Cupcake Cafe

This is one of the places that makes NYC so magical, so generous, and play so fast and loose with the time continuum.
Cupcake Café is often invisible from the street. Inside, you will feel like you are stepping into the best parts of New York from the late 80s-​90s. This is a pre-​computer coffee shop (though they do have wifi).
There is no pretense here, just a strong community of locals, a giant slab of marble with stacks of old New York Times and house plants, and the very best cappuccino I have ever had in my life.
Plus a sprawling bakery in the back turning out cupcakes and cakes to order at reasonable prices.
This place is by far the best thing in mid town, and one of my absolute favorite spots in the city.

Just after going, this nasty space with just-​as-​rude staffers ‘temporarily closed’, allegedly to update the run-​down space a bit. Having been to the flatiron original, I’m not sure why I bothered with their photo-​friendly but otherwise terrible cupcakes, as the maple walnut was an awful way to drop $ 3. Saveur claims their whole wheat orange donut is good, so there’s that…

Mike makes the best coffee in town. I don’t know how he does it, but his cortados, cappuccinos o just simple espressos are incredible. They make you happy!
On top of the amazing coffee he has built a unique place where you can relax and listen to great music and have a conversation with the great Mike.
will miss you. Hope to see you somewhere close soon

Heard they are closing tomorrow to reconfigure so bought a dozen of their signature cupcakes some with special Easter decorations. The artistry and quality and taste of their decorated cakes and sweets is unrivaled but customer service has always been a tad distracted and slow. Still and all one of my all time NYC favorites Wishing them well in new incarnation.

Stars for the environment! Wandered over here after a long bus ride from woodstock. Stepping in here is such a nice wind down in comparison to outside. Not the tastiest cupcakes i ve had but definitely one of the best decorated ones. They also offer tea and all kinds of coffee. Nice and calm with the jazz radio running. Its like tea time in a vintage furniture store.

I get my birthday cake here every year. A classic Hell’s Kitchen place. Don’t come expecting great service or well made tea and coffee. The cupcakes and cake are dense and slightly dry with a lot of frosting. For me I love it and it works, if that is not your thing than don’t come. Also it’s not really a place to sit and work. Come for the cupcakes! They are very different from mellisas, crumbs, magnolia and all the other cupcake places in the city, they are unique and amazing. Not to mention gorgeous.

Such a strange, awkward place. Their cupcakes look cute. And it seemed busy. With newspapers stacked atop their iPad computer terminal, and a funky Santa Claus-​esque cashier, this place really turned me off. With an espresso machine that «doesn’t serve lattes» and a selection of teas that doesn’t have a menu, it can be a challenge to order anything in the front section of the «café.» When I asked what teas they had, the cashier didn’t really seem like he wanted to serve me or tell me what they had. At least in the back where they keep the cupcakes, you can see what you are considering ordering.
While they have plenty of seating and free wifi, the wifi is painfully slow and there wasn’t an electrical outlet in sight. If you can avoid this place, avoid it.
For other coffeeshops in the neighborhood: FIKA is around the corner at 41^st and 10^th — you’ll have a better experience there. Kahve, another local coffeeshop, is on 52^nd and 9^th. Cupcakes I can’t speak for, although they look pretty. Needless to say, there are many better cupcake bakeries in NYC… Billy’s Bakery is just down the block in Chelsea near 21^st and 9^th. Worth making the short trip to avoid this place.

The most horrible place ever!
Looks dirty and the old man who is serving you is SO RUDE.
NEVER AGAIN

Took a look at the cupcakes and thought they looked yummy. We were instructed to go to the front and ask for help. Went to the front and asked the gentleman for help informing him we were instructed to come and ask for assistance. We were told it was unfortunate. He went through the cupcake options and wiped his nose with his hands and then proceeded to take out the cupcakes and box them (no gloves). We paid for the cupcakes and disposed of them. I won’t be back for lack of hygiene and customer service.

I have tried their cupcakes on several occasions and all I can say is that they are very pretty to look at. As for the taste they are just ok and I have tasted better flavored cupcakes. You are paying for the pretty flower on top but that is not important to me… I eat with my taste buds and not just my eyes. I have read the other reviews on the inside of the place and it does look very run down and dim and not very clean… there seems to be junk everywhere which is surprising for a food establishment.

Love this little hidden spot. Its so easy to miss when passing by, but after stepping in Im always welcomed by the familiarity of its cozy interior (the gruffy lumberjack santa ish barista helps too). He’s super nice btw.
Their coffee is yummy (La Colombe) and most importantly, their cupcakes are fucking amazing. The only reason I trek out to Bumfuck, 9^th avenue is for these holy cupcakes.
Beautiful frosting artwork + sweet but not too sweet just the riiight amount of sweet cupcakes = shut up and take my money/​caloric input.

I can’t even describe how horrible this place was.
The place looks dirty and old.
I walked in with my young, beautiful daughter December 31^st. Hoping to buy dessert for New Years.
There was not many flavors to choose from and the ones they had looked like they were there for days. Some of the New Years cupcakes that looked like Angels with 2016 written on them, Looked terrible. I really wanted to give this place a try but once the counter guy started to talk about ecstasy and crack. seriously! Is this a front for a drug dealing place in NYC? I knew I was not going to buy anything edible here. I walked out angry and did let him know how I felt.
Get your act together here.
Went to Melissa’s cupcakes around the corner.
I really hope a manager or owner reads this review.

The cupcake café was doing their thing way before the trend to open cupcake shops began! When I worked at 9^th (in the 30^th street area) I passed it everyday on the bus. I had to go in for a sample.
The secret of their longevity is specialization. They know what they do well and stick with their one specialty. If you want a cake for a special occasion this is the place to go. Your cake will be a one of a kind made to order special treat. It will also be delicious.
If you just want a sample of what a cake would taste like, you should go in for a small cup cake. I go in for the small cup cake when I’m in the neighborhood. Be aware they are very sweet!

I’ve ordered plenty of cupcakes and cakes from here. I just purchased some cupcakes for my kids birthday and the cake was dry/​hard not moist at all. The frosting was good and of course beautifully decorated. The cupcakes must have been old or frozen and then refrigerated. I don’t think I will be ordering here anymore!

Stopped in for dessert after walking around NYC in the afternoon. They have amazing frosting creations and decorations! Almost too good to eat! That being said, the cake itself was a bit dry and the frosting perfectly creamy without being too sweet. Come here for the beauty but there are probably better cupcake shops nearby.

If I were simply rating the cupcakes, this place would get 10 stars. They are so sinfully delicious but you won’t care… you’ll just repent at the gym later. Their maple walnut is my favorite and downfall.
I’ve been consuming CC cupcakes for almost 20 years, using my children as an excuse to drop by their original location (39^th st) for an after school snack back, in the 90’s. I even found myself taking my kids to the bookshop that just so happened to house the Cupcake Café in Chelsea. All our family celebration cakes were CC cakes. Obsessed.
A little change in lifestyle kept me away from the CC for a few years… until last month when I thought I’d buy cupcakes to share with my close family and friends. I entered their current location, very close to the original one in the Port Authority area… my hood. So much happy anticipation only to be thwarted by an unhappy ambiance with an even unhappier staff. In all fairness, the original spot was nothing to write home about but it certainly had better energy… a happy one that matched the cupcakes they were so famous for.
The guy at the front was so rude, and looked like he was in need of resuscitation. I think I interrupted his morning snack time since he threw my credit card back at me. Yes. Threw. God forbid, he leaned 5 degrees over to hand the card back to me.
Why would I ever expect a «thank you» after spending $ 60 on cupcakes from this rude lump on a log?
Ugh. Get your act together CC, and clean up a little… you’ve got a good product here and some pretty loyal customers who want to see you around for another 20… you can start with nixing the bad attitude. Have one of your cupcakes that ought to cheer you up.

Beautiful pancakes, delicious cookies, good coffee… but somewhat strange service. Owner didn’t seem pleased that we hadn’t ordered more although we both got coffee and two desserts.

This place is a childhood favorite of mine… For many of my birthdays, my wonderful godmother always got my birthday cakes from here.
I recently ordered a cake for that nostalgia. I got their bohemian walnut cake with maple buttercream (traditional flavor of mine). The outcome was beautiful as always, and so was the taste of the cake. This place is pricey, however, the taste and aesthetic of the cake does make up for it. I would love to try other flavors asap.

Excelente para desayunar. Hay tazones grandes de café expresso, o bien podés servirte café regular en un vaso de cartón.
Los cupcakes son EXCELENTES y hay de distintos tamaños.
El ambiente es muy tranquilo y la decoración genial. Lo único que me resultó extraño fue la atención, un señor mayor al cual no le entendía si la mala voluntad era en broma o real. En fin se disfruta mucho de este lugar con una linda vista a la 9 th av.

Came here before my yoga class since I was in the neighborhood, this is my first visit. I tried their mocha latte and paid with the CUPS app, which help strike a conversation with the gal at the counter that greeted me.
Overall, the service is great and friendly. This shop is like a mom and pops shop with some of the best quality cup cake I’ve taste. I ordered one of their newer flavor, pumpkin with cream cheese which was lip smacking delicious.
The price range can be a little high for the size, but for the taste I wouldn’t complain. The bakery bake their cupcakes fresh daily, and each cupcake is like a work of art on their own.

It gets 4 stars for O.G. NY“tude” alone!
When you walk in, it looks like a hot mess. Sure the old benches (or pews) are cool mixed in with the other random chairs and tables to create seating arrangements that one normally sees at a flea markets, but they are freaking uncomfortable! The wooden ice box is dope though. This is on the left toward the back and around the corner from the front counter, where Mr. SALTY makes your coffee.
The OG barista is a huge reason why I come here. He looks like he could easily play Santa during the holidays and comes across as a dick. But, he is a NY character that is a perfect match with the vibe of the joint. He’ll never be «Disney» nice (thank God), but he’s actually nice by city standards. The music he plays, which is a combo of «nothing before 1959» on an old radio, is spot on; it’s him.
I never want to know his name or his story. The scenarios I have made up as to how he got here and why he works here are a novel in my head! Sometimes, when I watch him interact with shocked tourists or newbeez it can get a little awkward, due to his blank stare and the «what the fuck do you want» demeanor, but it’s highly entertaining. The tude is mostly fluff; he’s just an old man. And he’s survived a long time in this city, which that alone gives him a pass.
He, this place and the locals who come here are mesmerizing to me. If this were the L.E.S. or Bushwick, hipsters would eat this place up. Thank God it’s hidden in the shit show of the Port Authority.
The coffee by no means is great. It’s good. The Americano, is weak by my standards. I’ve had better drip coffee at serious coffee joints then the Americano here. That said, I’m not a coffee snob, so the coffee is just «good enough» to keep me coming back. Why? Because, I’m here for the WiFi and bad Santa, foo!
There’s a cupcake counter in the back. Now, here’s the deal on that: they make them here, but they start off at $ 3 for a small. I got the peanut butter. The icing, which there is a lot of, is the cat’s meow, but the cake is average to poor. My cake was dryer then my sense of humor, which is pretty fucking dry. And, that’s what that’s all about… not worth $ 3 for me.
So why do I like this place? It’s a character. Bad Santa barista guy is a character. The interior aesthetic is a character. There’s WiFi. It’s never really super crowded. Even when it is, it’s not the Starfucks kind of crowd, so that’s a bonus for me! Maybe, bad santa keeps them away? What else do you need from an indy coffee shop across from Port Authority. If you are a snob that is also a pampered pooch, stay at Starbucks. If you appreciate, «wtf is this» kinda of moments, eclectic Hells kitchen locals plus free WiFi in midtown, then this is the jimmy jam playa!