While we love cakes as much as the next person, tiny versions of things are always cuter, and what's more delightful than a little compact cake packed with buttery sweetness all for yourself?
New York City is overflowing with "foodie" crazes, but the cupcake is a fundamental pastry not to be forgotten. Enjoy it on the go, at a park or sitting in a cafe with a warm cup of tea.
To aid your quest for the sugary best, we've compiled a list of the city's top-tier cupcake bakers. No doubt you'll find a new favorite, and they're all so sweet, you've got to give them each a try. From iconic bakeries renowned worldwide to up-and-coming spots you'll want to keep a secret, these are the best cupcake houses in all of NYC.
See also: The Best Cinnamon Rolls in NYC
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Offering American baked goods for nearly three decades, this NYC institution was made famous on an episode of the '90s sitcom Sex and the City. Every sweet-toothed connaisseur knows this spot is quintessential in the realm of small pastries. Try its top-ranked confetti cupcake, a light vanilla cake replete with confetti sprinkles inside the cake and vanilla buttercream with, you guessed it, more confetti sprinkles on top.
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This bakeshop originated in Brooklyn in 2005 before taking all of NYC (and the country!) by storm. Using only the finest, freshest ingredients sourced from local purveyors, each Little Cupcake Bakeshop cake contains no shortening and no preservatives. We recommend bringing friends and trying multiple flavors, as just one will surely not be enough.
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377 Onderdonk Ave., Ridgewood / 347.833.7899 / Website
This lesser-known gem, hidden away in Ridgewood, is a go-to for those who know. Boasting many delectable classics, this bakery's most popular creation is the coconut cream cupcake. After one try, you'll find yourself coming back again and again for this perfectly-moist vanilla cake generously coated in vanilla frosting and a crunchy coat of coconut flakes.
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453 W. 54th St. / 212.933.1041 / Website
This bakery might be tiny, but its bakes pack a huge flavor punch. With inventive flavors such as carrot, berry champagne and pink lemonade, these cakes are brightly colored and perfectly sweet. This bakeshop even won Food Network’s baking competition show “Cupcake Wars.”
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Why stop at one cupcake when you can have five? Splurge on this bakery's famous bite-sized creations. They're so delicately ornate and colorful, you can't stop at just one. These tiny, scrumptious cupcakes come in boxes so you can best savor all the flavors, including triple chocolate fudge, chocolate chip pancake and plenty more.
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780 Lexington Ave. / 212.207.8375 / Website
The whole country knows and loves Sprinkles, and NYC is no different. This bakeshop creates delicious bakes with generous amounts of frosting, with bestsellers including the black and white cake, a Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy vanilla frosting, and the strawberry cake, a pure strawberry cupcake topped with sweet strawberry frosting.
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This small patisserie's aromatic scent of warm, freshly baked goods will draw you in. It's intimate and cozy, and they prepare all kinds of seasonal pastries daily. Indulge in their famously-exquisite Devil's food cupcake, a chocolate-based cake piped with extra-chocolately frosting and colorful sprinkles that will trigger childhood nostalgia.
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126 Rivington St. / 212.995.1960 / Website
This LES mainstay has been beloved for its cupcakes since 2003. The cakes always taste homemade, and we love the inventive names such as the Holla Back Girl, a banana cake with cream cheese icing, and the Sunshine, a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream. Not to mention, they have fabulous vegan cupcakes!
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228 Bleecker St. / 212.414.2253 / Website
Widely recognized as one of the best bakeries in the city, Molly's Cupcakes are a must-try for all cake lovers. These cupcakes follow their own rules. Take the frosting-free crème brulée cupcake; a delicate vanilla cake filled with delectably-burnt caramel custard capped with caramelized sugar and glazed berries.
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This adorably old-fashioned bakery is a smaller branch of Magnolia Bakery's founders. Matching the ambiance, many of Buttercup's creations are variations of classics, but some stand out as more contemporary. Grab a salted caramel cupcake that combines a dulce de leche base with caramel buttercream and pungent sea salt flakes.
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Baking each product on-site before serving them in their 1940s-style stores, Billy’s has fabulous flavors such as banana Nutella and bourbon salted caramel. We also love the cupcake cup, which is the bakery’s famous flavors served in a convenient cup for a crumb-free snack.
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112 8th Ave. / 212.242.5858 / Website
If you love retro-style treats, look no further than Empire Cake. The bakery bakes a dozen flavors of cupcakes each day, including gluten-free options. We love the pistachio praline cake, a vanilla crème fraîche cake frosted with pistachio Swiss meringue buttercream and a sprinkle of pistachio praline, as well as the mocha latte flavor, a chocolate cake frosted with coffee Swiss meringue buttercream and topped with a chocolate-covered espresso bean.
Whether you opt for a classic like vanilla or a gourmet flavor, these NYC cupcakes always satisfy. We can’t wait to hear which is your favorite!
Photography by: REDA&CO; / Getty Images
