there is something inherently nostalgic about stepping inside magnolia bakery – from its hand-written signs, to hanging pendant lamps, to its checkered floors, to the flowers thoughtfully arranged in mason jars. and then, of course, there are the cupcakes. trays upon trays of classic cupcakes, adorned with the sweetest pastel, chocolate buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
i first stepped into magnolia in manhattan, way back in 2007. almost 5 years later, this LA outpost brings me back to that cozy little bakery in the west village, albeit in a bigger, much airier and light-filled space.
watching the bakers ice cupcakes has got to be the most mesmerizing thing ever – and i couldn’t help but envy them for their skill (they have their signature icing swirl technique) in transforming plain into pretty, not to mention being surrounded by tempting treats all day. the cupcakes themselves were delightful – i love their carrot and am a new fan of the hummingbird, which has banana, pineapple and pecans. think dense cake, divine frosting that’s smooth, lush in flavor and possibly life-changing. that’s pretty hard to top.
magnolia bakery
8389 west third street
los angeles
323-951-0636
If you ever visit Washington D.C, a trip to Georgetown is a must for the Georgetown cupcakes. It still rates the best on my cupcake list. The frosting is cloud like, fluffy and light, not overly sweet and the moist cake is flavorful and addictive! Craving for one now..
thanks for the recommendation andrea! seems like every city has its noteworthy cupcake stores
i’ll be sure to check it out if i do go there!
i used to LOVE going to magnolia in NYC – my friend frosted the cupcakes there and would give me a whole dozen, along with their banana pudding. haven’t gone since moving to LA!
u’re lucky your friend worked there! i didn’t go to magnolia in LA for a long time because i thought the quality would be lacking – i couldn’t be more wrong…get there quickly!