The Great Cupcake Debate (aka The Frosting Files)

For this blog's inaugural blind tasting, we attempted to tackle the question: Do the trendy cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery and Billy's Bakery really taste better than store bought box mix you can make at home?

There is probably a more articulate way to pose the question but we did set a few goals for this semi-scientific experiment. Would you be able to identify where the cupcakes came from? Does one cupcake stand out from the competition? How does each cake compare?

Joining me in this discussion were RRR, Goldie, and The Smunch. Four cupcakes were used in this tasting, all vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. The cupcakes came from Magnolia Bakery in the West Village, Billy's Bakery in Chelsea, Food Emporium in Union Square and a Betty Crocker boxed cake mix.

The tasting was a bit skewed by cupcake #1. While it looked nice, it was painfully obvious this was an inferior product. The cake was angel food not vanilla and to say it was bland is being kind. The frosting was waxy, flavorless and downright gross; I felt like I was eating Play-Doh. And as Goldie eloquently articulated: "Number 1 tastes like Number 2".

Cupcake #2 fared a bit better. The cake was a dense superior vanilla cake and the buttercreme frosting was sweet with a good overall consistency. RRR questioned whether this cupcake was freshly baked (cupcakes were purchased in the evening an hour prior to tasting) or had been sitting around for a day.

Cupcake #3 was met with unanimous kudos from the group. The cake had a more intense, real batter taste (RRR) and the creamy frosting had a different texture from cupcake #2. The frosting was lighter, a bit "wet" (The Smunch) and reminiscent of marshmallow (Ms. Foodie) versus sugary buttercreme.

Finally, cupcake #4 was well-received by the group but did spur a bit of debate. RRR found the cake to be a bit stale, Goldie thought it was denser than the prior ones, The Smunch agreed the density of the cake made it outstanding and Ms. Foodie agreed with The Smunch that this cake seemed to stand out from the competition. The frosting was sugary-sweet; a plus for me but not as much as a plus for RRR.

The Smunch was the only participant to correctly identify all four cupcake entries:
#1 Food Emporium
#2 Billy's Bakery
#3 Betty Crocker
#4 Magnolia Bakery

RRR's summary was that the more expensive cupcakes from Billy's and Magnolia were good but "no big deal" and nothing you can't make from a box. She was pleased how well the box mix did in our little test, perhaps because she helped bake them! The Smunch liked the Magnolia Cupcake the best with the box mix not that far behind. I was surprised how well the box mix fared against the well-marketed bakery cupcakes but if I had to choose a winner I would pick Magnolia with Billy's being a very very close copy of the original (the owner worked at Magnolia).

I believe that the childhood memories spurred by these sugary creamy treats are why they are in fashion with the city crowd and in actuality other baked goods by these quality bakeries are better than their signature cupcakes. Next time you are in Billy's try the banana cake with cream cheese icing and Magnolia's banana pudding! and just grab a bite of your friend's cupcake! Done & done!

Goldie perhaps summed it up best when he said "I think we all learned there is no such thing as a bad cupcake; that is with the exception of #1".

A Carnivore's Dream at Hill Country

On Tuesday evening, Goldie, Smunch and I headed to Hill Country for a second trip and a long awaited review. It took so long before I got around to writing the first review that I forgot most of our meal! After a bit of debate on whether to go to Hill Country or try Wildwood Barbeque, the latest to hit Gotham's burgeoning bbq scene, we decided to stick with what we knew to be quality.

The restaurant was pretty crowded for a Tuesday evening and there was a pretty long line at the barbeque counter. The good news was it gave us some time to take a peek at Kevin Bacon, who was dining with an older couple (his parentals perhaps?). After reviewing the extensive meat offerings, we decided on a sampling of everything!

We started out with what was the last beer can hen of the evening. To that we added beef ribs, pork ribs (just for moi!) and some lean brisket just to keep the gluttony in check. And then we hit the sides counter and got some beer braised cowboy pinto beans (again just for moi), white shoepeg corn pudding and some pickles (just for Goldie).

The hen was the standout item and that came as a bit of surprise to this trio of carnivores. There was a great hickory smoke on the crispy yet juicy skin of the hen and even if it was the last hen of the evening it was still moist and tasty. The ginormous beef ribs were tender with a nice layer of fat and I was a bit torn whether I preferred the beef ribs or the peppery slightly leaner pork ribs. If memory serves, I might have enjoyed the pork ribs more on the first visit, the beef ribs on the second. Either way, it's a win win for me... and a vegan's worst nightmare!

The corn pudding was sweet and rich but I think we were a bit more impressed on the previous visit. The beans were okay, and just okay, not a lot of flavor there with the exception of the strong green pepper flavor that came through even with a healthy dose of bacon. But then again, at Hill Country it's all about the meat, right?

I somehow found a bit of room for some sweets and we shared (although I semi-commandeered the dessert) Hill Country's banana cream pudding and hot apple cobbler. The cobbler was a bit dry and we had a better dessert on the previous visit. I did enjoy the banana pudding, however, it doesn't come close to my favorite Magnolia rendition.

Speaking of Magnolia, over dinner, Smunch presented me with a thoughtful gift of the "More From Magnolia" cookbook. Yes, the bakery that inspired the great cupcake debate! This could be trouble! Sugary, fattening, amazing, wonderful trouble!

NOTE: Smunch's beautiful photography is going to put me out of a blogging gig!

Happy Birthday to Me (again)

So after celebrating with the Petey's at Paladar, I spent a lovely Sunday (my actual birthday) with Thighs and completed the birthday weekend with a trip to one of my all time favorite places in the city, Magnolia Bakery!

What can I say about Magnolia Bakery cupcakes? RRR and I have debated for years on whether these sweet treats are all hype and despite what she thinks I say no way! This heated debate even inspired the f is for foodie great cupcake debate!

The sugary buttercreme frosting is a perfect compliment to the light airy cake. I do prefer the vanilla cake and icing to the chocolate cake/chocolate icing or vanilla cupcake/chocolate icing combos, but I certainly wouldn't turn one of those away. And judging by the club-like lines at the door, I am not alone in my cupcake frenzy.

And just when I thought I found my sugary soul mate in Magnolia's cupcakes, I discovered their banana pudding. Rich, creamy and custardy complete with soft bananas and Nilla wafers, the beauty of this dessert is in it's simplicity.

Happy Magnolia Birthday to Me!

Post #200!

I felt the need to commemorate the milestone of my 200th post with a "best of" f is for foodie.

It goes without saying that my favorite posts were my daily recaps of trips to France (starting with this post), Spain and Portugal. There is nothing like exploring new places, trying new foods and wines, strolling through the local markets and soaking up the culture. Incredible experiences that have changed my palate forever!

When it comes to recipes, there are a few of my favorites that I've shared with you and I hope you have tried and enjoyed. In no particular order some of my stand outs are: white bean turkey chili, mustard-crusted pork with carrots and lentils, pork chops with zucchini and tomatoes, lentils and escarole, and my posts on meatballs - only to be culminated with one of my two tasting panels; meatball madness and the great cupcake debate.

Although most of my restaurant reviews are for New York restaurants, I've also reviewed establishments on the Jersey Shore, in Boston and suburban Massachusetts, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Wherever my travels will take me, I will be there camera in hand to give you my take on the local cuisine!

I hope you continue to enjoy this blog as much as I do and bon appetit!