Cupcakes have long jockeyed with macarons, ice cream and pastry hybrids like the Cronut for the throne of best dessert in New York. But even when they're not the viral confection of the moment, we still crave single-serving cupcakes crowned with all kinds of decadent frosting and sweet garnishes. As soon as one of those craving hits, you can order some of the best cupcakes in NYC for delivery to your door.
RECOMMENDED: The best bakeries in NYC
At this snug bakery-café in Red Hook, you can load up on homestyle American sweets like traditional apple pie and Coca-Cola bundt cake in addition to a full lineup of cupcakes such as coconut-meringue, salted caramel, and lavender-honey.
Order by phone. One dozen minimum.
A venture from one of the founding partners of Magnolia Bakery, Buttercup sells cakes, pies and other sweet treats—including, unsurprisingly, cupcakes. Flavors range from marshmallow-topped s'mores and espresso shot to lemon-raspberry and even a Twinkie-inspired cupcake.
Order online (one dozen minimum), plus $12.50 delivery fee.
After Cupcake Wars judge Candace Nelson opened her first bakery in Beverly Hills in 2005, she quickly won a devout following and expanded to nine other cities. This location, her first in New York City, offers 50 different flavors, from chai latte to lemon coconut. Each frosted confection is crowned with the store's signature sugar dot.
Order online for delivery within four hours, or pickup within two hours.
Watch bakers layer elaborate wedding cakes and Asian-inspired confections at this white-walled takeout bakery. Cupcakes come in 10 different inventive flavors, including Sriracha-chocolate, ube-coconut, and black sesame-raspberry. There are even ice cream cupcakes (lychee, green tea) topped with the most pristine scoops you've ever seen.
Order online ($25 minimum), plus $5 delivery fee.
This quaint Williamsburg shop charms sweet-tooths with a wall of bulk candies in old-fashioned glass jars and a tempting cupcake selection in comforting flavors such as chocolate-chip cookie dough, pistachio, and the Everything, whose frosting cap is stuffed with candies and pretzels.
Order online (no minimum), plus $10 delivery fee.
A trio of Southern belles exclusively bake classic cupcakes (red velvet, strawberry, maple-pecan) inside this tiny yet demure bake shop in the East Village. Peruse the daily selection and browse the lineup of cupcake-centric classes they offer.
Order online (one dozen minimum), plus delivery fee depending on location.
The much-touted Chicago bakeshop brings its center-filled cupcakes to the West Village with a menu of classic flavors (chocolate, vanilla, red velvet) alongside more baroque creations like a torched crème brûlée and decadent peanut-butter-Nutella, plus mini versions and seasonal specialties that change monthly.
Order online to create a custom box of flavors and sizes.
Sisters Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, the stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes, opened this pink-swathed bakeshop and Illy coffee bar in Soho shilling 18 flavors. Made with pedigreed ingredients like Valrhona chocolate and Madagascar bourbon vanilla, cupcake flavors rotate on a weekly basis.
Order online (one dozen minimum), plus $10 delivery fee.
Who doesn’t love mini treats? Shop all the best bite-size flavors—available in regular and gluten free versions—across the 14 locations in NYC. Favorites include cookies and cream, tie dye, peanut butter-jelly, and red velvet.
Order online ($20 minimum), plus $10 delivery fee.
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