Babycakes

Pursuing my goal to eat every cupcake worth eating, I came upon Babycakes after having dinner in Chinatown and heading to the LES. I had heard of the place, and knew they offered vegan cupcakes, allergy-friendly treats, and made use of agave syrup in place of refined sugars. I wanted to try it out and see if these good ideas actually equaled a tasty cupcake.

So, here I was, drawn into the snug bakery by a carefully flickering sign. Amy and I stared into the case of the bakery contemplating our options. The offered a good handful of pretty standard options, most available gluten-free or regular. We settled on a regular lemon, and upon receiving it squeezed into the corner and sat on the windowsill. The kitchen is open and the space features brick-a-brack as well as a few things for buying, including bottles of agave syrup. The service was friendly and they dolled out cupcakes to a steady stream of customers passing in and out of the small storefront.

The icing was creamy and lemony--not too tart, not sugary or too sweet, and not piled high. The cake was the most interesting. It was moist and has a great texture, along with an interesting taste. It was more carrot cake-like than anything, minus the carrot, and also not too sweet. Since Babycakes does not use dairy/butter, they use ingredients like sweet potato and pear instead. The taste of these ingredients can't really be picked out when eating a cupcake, but they do have a lightly spiced, different kind of flavor.

Overall Amy and I definitely approved, and felt okay with ourselves after eating it. With organic ingredients and dairy/egg/refined sugar-free, that sneaky guilt feeling is largely absent. Because of these features, however, the prices are a fairly high, with regular-sized cupcakes at $3.00 and up. To sum up, this is an excellent option for vegans, allergy sufferers, diabetics, or just cupcakes lovers looking for something new. -Laurel





Address: 248 Broome St (b/t Orchard and Ludlow)

Website: http://www.babycakesnyc.com

Payment: Cash, Cards

Take Out: Yes

Open Late: 11 pm on weekends

Delivery: Yes

Large Group Friendly: No

Bar/Happy Hour: No