manner. There are so many subway stops scattered around the city that wherever your destination is, there is bound to be a train or bus that can take you there or a walkable distance from it. Taxis are abundant, and they are very convenient to use; however, fares can get expensive and you will be under the mercy of the New York City traffic. My mom laughed at me as I headed out earlier today as she said, "You haven't even gone to Divisoria alone and here you are going around New York!"

NY Cakes, Flatiron District

Weekend Market at Union Square Park

Le Bronx

Bakeries at Arthur Avenue, Bronx

A variety of olives, capers and pickles--Arthur Avenue Market

Deli at Arthur Avenue Market

Olives and Pickles at Teitel Bros.

Oh. My. God.

Cakes at De Lillo's

De Lillo's

Espresso and Cannoli at De Lillo's, Little Italy, Bronx.

So after a couple of afternoons spent exploring popular parts of NYC, I made plans to get cupcakes at Billy's Bakery, Magnolia Bakery and Sprinkles Cupcakes, which would prove to be a challenge because they are nowhere near each other. First stop was Billy's Bakery. I went to their location at Chelsea, and I have to say, I found the place very charming. The yellow subway tile and vintage wallpaper gave the shop, well, a vintage feel. The AC was a welcome relief from the summer heat. The bakery had one table and banquet seating so this definitely discourages lingering around. The gentleman behind the counter was very helpful, though he was lacking a smile that I would have really appreciated. And it wasn't even a busy afternoon.

Billy's Bakery; 184 9th Avenue, between 21st and 22nd Streets

I got a box of four cupcakes: red velvet, chocolate chocolate, carrot cream cheese cupcakes and of course, vanilla vanilla. At $11.00 for a box of four, it was a bit pricey. The cupcakes looked like they had the old fashioned buttercream frosting because of the crust it seemed to have. And since I ran the risk of letting the frostings melt in the summer heat, the crusting buttercream gave me a little more confidence to carry them around city while I get my other cupcakes.

After Billy's I headed straight to Magnolia Bakery, then at Sprinkles Cupcake (which I will blog in other entries). It was a long day so I looked forward to rewarding myself with a taste of Billy's Bakery cupcakes.

So after dinner at home, I took out the cupcakes so Mama, my sister and I could taste them.

We had the red velvet with cream cheese frosting first, as this is one of the more, if not the most, popular flavors of cupcake in the city.

Red Velvet Cupcake

Red Velvet - $3.00

I have to say I was stunned when I found myself unimpressed with the Red Velvet. The cake base looked moist but upon taking a bite, the cake was the opposite. It was dry with a faint chocolate flavor. The frosting was more like a buttercream than a cream cheese frosting, with the tell-tale sign of crusting on top. At some point, my sister said that the cupcake tasted like boxed mix. It did provide some comfort, but so can a box of Kraft Mac n Cheese or a steaming bowl of sinigang.

And so we moved on to the Yellow Daisy cupcake: a yellow cupcake with a vanilla frosting and dainty sprinkles on top. I thought this cupcake was really cute, but to be honest, this was charming at best.  The first thing that hits you is the sugary frosting that has very little vanilla flavor and the texture is a little denser than I would like. And after lugging the box around NYC in the summer heat while weaving in and out of human traffic, how could the frosting even survive?! Does Billy's Bakery use, dare I say it, SHORTENING?! Meh, I'm not really entirely opposed to that (SHOCKING!), but for the price they are asking for these 3oz cupcakes, they'd better be using some butter.

As with the Red Velvet, this was a little comforting, but at $2.50 a pop, this comfort does not come cheap. (And there's comfort I like waaay better. There's a liquor store in Long Beach that sells San Mig Light for 2 bucks. Hehehe.)

Yellow Daisy Cupcake (Vanilla Vanilla) - $2.50

Already getting full from all the cupcakes, we reluctantly tried the classic chocolate cupcakes. This cupcake smelled of good cocoa, and the cake looked like it had plenty of it. We found the frosting a little too sweet, but it compensated for the lack of flavor in the cupcake, which was surprising because it did smell like it had plenty of good cocoa. It also had good body to it, and I really like a frosting that you could sink your teeth into. The cake was again a bit dry but this was more enjoyable than the rest of the cupcakes we already tried.

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes - $2.50

By this time, Mama and my sister had already raised the white flag so I was left to taste the carrot cupcake by myself. It was a good thing that I saved this for last because I liked this the most. The cupcake had discernible bits of carrot and walnut that provided body and texture. It also seemed to have shredded sweetened coconut in the batter which helped with the texture and moistness but that did very little to add flavor. The cream cheese frosting was a miss though, because it had very little of the tang that I like in cream cheese. The frosting crusted as well, which leads me to believe that there is more sugar and butter (?) in the frosting than cream cheese. The cake was great on its own, and the frosting was a superfluous addition.

Carrot Cupcakes - $3.00

I wish I had more cupcakes from Billy's to try, but at $11.00 for a box of four, and two more bakeries to visit, I might not have enough money for the train ride to Long Beach. So I will give my best effort to be fair.

If I were asked to rate Billy's from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, I wouldn't. People come to Billy's for a number of reasons. They could be seeking comfort, seeking to satisfy a sweet tooth, or seeking attention. But if I'm seeking for great cupcakes, this would be one of the last places I'd look. For a place known for its cupcakes, Billy's disappoints. They were okay, okay, but it wasn't exactly the roll-my-eyes-in-ecstasy and I-just-died-and-gone-to-heaven experience I was made to expect from some reviews. But hey, they're cupcakes. They are fun, and not to be taken too seriously. With that said, would I come back to try the rest of the cupcakes? Only if I'm not paying. Would I recommend Billy's? Yes, go at least once. Is Billy's worth the hype? Not so much. Billy's worth the calories? Absolutely....not. But heck, I'm not complaining! I'm in New York City!

And that wraps up my 1st of several cupcake report from NYC. Next in line, Sprinkles Cupcakes! (Gosh I sound like a dork.)

Brownies, Cupcakes and MARC friggin' NELSON!!!

I’m scheduled to go to Palawan today and since I had no one to take me to the airport at 10am, I asked my brother to bring me to the airport before he goes to work. Which is usually around 6 in the morning.  So here I am at the airport 5 hours before my flight bound for Puerto Princesa with no other way to kill time.

Before I was even able to begin packing my stuff last night, I had already a ton of things to do. Apart from taking my mom to Greenhills for shopping earlier in the day, I had a cupcake order from Ian due that evening. A dozen vanilla and a dozen and a half of chocolate. The half order, obviously, was for Karrie who is too stingy to buy a dozen (Hehehe!).

The shopping took a big chunk of my day. But after going shopping with my mom, I was able to get some rest before I worked on Ian’s cupcakes.  And since I have been watching DC Cupcakes on cable recently, I decided to make the cupcakes look like the ones sold at Georgetown Cupcakes. I tried my hand at their “signature” frosting which was a simple swirl using a big round piping tip. It wasn’t really difficult to make, but I’m not sure if they look anything like the cupcakes that inspired it. You be the judge. (On second thought, don't be. I just saw photos of Georgetown Cupcakes and they look really really good.)

I almost forgot to mention that two days ago, I was able to try out David Lebovitz’ recipe for Dulce de Leche Brownies. It was a relatively easy recipe to make, with no specal, hard-to-find ingredients. Save for the dulce de leche, perhaps. But it doesn’t take much effort to make, so I don’t think it should be a problem. Lebovitz makes his by taking condensed milk and baking it in a water bath in an oven until the milk is caramelized and thick. Frankly, I think that takes more effort, but I admit, doing the alternative could be scary for a first-timer. The method that I prefer involves boiling unopened cans of condensed milk submerged in water for three hours. I can see why this would scare some people. But as long as the cans are completely submerged in water, you should be fine and you won’t be scraping dulce de leche and shrapnel from your ceiling.  That goes without saying that you should check the water level from time to time and replenish as necessary. I let them cool in the water as well, just to be sure.

Making these brownies does take some planning and prep work. I just happened to have some dulce de leche lying around from my last recipe testing.

These are good!!!

And OH MY EFFIN GOSH, MARC NELSON JUST PASSED BY!!!!!!!!!!

Never mind. I can’t finish this entry. I was blinded by Marc’s porcelain white teeth at na starstruck ako ng bonggang bongga!!!

May 31: Okay, I thought I'd finish this entry anyway since I got over being starstruck by Marc Nelson.
The Dulce de Leche Brownies were really good, but it is a must to underbake it a little bit because mine turned out a little cakey. Nuts are a welcome addition as well, because I like the crunch versus the creaminess of the rich dulce de leche. I also doubled the recipe so it would fit my 11- by 15-inch jelly roll pan (not to mention my family's voracious appetite). Its a great recipe to make if you happen to have some dulce de leche lying around.

David Lebovitz' Dulce de Leche Brownies are gorgeous!!!
(photo from www.davidlebovitz.com)