Today was SPONTANEOUS! My bff, Jhiane, texted me up asking me if she could stop by for a bit, naturally I was fine with it since I've been chillin'. I made her my Low Fat Pumpkin Spice Latte which she loved. She wasn't able to stay for long since she had a haircut appointment in Manhattan's Chelsea district. When I heard her say, Chelsea, my initial thought was Billy's Bakery and I got super excited.
Billy's Bakery is my most favorite bakery in the whole world... I've tried many cupcakes in my lifetime and I have to say this is by far the best bakery ever! I have pretty high standards when it comes to cupcakes, not pastries, not coffee cakes, not cheesecakes, just plain ol' all American old fashioned cupcakes! Believe it or not, I was so tempted to ask them how one goes about getting a job at Billy's... Dude, I don't even mind, just think about all that I'll learn from the best! The rest is obvious... we went to NYC, walked around, I even checked out Chelsea Market today... which has sooooo many cute eating spots, we picked up Billy's and then Jhiane headed for her haircut appointment.
To my surprise, I had yet another surprise today, my other bff, Anu, came over my place to hang with me before leaving for London on Friday. It was really nice of her to come over considering she's prego... I was happy! We hung out, ate some pasta, and watched Sex and the City - The Movie. Overall, a nice day, two surprises in one day.
FYI - Billy's Bakery has another location in Tribeca.
TELL ME: What's your favorite bakery?
LOCATION
184 Ninth Avenue (between 21st and 22nd)
New York, NY 10011
212.647.9956
(Chelsea)
AMBIENCE
Billy's Bakery is a small cute bakery with very limited seating inside, although they were kind enough to have some chairs outside so you can truly enjoy the Billy's experience. As you walk in there is a gorgeous display of cupcakes to your right.
The variety of cakes here is amazing... everything from plain ol' Chocolate and Vanilla Cake, to Carrot Cake, to Red Velvet Cake, to pies, muffins, cheesecakes, and more!
I absolutely love how the cakes looked a little messy; it gives them that nostalgic, old fashioned look, if you know what I mean. An imperfect look yields an impeccable cake in every bite.
You will usually be able to witness a baker effortlessly frosting the cupcakes in a corner.
RECOMMENDED TO
Everyone
CUISINE
Bakery
MENU - $
Billy's Bakery Menu. The prices are Billy's are pretty standard for New York City. A traditional Chocolate/Vanilla Cupcake costs $2.50 per cupcake, whereas the specialty cupcakes cost $3 per cupcake, a little pricy, but soooooooooo worth it! The slices are usually a better bargain since you are getting more for your money; a 2-layer cake is usually $4.75 a slice, whereas a 3-layer cake is about $5 a slice... again, so worth it if you ask me. The portions are pretty generous, others may argue, like my friend, Jhiane. 🙂 LOL!
For 2 people (hubby & I):
1 Traditional Cupcake + 1 Specialty Cupcake = $5.50
RECOMMENDED HEALTHY EATS... choices below are based on my knowledge of food and nutrition. After scanning the menu, there is absolutely nothing on the menu that is somewhat healthy. If you must watch what you eat, I suggest splitting a cupcake with someone, or opt for a muffin or scone, which by the way still contain a decent amount of fat. There is no online nutritional information available for Billy's Bakery, please use your own discretion when making a decision.
| HEALTHIER EATS |
|---|
| CUPCAKES (Not healthy, but probably a better choice; Assumption is the cake portion is made with Oil, and not Butter; Avoid Frosting) |
| Carrot |
| Banana |
| MUFFINS (Not healthy, but probably a better choice) |
| Blueberry |
| Apple Cinnamon |
| SCONES (Not healthy, but probably a better choice; Not sure of the flavors) |
| PIES (Not healthy, but probably a better choice; Avoid the Crust) |
| Banana Cream (skip the whipped cream) |
| Pumpkin Pie (skip the whipped cream) |
| Key Lime (skip the whipped cream) |
| Apple Crumb (skip the whipped cream) |
| DRINKS |
| Iced Coffee (w/milk) |
| Hot Coffee (w/milk) |
MY REVIEW
Today I tried the Carrot Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting for the very first time and it was absolute heaven!
The cake was so moist with obvious bits of raisins and a hint of pineapple in every bite. The Cream Cheese Frosting consisted of just the right amount of sweetness which complemented the cake perfectly. LOVED IT!
My husband loves tradition and simplicity when it comes to food. For this reason he asked me to pick him up a Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, vanilla is his favorite flavor. I had a bite of his cupcake and it was really good, however I am more of a Specialty-Cake type of gal. Personally, I find Billy's Vanilla-Vanilla cupcake to be slightly better than its rival, Magnolia Bakery's Vanilla-Vanilla, reason being, Magnolia's frosting is way too sweet for me. Don't cha just love a Tiffany Blue cupcake?
My bff, Jhiane, got the Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and it was insanely good. OMG... this is by far the best cake at Billy's. The cake was so moist and you could really taste the banana flavor, more like little chunks of banana. Do you see the brown speckles from the banana? It is apparent they used a really ripe banana. The Cream Cheese Frosting which was not too sweet complemented this perfectly moist cake. AMAZING!
On another recent trip to Billy's Bakery, I tried the seasonal Pumpkin Cupcake. This cupcake tasted very similar to the Carrot Cupcake, but without the raisins and carrots. This cupcake was perfect with cream cheese frosting on top and some sprinkled cinnamon - I loved it!!!. As you can probably tell I'm a huge fan of cream cheese frosting - it never gets old in my book!
VERDICT - 5 / 5
Are you really surprised by my rating? Don't be! For me, Billy's Bakery is my favorite bakery in the world because I'm never left disappointed. The countless amount I have spent at this bakery is well worth it, and I have never left feeling ripped off. Give Billy's a chance and you would have just experienced one of the best cupcakes in your lifetime... I say that with absolute confidence! For me the Banana Cupcake and Carrot Cupcake are my all time favorite. Also, keep in mind that Billy's doesn't have a long wait, if at all, compared to its rival, Magnolia Bakery. They are both amazing bakeries in my book, however Billy's is just a step up because each cupcake delivers nothing but perfection every time!
jhiane says
I have to agree Billy's has amazing hummingbird cake. That is an ultimate cake experience. Another amazing cake experience is Cake Man Raven in Brooklyn. Cake Man's redvelvet is an out of this world experience. Ihave tried so many red velvet cakes from Georgia, different boroughs in NYC , and various parts of Jersey but it supercedes all Red Velvets.
sadie says
Thanx for sharing with us.
Cilver Coleman says
buttercups cupcakes
The first is to use your oven instead of a campfire. Place a graham cracker on a lined cookie sheet. I prefer to use mini marshmallows for the indoor recipes. Place several mini marshmallows on the graham cracker and place under the broiler. Turn on low. Let the marshmallows melt onto the graham crackers. Once done, pull them out and place the chocolate on top and then cover with the second graham cracker. These are actually pretty good. All they're missing is that burnt taste on the outside of the marshmallow that only a campfire can provide. Once they're put together, you can put them back in the warm oven to soften the chocolate and make the graham crackers a bit warm. Don't heat too long as you don't want the chocolate to actually melt.
Cilver Coleman