Cupcakes

It all started one day in June. I had met up with a friend I hadn't seen in over 5 years, and she was delighted to be able to show me around her favourite area of Manhattan: West Village. Being my newbie self to NYC, I willingly complied.

After a delicious brunch, she mentioned that there's a really good cupcake place nearby that's a must-go spot for visitors to New York. I wasn't a particular fan of cupcakes -- the only cupcakes I'd seen in recent years were the "Lil' Cakes" that are sold at virtually every Canadian supermarket -- but at the words "must-go spot", I couldn't object. (I also really, really like baked goods.)

A few confusing roads and old buildings later, there we were, at the famed Magnolia Bakery. This bakery is best known for the scene in Sex and the City, in which Sarah Jessica Parker is seen walking out of the bakery, eating one of their would-be famous cupcakes. The friend bought me a red velvet cupcake, citing it as her favourite. I had never seen such a bright red cake before; I couldn't even guess what it would taste like.

Yet, I don't complain about gourmet baked goods, especially not when they're recommended to me and I am not paying for my own. I happily devoured the sugar-filled treat in a mere few bites, without even realizing that a subtle hint of cocoa was the key thing about this particular kind of cupcake.

Admittedly, at the time I was eating it, the cupcake didn't quite taste as great as the hype. But little did I know, I would develop a huge craving for cupcakes that very night, and the one trip to the Magnolia Bakery would mark the beginning of the cupcake spree I was to embark on over the next few months...


USA

Crumbs: Massive cupcakes, and such a wide variety of flavours! Don't let the 3.75 USD price tag scare you - the cupcakes here are massive. There are also regular sized cupcakes at 2.50 USD for those that can't handle a jumbo cupcake.

The cupcakes at Crumbs in Stamford, CT

BOSTON

Francesca's Cafe: A nice little cafe serving all day breakfast, sandwiches, and salads. Cupcake selection is rather small, but the few they have are delicious! I had a chocolate one, which tasted like a huge brownie when eaten with the topping. Topping is in two colours, reminiscent of swirly ice creams from good ol' ice cream trucks with half vanilla and half chocolate. Cash only.

Even comes with a little container when it's to-go.

Sweet: One location in Boston, and another at Harvard Square. Girls will love the interior, it's so pink and pretty! The cakes are so dainty looking too, with their perfectly shaped toppings that somewhat remind me of those old Dairy Queen ads, where they say this ice cream will not fall even if you hold it upside down. 3.25 USD per cupcake.

Sweet at Harvard Square

NEW YORK

Babycakes: My personal favourite! This place specializes in allergen-free cupcakes (gluten-free, dairy-free, etc.). The vanilla topping is to die for - it almost has a caramelly taste. At 3.25 USD for a spelt cupcake, and 3.95-4.25 USD for a gluten-free cupcake, the prices are steep, but it is well worth the money.

Yes, I was this happy to find dairy-free cupcakes in NYC, I bought an entire box.

Gluten-free banana carrot cupcake

Magnolia Bakery: One of the most famous bakeries in NYC. So popular that there is a large lineup outside of the store most of the time, and there is a "12 cupcakes per customer" limit, unless you pre-order for your party. Also sells cheesecakes, banana puddings, and more.

View of the inside from the waiting line around the corner

Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery: Oddly enough, the best part about this bakery's cupcakes is that they aren't sickeningly sweet. And at 1.50 USD for a cupcake in Manhattan, really, what more could you ask for?

a Sexy Velvet

Tonnie's Minis: I stumbled on this little gem by chance, while roaming around West Village on a Thursday afternoon, looking for what was to be my first bite of the day. I had initially walked into the store upon seeing the sign "cheese-steaks", but walked out with one of their just-baked cupcakes instead. A melt-in-your-mouth experience!


SEATTLE

The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co.: Just a 10-15 minute walk away from the Greyhound station. Not as much variety on a given day as some of the other cupcake places I have been to, but they carry some unique ones, e.g. the kinds I tried - green tea berry, raspberry white chocolate. Nice atmosphere, too. The one downside is that the bakery closes at 5pm on most days.

Raspberry White Chocolate, Green Tea Berry

STAMFORD

Located in Connecticut, halfway between NYC and New Haven, Stamford is "the town that works". This is where I spent my most recent summer, as an intern on weekdays and a tourist on weekends.

Matthew's Bakery: A small family owned bakery that feels homey from the moment you step in. A wide variety of baked goods are sold here, but what stood out for me were the cutesy Muppet cupcakes. 2.50 USD each.

I bought an Elmo and a Cookie Monster, but I eated the Elmo before I had a chance to photograph it.

WASHINGTON DC

Sticky Fingers Bakery: So good, you won't even believe their cakes are vegan! Located right by Columbia Heights metro station, this is what I would call a must-try spot for any cupcake lovers visiting Washington DC. 2.50 USD for each cupcake. I had an "orange popsicle" and a "cookies and cake".

Orange popsicle, Cookies and Cake

Back in NYC, sans luggage

I'm sitting in a hostel just minutes away from LaGuardia airport in New York, wearing the same magenta tee I was wearing on yesterday's flights. (Note: This place is called a hostel, but it's more like a homey B&B) Normally I'd have something else in my carry-on luggage, given how I pack every single bag to the brim whenever I'm moving. This time, however, I was proud of myself for being able to crunch almost everything into two medium-sized suitcases, with the rest happily packed up in very light carry-on bags.

My flights went from Vancouver to Ottawa, then from Ottawa to NYC. Last time I had a cross-border connecting flight, I was told at LaGuardia that I had to pick up my luggage first in Toronto, and then go through customs. Given that, I had a little too much faith in airports. I wasn't told anything in Vancouver, and I asked more than one person in Ottawa... the conclusion was that I'd be fine going through customs with just my carry-ons. Coasted through customs, telling the officer that I was on a 3-day trip on my way to the UK. Even the metal detector wasn't as picky as the Vancouver one, which had gotten me groped because of the metal buttons on my jeans. (Yes, I'd also forgotten that I should be wearing yoga pants on flights, not jeans)

After a short flight with nobody sitting next to me, I was back in good ol' Noo Yawk, one of my favourite cities in the States. I was happy to be back at one of my multiple "homes". Not for long. All the checked baggage from my flight had arrived, and the conveyor belt was not moving. My bags were nowhere to be seen. Uh-oh. Not good. I was directed to the Air Canada baggage office right by the conveyor belt. Luggage info was entered into the Star Alliance international baggage tracing system, along with my cell number and temporary accommodation information. I walked out with a reference number, the name of the person that told me my luggage will be delivered next day afternoon or evening, and the few items I was lucky not to have checked in.

Fast forward to today. For a good hour or two, I was desperately trying to benefit from whatever weak wireless internet I can get here, in the hopes that maybe the online tracker would have posted my bags' whereabouts. None, nada, zilch. If the luggage hadn't been traced at noon next day, how would I expect them to send everything over by the end of the day? Given that I had provided my flight information and even my bag tag numbers, this was far from impressive.

I called the central baggage office. I hate making phone calls for reservations, customer service, and the like, so you can imagine how impatient I had to have been to actually make a phone call. But hey, voila! Despite what the online tracker said about the bags still being traced, my bags had been located in Ottawa (as I'd assumed). I was told that my bags will be sent to the hostel this evening, but that the delivery people wouldn't be calling me because they don't call hotels or B&Bs. Um, okay, I gave my cellphone number for a reason. I emphasized that, adding that the cell number is *my* number and that I'll have it on me.

I guess Air Canada trained their baggage office employees well so they won't get themselves stuck dealing with angry customers on the phone. I was told again they don't call hotels or B&Bs, and "I hope you have a great day, bye bye." Now I can only pray that my luggage will indeed come this evening as promised.

I'll go console myself with some clothes shopping (I desperately need a new top to last me today, and maybe a backup item for tomorrow), lunch, and a cupcake or two from my favourite bakery in NYC, Babycakes.


Lesson of the day: No matter what they tell you at the airport, if you have to go through customs, make sure you pick up your luggage first and then proceed to your connecting flight.


Edit: Having to pick up luggage between connecting flights only applies in special cases, e.g. going through US customs in Canada instead of in the US. Toronto (YYZ) and Ottawa (YOW) are among the few airports where I'll need to pay extra attention.