Buttercup Bake Shop
New York, NY 10022-6352
Phone: (212) 350-4144
- Cross Street:
- Between 51st Street and 52nd Street
- Directions:
- 6, E, V at 51st St
- Hours:
- Mon-Fri 8am-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-7pm
Editorial Review for Buttercup Bake Shop – by Kat Kinsman
The Scene
Midtown's Buttercup is to the sweet-toothed what pre-Rudy 42nd Street peepshows were to pervs. From the second you enter the close-quartered shop, you're enveloped in a relentless, sensual maelstrom of heavenly scents, ooey-gooey icing and eye-popping frosting swirls. However, just as in the aforementioned establishments, all the goods are ensconced safely in cases--and it's still bad form to press your nose up against the glass.
The Goods
Ex-Magnolia bakery partner Jennifer Appel's specialty is down-home desserts that caress all the senses. Red Velvet cake and the shop's trademark cupcakes pack a wallop on both the tongue and the eyes (not to mention the thighs). Pre-order custom cakes or try to re-create the magic at home--Buttercup has claimed enough devotees to warrant its own glossy cookbook.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
User Reviews for Buttercup Bake Shop
08/17/2008 Posted by ilovebakeries
I had been to Buttercup once several years ago but didn't really remember much, so when I moved to the area, I decided to go back. I now realize that the reason I didn't remember anything about it was probably because their cupcakes don't really taste like anything. The frosting isn't bad (it's butter, sugar, and milk--how could it be?), but the yellow cupcake was dense and dry and was flavorless. The chocolate cupcake was also dense and dry, and what little flavor it did have was far from chocolate. I also tried a brownie, which tasted stale and a piece of coffee cake, which had only slightly mor flavor than the cupcakes. Beyond the subpar desserts, the decor was terrible. It looked old (not in a cute vintage way!) and seemed to have been decorated by someone with absolutely no eye for design. It almost came across as tacky. Even though it is right around the corner from where I live, I will gladly make the trip to Billy's or maybe even Magnolia instead of going back here.
Pros: ??? About the best I can say is that the service was average.
Cons: Dry, tastless baked goods, Tacky, cluttered, mismatched decor
08/05/2008 Posted by jeanineh
I ordered 3 dozen cupcakes from Buttercup for a photo shoot for a book cover I am designing. I chose to go there, because other shops I looked at didn't have the right color frosting, and since it was for a photo--that was pretty important. When first calling to get their hours and try to place my order, the person on the phone at the UWS location just didn't seem to know ANYTHING about the shop at all--and the woman on the phone at the 2nd ave location was short with me-- and rude! So, I physically went into the shop on 2nd ave instead, to place the order in person. Seemed simple enough: 3 dozen cupcakes with pink frosting to be delivered to a photo studio about 15 blocks away--and 2 tubes of extra frosting to use during my shoot for touch-ups, etc. The woman taking the order seemed to understand what I wanted--we had a detailed conversation about everything because, again, it was important to have exactly the right things for a successful photo shoot. I saw her write it all on my order form. But, the day of the shoot, no extra frosting was delivered. I understand mistakes happen--but when I called to ask them to bring it over since they forgot, they REFUSED! They said extra frosting is a "free" thing, so they could not deliver it, and I would have to delay my shoot (on work time!) to go pick it up myself. They only deliver on orders over $30 they said. BUT I HAD JUST SPENT OVER $100 on their cupcakes!!! And--- THEY were at fault for forgetting to bring it!! And, all this conversation with another VERY rude girl on the phone! I was pretty disgusted with them after that and will surely keep my business (and essentially free advertising through the book covers I work on!) to places that deserve it. And anyway--their cupcakes weren't awful, but truly nothing special....
Cons: they were jerks!
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