Buttercup 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