As most of you should have noticed at this point, I am a self proclaimed cupcake connoisseur. It all started my freshman year with my very first Crumbs cupcake, and it has continued ever since. You’d be surprised to know that as much as I rave Crumbs it has been surpassed as my favorite cupcake…without further ado, here are my cupcake rankings of all the major bakeries in NYC.

I’m writing this with an open disclaimer that while I consider myself a major lover of cupcakes, I have not even come close to trying all the adorable little cupcake shops New York City has to offer. I’m leaving this as a ranking of the most popular shops I have heard of and been to.

1. Georgetown Cupcake

- Featured on its own show on TLC, DC Cupcakes, Georgetown Cupcakes are the perfect cupcake I have found thus far. As a firm lover of Crumbs, it has taken a few visits at Georgetown to convince me to rank this popular shop as number one, but they have done it. These cupcakes are a little slice of heaven. Featuring everything from classic red velvet to their famous salted caramel, you can satisfy nearly any sweet craving at Georgetown. They are the perfect combination of moist, dense, and overall lovely. The Cookies and Creme cupcake sounds like it is everything one could hope for, I’m anxiously waiting until I can get there on a Wednesday (the only day it’s available) and try it.

2. Crumbs

- The first time I went to Crumbs was a week before I moved to NYC a few towns away from me. While it is a chain, it is everything I could hope for in a cupcake. I’m not a lover of cream cheese, so the frosting can get to me occasionally. The cupcakes themselves are huge and taste amazing. There are two locations within walking distance of my campus, so Crumbs has become convenient for a post-test treat or a bad day necessity. They make good, but not great cupcakes. The main drive is that this franchise is easily accessible nearly anywhere in NYC. On a side note, their hot chocolate? Nothing short of incredible.

3. Molly’s Cupcake

- Located in the heart of the West Village, Molly’s is a popular chain originating from Chicago. What’s fun about this shop is the ‘create your own’ feature. Pick your cake flavor, then your frosting and toppings to have a fabulous personal concoction. I really like Molly’s frosting. If improv isn’t your thing, there are also pre-made flavors. Plus, a portion of every cupcake is donated to schools in the area of the shop, so get charitable!

4. Sprinkles

- Sprinkles is overrated in my opinion. It’s ranked in the middle of this list solely because my second visit was much better than my first. The shop is quite a subway ride away from me, but being the cupcake lover I am, a friend and I made the trek one day. I was very excited to try Sprinkles (mainly because the name is so damn cute) but was sorely disappointed. I tried a simple vanilla cupcake, being the boring soul I am and it just didn’t taste right to me. My second experience was better with a chocolate frosted cupcake, but still, it is not one of my favorites.

5. Magnolia

- I had Magnolia the first day I lived in NYC (so yes, a few days after Crumbs, judge me) … sadly I wasn’t impressed. The frosting was too sweet for me. They were good, but nothing shocked me about them. The frosting is a bit too whipped for my taste, but I love the pastel colors they use.

6. Butter Lane

- I believe these are more popular in Greenwich Village than anything, but I had heard many people raving so I had to try for myself. While they were enjoyable, I found the cupcake itself to be entirely too dense. Georgetown may be dense, but this was just overkill. Butter Lane is known for their great frosting options, and I highly recommend the Cinnamon. I just wish their cake was a little better.

7. Baked By Melissa

- If you’re on a diet, Baked By Melissa may be your new best friend. These minature cupcakes do nothing to satisfy a sweet tooth, but may make you feel like you are watching your waistline. I personally find these too tiny, too expensive ($1.25 each), and somewhat bland. They are kind of cute, but isn’t everything miniature cute?

This list is a work in progress, as I clearly noted. A fan favorite I want to try is Sugar Sweet Sunshine, I just need to make the initiative to travel and get there. After that, there are no shortage of local shops that need to be tried. As long as the sweets keep coming, I’ll keep trying them!

Lovelies, where do you find your favorite cupcakes? Other favorite sweet treats?

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