Billy's Bakery on Ninth Avenue in Manhattan

[foodnflowers]

Their cakes look amazing on the website. Anyone tried them?

[Lucia]

Yes--tried a variety of cakes and pies. I'm definitely a fan.

[BklynYoop]

the cake at billy's is good, but not as good as magnolia or sugar sweet sunshine. if are willing to venture to Red Hook in brooklyn, the cakes from Baked are WELL worth the trip!!

[lchang]

i've bought a whole key lime pie from billy's that was delicious. the right combination of tart and sweet and creamy. and good buttery graham crust. skip the cupcakes.

[Desidero]

The key lime pie is a revelation. One of the best renditions I have ever had.

[FattyDumplin]

will third the key lime pie. my wife and i's favorite. i also like the icebox cake and banana cream pie.

[LFeinberg]

(...I see many people's eyes rolling...) I think Buttercup Bakeshop's Midtown location makes some fabulous cupcakes and cakes. Check them out! :)

[BackyardChef]

I work a few blocks away from Buttercup and used to be a big supporter of theirs, but over the last three weeks on several occasions I've had some terribly dry and virtually flavorless cupcakes from them. Beyond dry, they seemed stale to me...maybe the aren't moving enough product or something, but for now, I'm going to have to pass on what used to be one of my favorite treats.....

[GetOutTheMapGuy]

My experience with them was also not good. I was looking forward to it and - blech.

[thesu]

Yes, I think they tie with Cupcake Cafe with worst cupcakes in Manhattan. They are way too sweet and dry. If you split one of the cupcakes open, there are tunnels (an indicator of improper mixing technique). I think Magnolia, Sugar Sweet Sunshine and Little Pie Co. make better cupcakes, but the best are homemade!

[littleguy]

Your comments are really suprising since both Billy's and Sugar Sweet Sunshine are Magnolia offshoots. I don't know much about Sugar Sweet Sunshine, having only been there once, but I know for a fact that Billy's is owned by a former Magolia manager and he started with at least one Magnolia baker. Most of the recipes are the same. There shouldn't be that much of a difference. Maybe their success has done them in.

I agree with you about Cupcake Cafe. Their cupcakes look beautiful, but their frosting tastes like sweetened Crisco...for shame.

[LFeinberg]

I feel like Billy's cupcakes are VERY similar to both Magnolia and Buttercup. The Cupcake Cafe's cupcakes were really disappointing to me...very dry and the frosting was not impressive.

[Uptownflavor]

Good point...if the cupcake is going to be dry then at least the frosting should be delicious. They lose points on both accounts in my opinion.

[billyeats]

not sure why eveyone's talking about cupcakes when the poster asked about cakes, but i can tell you that we chose two cakes for our wedding last summer and one of them was billy's chocolate cake. our guests devoured it and raved endlessly, so i'd have to give at least their chocolate cakes a big thumbs up!

[Uptownflavor]

Oh my goodness...thank you. I thought it was just me! That was the driest cupcake I've ever had. Even that cupcake franchaise in the Village has better cupcakes (and that isn't saying much.)

[BackyardChef]

If you're talking about Billy's, that was my experience, too. I'd heard such raves and bought one that had overly-sweet frosting on a dry, tough cake. May have been an off day, but I've never felt the need to go back.

The best cupcakes ever were from Jessie's in East Hampton, LI but they are gone....I've never had anything that came close.

[Uptownflavor]

After eating the rich moist creamy cakes of Make My Cake I am pretty biases. There are other bakeries in the area Wimps and TJs but compared to MMC they are dry and bland.