Sugar Sweet sunshine - The Icing Rules!

sugar Sweet sunshine Bakery - 126 Rivington Street, New York NY 10002
212.995.1960
F Train to Delancey Street
www.sugarsweetsunshine.com

My friend Crystal's favorite bakery in NYC is Sugar Sweet Sunshine. She's raved about it so much that when it came time for her birthday party--today--I just had to make the trip downtown to see what the hoopla was about. She was so right--not only will I go there again, but I'm still thinking about the bad-ass chocolate, almond buttercream icing, which I devoured in mere seconds. Great stuff I tell you. I'd go as far as to call it exceptional.

Their Story:
How is Sugar Sweet Sunshine different from other trendy bakeries in Manhattan? Simply put, it's not pretentious. The owners, Deb and Peg--two young thespians--aren't gourmet bakers, and they don't pretend to be. Priding themselves on being ordinary, their down to earth attitude permeates every nook and cranny of Sugar's modest location. From the lived in vintage furniture to the open kitchen, you won't get judgemental looks here. Everyone is welcomed with a friendly smile and rewarded with an uncompromisingly sweet treat.

Their Cupcakes:
The cupcakes have major star power at Sugar Sweet. The pistachio are the most popular and are sometimes hard to come by. In honor of Crystal's birthday, I got an assortment of 12 cupcakes, most of them being Bob, her favorite. You might be wondering, "Who's Bob?" A Bob is a perfectly moist yellow cupcake topped with Sugar Sweet's signature chocolate, almond buttercream icing. Heaven in your palm! The best part--hands down--is the icing, which is second to none. The almond is the clear stand-out ingredient, as it takes the aromatics up a notch and offers up fresh, light flavor. The overall effect isn't too thick and heavy to digest, unlike other varieties of buttercream. I also had the "Sassy Red Velvet" cupcake which was also topped with this sinful icing and had a red spongy interior. The dough in these cupcakes is super moist and again, doesn't feel too buttery or heavy.

Sugar Sweet's cupcakes are fairly priced at $1.50 each or $18 per dozen. An absolute deal when compared to other trendy bakeries in Manhattan such as Crumbs at almost $4 a pop or Buttercup at $1.95 per cupcake.

3 long, indulgent Mmmms