Cupcakes in New York

I don't know why cupcakes were such a topic for me this year. Perhaps its because they're everywhere!

When we visited New York two weeks ago, I dragged my husband to so many pastry shops, bakeries, any place that involved sugar.

The cupcakes here were big. Much bigger than the ones in California, but not quite as big as a giant muffin.

So my sister-in-law recommended Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes, made popular by a particular women's TV show. I gave it a try. They were very cute, chocolate or vanilla cupcakes, with chocolate frosting or pastel colored vanilla frosting. So I braved the long line to buy one. Yeah, just one. I picked a chocolate cupcake with pastel green frosting. I took it with me to Rockefeller Center, my dessert after a sandwich from 'wichcraft.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Dry chocolate cake. I am thinking because it was so late in the day when I bought it. If the cupcakes were baked earlier that day, then it may have dried out a bit since the worker were frosting the cupcakes constantly to meet the demands of the ever-demanding line of customers. (Frosting, besides accenting cupcakes, keep some moisture in.)

I am not sure if I will give it a second try when I visit New York again. There so much to try and taste. I need to remember that if I do that I need to go earlier in the day.

The Sesame Street cupcakes are found at Ruthy's Baked Goods, Inc. in Chelsea Market.