Butter Lane Cupcakes

I need deadlines, even for sweet tasks. I bought a LivingSocial.com deal a few months ago: 6 cupcakes for $8 at Butter Lane. I had been meaning to sample their cupcakes for a while after hearing good reviews. They're a relative newcomer to the NYC cupcake scene (about to hit the 2-year mark) and I had yet to sample the sweetness. My coupon, however, expired today (8/31), so on my way back from a meeting I popped in with Mel and we filled our box with six sweet snacks.

It's a tiny little storefront, adorably decorated with a bright poppy wallpaper print, chalk drawings on the board, and a rotating parade of cupcakey deliciousness on an Ipad mounted on the wall. If you didn't want a cupcake when you walked in, you will by the time you reach the register.

The guy behind the counter was super helpful and patient, and didn't even roll his eyes when he saw my voucher! :) He talked me through the different kinds/flavors. Butter Lane makes three flavors of cupcake: chocolate, vanilla and banana. They top them with either a regular American-style buttercream or a lighter, softer French buttercream (egg whites and melted sugar). I can now say they are both yummy. They're a bit smaller and fifty-cents or so more than my standard go-to, but they blow Magnolia & Company out of the water, I dare say.

It was early in the day, but this was my one shot at heading down to this part of town, so we had a smaller selection than you might if you popped in around, say, 3pm. We picked 2 of the Elvis (banana cupcake with peanut butter frosting), a vanilla with vanilla buttercream, a chocolate with sour cream frosting, a chocolate with maple-pecan frosting, and, of course, a cherry!

My absolute favorite was the cherry: soft, delicious vanilla cupcake with real cherry bits in light frosting (I'm pretty sure this was the French buttercream). I wish I'd gotten two of these (but it's a good thing I didn't).

My second-favorite was the Elvis--that peanut butter icing was WAY too good, and the cake was like the lightest banana bread you ever did taste.

Even the mini-marshmallows on the Elvis were soft and fresh!

Not only did we get cupcakes, we also got coffee. And what do they put in their iced coffee? Frozen coffee cubes! Aww yeah. Any iced coffee pro will tell you THIS is how you make good iced coffee. That way it doesn't dilute the drink! The coffee comes from Stumptown Coffee, and I was delighted to find that it was smooth, not the least bit bitter or acidic, and was a steal for $1.75.