Hi I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried Crumbs cupcakes? My daughter works in Manhattan, and says they are delicious. I asked her how they compare to mine, and she said they are different. I'm curious to know if anyone has ever tried them, and what icing they use. My daughter also says that the cake is more of an old fashioned cupcake. I don't know what she means by this. I have also read online that people say they are too sweet. What recipes do professional bakers use?
Kathy

I have tried Crumbs cupcakes, and while they are very good, New York City has many places that are much better! I went on an unofficial "cupcake tour" (self-guided) last October, and I tried more than 14 of New York's finest cupcakes. Crumbs, as well as Magnolia and Buttercup, are VERY sweet. I'm not sure what kind of icing they use, but I can guarantee it is mostly sugar! My favorite cupcake, of the ones I tried, was from Sugar Sweet Sunshine on the Lower East Side. The sexy red velvet with "the moose" was fantastic, and a bargain at $1.50!

I tried Crumbs yellow cupcake with chocolate icing and I was not that impressed. It was extremely sweet. I ate it because I didn't want to waste my money and I love sweets, but I wouldn't buy it again.

We went a-tasting in NYC too (mostly my daughters went and I just took a small bite every now and then), and their favorite was Eleni's in Chelsea Market. I have to say, though, that Crumbs' Caramel Apple Cupcake is probably the best cupcake (bite) I've ever eaten. What intrigues me more is the size. They are not the jumbo muffin pans and not the standard size either. Mine look tiny in comparison or huge when I make the jumbo ones. In any case, IMHO, the Crumbs cupcakes were delicious.

Wow, they sure do offer a lot of flavors:

http://www.crumbs.com/cupcakes

HTH

Crumbs cupcakes are (at least in my limited sampling), much more about the size and the flavors than the taste. All of them that I have tried have been very dry. They bake out of a central place and are creaming method based cupcakes, so they can be dry if not eaten soon after making.

Most cupcake places use powdered sugar based frosting, with various levels of powdered sugar to liquid.

If you EVER get a chance, try a Robicelli's Cupcake. Monday or Thursday/Friday, fresh, they are Amazing! (Oil based cupcakes with french buttercream, and AMAZING flavors and combinations.)

What are "creaming method based cupcakes"??

"Creaming method" is where you cream the butter and sugar together, add the eggs, then alternate adding the wet and dry. If done right, they can be light and fluffy. They can also taste a bit dry.

Oil based cupcakes use oil and/or melted butter, and create a more dense cupcake, but very moist.

Hello, I live close to NYC. I've had Crumbs, as well as, Magnolia's cupcakes. For the prices they charge, it's not that special. Although, I think it's dry, the icing (buttercream) has a different flavor, I don't know what it is, but it's really good. (I tried the red velvet.)

I've watched recipes made from the owner of Magnolia's online and she uses a different method of making buttercream. She has this paste (made of flour and milk) and incorporated it to her recipe. I haven't personally tried it yet, but I'm not sure if it's the recipe she uses for her cupcakes.

Last weekend, we bought an assortment of Crumbs cupcakes. I had the chocolate mint cupcake, which was dry and had a chemical taste. I threw it out after 1 bite. No one in our group liked the cupcakes. We decided they are highly over-rated and over-priced.

I have tried the Magnolia Bakery recipe for the buttercream with the cooked flour mixture. It is the frosting that they use on their red velvet cake, instead of cream cheese frosting. It's very time-consuming and a little tricky, but it is really delicious!