Tuesday, 15 December 2009

• Sweet Spots: Butter Lane Cupcakes

  This is a guest post from Savory Bites.
  

  

  The great thing about NYU is that it’s in the center of everything. I sat in Emerging Markets, sipping Chilean wine and listening to the Chilean presentation (Marty J. isn’t exactly your orthodox academic; he believes in “experiencing” the presentation content through drinks), and I thought to myself, “Man, I really want a cupcake. Where to go? Crumbs? Toni’s Mini’s? Butter Lane?” So many choices, so little time. By chance, I ran into Yun and she agreed to Butter Lane.

  

  TUBS OF FROSTING!

  I’ve heard alot about Butter Lane, but this was my first time here. Everything is fresh and organic. The bakery uses pure vanilla, chocolate, and fruit for their frostings. That means no artificial colors or flavoring. Cupcakes are frosted on the spot. You choose from vanilla, chocolate, or banana for the cake and pick a frosting. According to NYMAG:

  "The chocolate and vanilla buttercream frosting is whipped up in both French and American versions—the French version is made with egg whites and melted sugar for a lighter consistency.Unlike the majority of its competitors, which venture into puddings, brownies, and bars, Butter Lane sticks exclusively to cupcakes, keeping its small staff busy frosting freshly baked batches just behind the counter."

  

  Frosting shots?! Sorry, that’s a bit too much for me!

  

  Cupcakes on display at the window.

  

  

  At first, I told Yun that I was only getting one. She looked hesitant. “Really?”

  And so I gave in. “Let’s get three and split the third.”

  So she got the Espresso on vanilla, I the Pumpkin on vanilla, and together the Apple Cider on vanilla. I tried getting the Pumpkin on Banana but they didn’t have banana. Nor did they have Maple Pecan. That was my only complaint- they should have what they list!

  

  Espresso: Yun tried the Espresso before and loved it so much that she had to get it again. I had a bite and it was like taking a sip out of a latte. The espresso flavoring is strong, but it mellows out with the cupcake. Perfect combination of bitter coffee and sweet. I almost regretted not getting that.

  Pumpkin: The pumpkin was good, but not great. I think it’s because I’m not that into pumpkin, but I had wanted to get a seasonal flavor.

  Apple Cider: This is also a top pick. Imagine sipping apple cider on a frosty day at the Farmer’s Market. That’s what the cupcake immediately brought memories of. It’s almost reminiscent of childhood memories where my dad would buy those gallons of apple cider and I’d heat them up on a cold day next to the fireplace.

  

  What I love about Butter Lane is that all three cupcakes were consistent. At Crumbs or Billy’s Bakery, I felt that different cupcakes had varying degrees of moistness. I guess it’s tougher to deviate at Butter Lane since they streamline everything by frosting it on spot. All of their frostings were delightfully light and not overly sweet. The cake part is somewhat moist but also fluffy at the same time. At $3, it’s a bit steep for a cupcake, but what’s an extra quarter or two?
  

  Do you have a favorite bakery or other eating establishment you'd like to share with everyone? Tell us about!
  

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