Taking a closer glance at Brooklyn gentrification this week, the New York Times tackled the seemingly wholesome PTA bake sale. Apparently, jacking up the price of a fundraising cupcake from $.50 to $1 (which "blindsided" at least one parent) led to a vicious culture divide at PS 295 in Sunset Park "pitting cash-short parents against volunteer bakers, and dividing a flummoxed PTA executive board." more ›

Reports of the death of the cupcake craze have been greatly exaggerated. Tomorrow New York City gets yet another cupcakery and this one, like Sex and the City-certified Magnolia, comes with some television cachet. But hey, if you show up at the new Georgetown Cupcake in SoHo tomorrow between noon and 9 p.m. you can get yourself a free cupcake just for getting on line (cheaper than spending $2.75). more ›

Here's a great way to avoid having your middle-aged second cousin in Ohio who's obsessed with "Mahalo Blahnicks" come visit New York: just ship them some Magnolia cupcakes instead. more ›

We've all seen New York's Finest blowing through red lights, stop signs, and speeding down one way streets—and naturally assumed that they're responding to a dire emergency. And if you don't think a craving for Dunkin Donuts constitutes an emergency, then you haven't tried their bacon donuts. But here's a new twist: Robert Sietsema at the Village Voice reports that "traffic came to a halt on slush-choked Bleecker Street as a squad car, lights flashing, propelled up the thoroughfare in the wrong direction." The officers then backed up onto West 11th Street and "hopped out, looking furtively in both directions." And for good reason—there could be snipers, or worse: reporters. more ›

New York's most famous bakery, known nationwide for its adorable cupcakes and to-die-for banana pudding, has signed a 10-year lease in Harlem. CBS reports that the new facility will serve as a distribution center for Magnolia Bakery's soon-to-open online store, which is sure to appeal to those sweet lovers who can't stomach the traditionally long lines at Magnolia's various locations in the city. Like many companies seeking economic growth, Magnolia is turning to the Internet in order to expand their clientele. Additional store expansions are expected in the near future in New York, as well as other cities across the Northeast. more ›

Last week, Councilman Michael Wolfensohn turned himself into the enemy of entrepreneurial kids everywhere after he called the cops on two adorable little boys just trying to sell cupcakes in Gedney Park. At first he seemed unrepentant, but now he's issued a mea culpa on the whole situation, sort of. It turns out it's all his supervisor's fault, and the boy's for opening up the park to sales of all sorts of nefarious things: more ›

Andrew DeMarchis and Kevin Graff, two 13-year-olds from Chappaqua, have a dream of opening up a restaurant. To raise seed money, they decided to spend the next few years selling baked goods and other foodstuffs in a local park. Well, that sort of thing may fly over in Rockland County, but not on local Councilman Michael Wolfensohn's turf. After spotting the two scofflaws vending in a New Castle park, he called the cops to shut the boys down for vending without a license. Naturally, Andrew and Kevin's parents want Wolfensohn's head on a stick. more ›

What's tougher than cupcakes? Well, a lot of things, but Bruce Zipes of Bruce's Bakery in Great Neck and Manhattan has yet to be informed of that. The "Baker to the Stars" released this submission for a spot on the Food Network competition Cupcake Wars, and we've never been more intimidated. more ›

Sex and the City fans have already suffered enough losing Carrie Bradshaw's stoop, but now the show/movie's bus tour is taking Magnolia Bakery off its route. In case you forgot, this is where—while eating a cupcake outside—Carrie first tells Miranda about Aidan. (Relive the magic.) more ›

This week in Eat Cetera: A French feast at midnight at Landmarc, alcoholic St. Patrick's Day cupcakes from CupcakeStop, and dining outside is starting again! more ›

The never-ending cupcake craze has finally morphed with the street vendor. Thanks to Lev Ekster's CupcakeStop Truck the treats are now mobile, just find him in his truck (which, if not here, he promises you can find via Twitter). He'll be bringing some flavor to our Northside Festival show's afterparty as well, so if this coming Saturday night you're looking for a midnight snack, you'll know where to find it. more ›

An article in the Times today confirms that the most exciting thing to happen to food—like, ever—are the numerous cook-offs and takedowns oozing these days from the creative wellspring of Brooklyn. These events usually focus on a single ingredient or theme such as bacon, casserole, guacamole, quiche, risotto, curry, hot dogs, pork, chili, apple pie, tofu, cupcakes, ramen, or no-knead bread, for example, and hearken back to State Fair Blue Ribbon contests, where winning the peach pie contest meant you were allowed to keep the family farm. Now, as it was then, the events are a recession/depression thing, often minus some of the food-craft. Welcome to the liberal arts dustbowl. more ›

The blog Eat Me Daily posted a video clip yesterday from the opening of Thursday's 30 Rock where Gavin Volure, the eccentric billionaire played by Steve Martin asks what the good cupcake spots are in New York. Tina Fey's food crazy Upper West Sider Liz Lemon quickly fires back, "77th and Amsterdam, 68th and Columbus, 125th and President Clinton Boulevard." The blog noted that the uptown Magnolia Bakery is actually at 69th and Columbus, but they weren't aware of anywhere at 77th and Amsterdam. Could she have been talking about Crumbs on 75th and Amsterdam? And while we know that there's no President Clinton Boulevard (yet), could Lemon have meant Make My Cake on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd? Not to be all cupcake conspiracy theorist, but maybe Fey was trying to maintain her cupcake credibility without blowing up all her favorite spots. Why else would she not have mentioned Soutine? more ›

The people at Crumbs are giving away 1,000 free cupcakes today at each of their locations (and free cupcakes all day Friday). Following Zaro's lead--they're using baked goods to conduct a delicious poll. They tell us there will be an “official count posted...and while it won’t be a scientific poll, it should shed some interesting light on neighborhood leanings." more ›

Some people may prefer other bakeries, but from the looks of the crowd at the Magnolia Bakery's new Upper West Side location, people are hungering for some heavily frosted cupcakes. If the treats are available, that is. more ›

Easy, sugar fiends - the new Magnolia Bakery outpost on the Upper West Side (Columbus at 69th Street) isn't quite opening at 11AM as Eater reported yesterday. We walked by around 9:30AM and the sign said that they anticipated a noon opening. more ›