Top Picks at Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery is known for its cupcakes. The little cakes are beautiful, with plentiful, colorful frosting. The cake itself is quite nice, but I am not a fan of the frosting, so I often skip to the real stars of the show: the assorted muffins and the banana pudding.

A fact of life that too many people decide to just live with is that you have to actually seek out places that bake muffins fresh throughout the day. This type of bread item is often too sweet with white sugar and corn syrup, too airy with chemicals, or just downright dry. Magnolia’s muffins are dense, nearly cake-like, and just sweet enough to not overpower any fruity flavors that might be present.

I recommend the cinnamon raspberry over all others because it topped even the chocolate chip muffin, being so full of berries and spice. Now – the pudding. It comes in a paper cup, like the kind they use for take-out soup. Pull off the lid and you get a pudding so creamy it’s nearly custard. Filled with thick slices of banana, freshly whipped cream, and a vanilla pudding that should come with a little note, like “buy the small container, you addict.”

Now you know just why the crowds roll in…

Magnolia Bakery: 200 Columbus Ave. at W. 69th St.