Every time I enter the Buttercup Bake Shop, a narrow bakery on the Upper West Side featuring cupcakes and other baked desserts, it’s mobbed. People seem to love this place, spawned by an ex-Magnolia bakery owner.

I have to confess, I don’t get it. Yes, the bustling bakery looks appealing, with layer cakes topped with swirls of icing and racks of cupcakes sporting enticing mounds of frosting.

After a couple of disappointing visits earlier this year, I sampled the goods once again this past weekend, this time choosing a red velvet cupcake. While the frosting was rich and satisfying, the cake itself failed to please; the texture was exceedingly dry. That’s been my complaint in the past–luscious icing but a cake texture that fails to deliver a tender crumb.

Buttercup Bake Shop
141 W. 72nd St.
New York, NY 10023
212 787 3800

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