iRene kim beauty: Captivating Cupcake Craziness!

"Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not! "

For a while, it seems like every week, there's been an occasion to eat cupcakes.

Whether it's because my roomie is trying out a new baking recipe (SOMEONE has to eat them since she won't!), it's to celebrate a birthday, or just because it's been a long day and I need a small treat to make the day a little sweeter, I've been eating lots of cupcakes!

Most of the time, I'm not much of a dessert person.

I'd rather eat more of an entree or appetizer than dessert: I don't usually "save room for dessert" so I'd just get really fat if I ate as much food as I usually do ALONG with dessert!

However, if I do get dessert, it'll usually be a fruit tart or creme brulee (my fav!)

Even though I don't usually eat a lot of dessert, I love cupcakes.

They're delicious, cute, and convenient (small and portable)!

Cupcakes have become really popular in the past few years (Cupcake shops are popping up all over, people have them instead of cake at weddings, etc)

Here are my favorite cupcake shops in the bi-state (NY/NJ.... sorry Connecticut~ you don't make the cut) area:

Magnolia Bakery:

This was probably my first foray into the world of cupcakes (other than class parties in elementary school). It was great walking a few blocks to this West Village staple when my friends lived in the area.
Made famous by the ladies from Sex and The City, there used to be lines and about a 10 minute wait to get a yummy frosted cupcake~ I always liked the one with a flower on top!

Back in the day on 11th Street: Jean is really enjoying her cupcake!

Magnolia Bakery first opened its doors in July, 1996 on a quiet corner of NYC's Greenwich Village. It was conceived as an old- fashioned shop where people could come for coffee and something sweet. In 2007, the original owner chose native New Yorker and veteran restaurateur, Steven Abrams and his family to take over the iconic bakery. This family owned and operated establishment became famous for its freshly baked, old-fashioned desserts and charming vintage decor which leave many patrons feeling they've been transported back in time.

Magnolia is a full service bakery offering an array of freshly made, hand crafted desserts including cakes, pies, pudding, brownies and bars, cookies, mini cheesecakes, breakfast goods and more... Magnolia cupcakes, made from scratch in small batches with only the finest ingredients, are the Bakery's signature offering.

The delectable cupcakes further captured the attention of a world-wide audience after being featured in popular TV shows and movies such as Sex and the City, Saturday Night Live, Prime and The Devil Wears Prada.

Crumbs Bake Shop

I usually eat a Crumbs cupcake when I'm in the city.

There are about 17 locations throughout NYC, 4 in NJ, and also throughout CA, CT, DC, IL, and VA.

I love getting the Taste Size cupcakes in the package

(Unfortunately, you can't get the mini cupcakes individually~ they sell by the dozen)

I like the Red Velvet, Cookie Dough, and Candy Cupcakes!

At Crumbs Bake Shop, we believe in celebrating the simple everyday things in life. In a world where we move too fast, a cupcake is the exception. They add something so small, and so needed to our lives. Maybe what they really do is remind us that the best things in life really are so simple and easy.

Crumbs Bake Shop first opened its doors in March of 2003 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan by Mia & Jason Bauer. The menu is an irresistible blend of comfort-oriented classics and elegant baked goods, but the specialty of the house is the Crumbs Signature size cupcakes! With our more than 50 varieties baked fresh daily and a new cupcake of the week every Monday, each Crumbs Bake Shop is an oasis of wall to wall deliciousness. And now you can enjoy your favorite Crumbs treats in the comfort of your own home - just like Mom used to bake. Delivered straight to your front door, perfect for any occasion, without needing an occasion at all.

Mr. Cupcakes:

There are three locations in NJ: Clifton, Hackensack, and Oradell.

This is the one I usually eat at least once a week. Thank God they make mini cupcakes!

My Fav's are the mini Red Velvet, French Toast, and Cookie Jar.

Our mission is to provide our customers with the best tasting and freshest cupcakes in New Jersey. Not only will you love our cupcakes, you'll be happy with our customer service. We pride ourselves in keeping our customers coming back for more!

We make over 40 different cupcakes with all kinds of flavors from Peanut Butter & Jelly to French Toast. None of our cupcakes are stuffed or filled, we bake our cupcake ingredients right inside.

Baked By Melissa:

I first tried these earlier this year and recently again on Valentines Day (Thanks for being an awesome Valentine Cindy!).

It's happened to you. You wander into a sweet smelling bakery thinking maybe you'll order something. But when that door shuts behind you, you suddenly need to taste everything in sight! For Melissa Bushell, this moment was the inspiration behind Baked By Melissa. Create a line of miniature stuffed cupcakes so dessert lovers can taste more flavors, without the post dessert guilt trip.

There are 3 locations in NYC: Soho, Union Square, and Grand Central
These are MINI mini cupcakes.... About the size of a quarter

They're bite size and teeny tiny! So cute that I didn't want to eat them..... but of course I did =D

Barnes and Noble Starbucks Coffee Shop:

Last year, Ang and I were sitting in the Union Square Barnes and Noble with an hour or so to kill before meeting up with our friends. We decided to split a Red Velvet cupcake from the B&N Starbucks section.

It was baked from Cheesecake Factory.

It was one of the most delicious cupcakes we'd ever had.

It was AWESOME.

We were literally picking the crumbs off of the paper (I may have even licked the paper... haha)

I recently got a Red Velvet and Plain Cupcake for Valentines Day (because they were ALL SOLD OUT at Mr. Cupcake!). Cindy also fell prey to the cupcakes powers.

Cheesecake Factory makes amazing cakes, but they don't sell the cupcakes in their restaurants.

Luckily, there's a lot more Starbucks around (although I've only seen the Cheesecake Factory cupcakes in Barnes and Noble... there's usually a small sign saying it's from Cheesecake Factory).

So go to your closest B&N and pick up a cupcake~ Especially if you're a mooch who goes there to study or read whole books without buying anything (haha.. many a conversations have I had with friends over this issue. They don't WANT you to read their books for free or study there~ that's what libraries are for!)

Where do you get your cupcakes and what are your favorite flavors?
I hope you have many occasions to celebrate~
If not, you don't need it to be a special day to eat a cupcake.
Eating the cupcake is special enough... 'cause everyone should have some sweetness in their life.
And in my world, the sweeter, the better! =D