Cupcakes

(This post originally published on June 21, 2006 at guidetola.wordpress.com). Julie brings up a good point in her comment about cupcakes (see comments under "Shoes, No Socks" entry on guidetola.wordpress.com).
Where to get them. She mentions a couple of places, although omits the Queen of Cupcake making, Magnolia Bakery.






Can anyone come up with an L.A. equivalent? I personally have not, however, I have found one for cakes. I had only one cake from Sweet Lady Jane in West Hollywood, and it stunned me a similar way that the first Magnolia cake I ever tasted did, the one I had at Abigail's 2002 Christmas party (by the way, Abigail's show is going on now in Hollywood, plug, plug), the one that made me forget for a moment that the only cake (I falsely believed) I liked was fresh, not too sweet, flourless chocolate. Alas Sweet Lady Jane does't carry cupcakes.

One note about cupcakes vs. muffins. Julie makes the distinction, a wise one I agree. That said, I don't like muffins, but I did have one at Hudson Bagels (see first or second post which waxes on about bagels) last year that blew my mind, so NYC has points in my mind in the muffin department. It didn't taste like squish bread mixed with children's powder-based punch the way most muffins I have bought taste. It was perfect. My friend Susan says that she and her friend used to special order muffins from Trader Joe's, however in Los Angeles! Some orange muffins that she thinks no longer exists. But maybe there is hope for you LA living muffin lovers...