Since venturing into the business world of cupcakes, I recently took a trip to NYC in search of the city’s best cupcake!

I went to the three of the most popular bake shops.

First I stopped by Buttercup Bake Shop…
(Might I add this bakery was voted best bakery for 2008)

Vanilla frosted cupcake from Buttercup Bakery

Buttercup Bakery cupcakes

The Verdict: The cake was dry (who wants a dry cupcake? lol) and the frosting was thick and disgusting! Oh sure they look colorful and delicious but unless you like snacking on a stick of butter you won’t like this cupcake! Between my brother, his wife and myself we tried three different kinds….and none of us liked them!

Then I stopped by the Cupcakestop.com truck….
(This truck has only been around for about a year, but they’re all the rage in NYC)

Cupcakestop's cupcake truck

The Verdict: Ok so I’ll be honest the reason I went to see the truck was because the concept was cool. But let’s face it you can’t eat the concept! I’ll give the truck props for creative flavors of cupcakes (like oreo crumb and banana chocolate chip)…but I’d rather eat cardboard. Again the frosting’s were not good and these cupcakes tasted more like a muffin then a cupcake…more like a week old muffin! lol Wouldn’t go there again let’s just put it that way.

Finally I ended up over at Magnolia’s Bakery…

The red velvet cupcake and the chocolate cupcake from Magnolia Bakery.

The Verdict: Ah Magnolia…I have loved thee ever since your days spent on the classic television series “Sex and the City.” Magnolia bakery can frost a cupcake like no one else. Oh sure they’re cupcakes are pretty and cute but it’s hard to believe that Charlotte, Miranda, Carrie and Samantha actually ate them! lol I say this because on the show (if you’ve seen it) they eat the vanilla frosted, vanilla cupcakes. (Quick side note the woman who used to work at Magnolia’s is the same woman who opened up the Buttercup Bake Shop…so you can imagine where I’m going with this) Unless you eat cupcakes every day there’s no way you can tell the difference between Magnolia and Buttercups vanilla frosted cupcakes, they’re twins…and I don’t recommend the vanilla. It’s like an accquired taste for butter lol However their red velvet cupcakes have a light and fluffy frosting which is fantastic, and the cake is moist and delicious! If you don’t like red velvet cake then I suggest chocolate cake with the chocolate frosting….the cake is not as dry as the vanilla and the frosting tastes like chocolate instead of vanilla flavored butter!
And the winner is (drumroll please!)…..
The red velvet cupcake from Magnolia! If you don’t like red velvet cupcakes you will after you eat one from Magnolia Bakery.

Next time you’re in NYC and you want a cupcake just remember one name…Magnolia!

Baku’s African Restaurant

197 N Pleasant St
Amherst, MA 01002

During my years in college I spent time studying in London. While I was there I made friends with many African students at the University College London. Forming these relationships exposed me to a new world of culinary delights that I was unaware of growing up in the States.  Many of my closest friends I met while studying abroad hailed from West Africa. Countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and even Togo became very familiar to me through the eyes of my good buddies. Feeling slightly home sick in a land far from their foundation, many of my Nigerian and Ghanaian female friends would often prepare their traditional dishes for me. I gained an appreciation for their savory hearty cooking style. Many of the dishes consisted of rich stews and aromatic sweet plantains served over a bed of traditional jolof rice. Although we may have come from different cultural backgrounds, their homey foods made me feel right at home and comforted, despite being so far away from the familiar.

Now years later, I’ve come across a restaurant that brings me back to the fond memories of my African friends’ cooking. Baku’s African Restaurant located in Amherst holds the reputation of being the only West African restaurant in Western Massachusetts. The restaurant owner, Pat Baku grew up on the sea coast of Nigeria and moved to Amherst to attend college. As a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Baku told Dishin’ It  that although the area was relatively open she noticed there wasn’t a strong African presence at the school or in the town. During a multi-cultural fair at U Mass, Baku decided to prepare some of her regional dishes for the student body and faculty. Baku said people loved the unique savory flavors of her food.  She was encouraged by many of her peers to do some event catering around the school. Her success in catering is what sparked her interest in cooking professionally. But, when she decided to open her own restaurant in Amherst she was met with rejection and intolerance from some landlords who didn’t want her type of cuisine in their buildings. Fortunately, she stayed determined and in 2005 she eventually found a cozy nook on Pleasant Street in Amherst, where she could live out her dream of having her own restaurant.

The menu at Baku’s features authentic Nigerian cuisine from her sea coast region. Many of the dishes are both gluten and lactose free–which means vegans this a great spot for you. One of the staple dishes at Baku’s is Foo Foo or pounded yam, considered the ultimate comfort food in Nigeria. Another traditional dish is Akara, black-eyed pea fritters with a taste similar to potato latkes and a consistency that is vaguely reminiscent of hush puppies. The stewed black-eyed peas also come in an entrée dish featuring collard greens and jolof rice smothered with a rich tomato sauce. The tomato sauce, with hints of onion, garlic, and ginger, was so delicious my friends and I couldn’t stop dipping, slurping, and lapping it up on top of every item we tasted. Her rich stewed sauce has become so popular that Baku is working on selling and distributing containers of her homemade sauce in Whole Foods Grocery store. 

Baku’s African restaurant also offers some yummy meat dishes. Since organic chicken tends to be expensive in Nigeria, many of the traditional meals use goat meat and seafood. Both fresh grilled salmon and shrimp can be found on the menu as well as curry chicken. Baku says she uses her own special curry powder on the chicken to give it an authentic flare. You can specify how spicy you want your entrée to be; ranging from mild to medium to super spicy.  If you’re kind of daring and want a bit of heat, I’d say pick regular spicy, cause it will give you a nice kick in the mouth without having to urgently reach for that glass of water. When looking for a beverage to pair with your delightful Nigerian meal, Baku encourages her customers to try her signature mango juice. A favorite among Baku’s children, the mango juice goes down ridiculously smooth and silky, leaving a buttery sweet after taste in your mouth. It’s almost like a desert in itself.

The food and ambiance at Baku’s African restaurant makes you feel like your being transported to the warm sea coast of Nigeria. Baku had a mural painted on the wall of her establishment depicting the scenery from where she grew up. You can also groove to the tunes of some modern African music while enjoying your meal. Baku helps support African artists by playing their CDs in her restaurant. A warm and endearing spirit, Pat Baku brings life and inspiration to the Amherst community through her respected restaurant. I definitely think you should take the time to check out this lovely African treat.

Written by Alexis Miller