Caked Up Cafe — Restaurant in Town of Clarkstown

We as a society apparently decided 15 years ago that every day was some type of random, invented holiday (probably connected with the rise of social media). Last Thursday morning, I discovered I had stumbled onto National Cupcake Day. Out of curiosity I confirmed that there WAS actually a pretty legitimate spot to celebrate this hallowed occasion about 15 minutes from my office, so I trekked over at lunchtime to investigate and do my part. I parked across the street in a strip mall but it looks like Caked Up actually has their own parking lot behind the establishment - definitely would have been a little less chaotic if I had noticed that first.

For some reason I always think that every other person in the universe must also be celebrating these holidays (I still get shizzle from my chums for dragging them out of bed at the crack of dawn on Presidents Day a few years ago because I thought there would be a line at Grant's Tomb. There was not.), so I was a little surprised not to see much action at a cupcake place on a cupcake-centric day of celebration. There were about three other customers in there but it was pretty low key. They have a nice set up; lots of pastry-like options to peruse and a pretty spacious storefront to look around. I went right to the front counter where the cupcakes were hanging out in all of their glory. I got a more chocolate-centric one for a co-worker (Hot Cocoa) but the Blue Velvet caught my eye and had to come back as well. The fellow behind the counter was very friendly and professional, and bonus points - knew it was a cupcake holiday. Way to stay informed. Each cupcake was about $4, which I thought was a pretty competitive price point in this day and age. It's a legit cupcake and you're also getting a pleasing optic for the Gram account if needed.

I was a fan of the Blue Velvet. It was a LITTLE heavy for my taste (but honestly, I'm such a barbarian when it comes to cupcake - my go-to is a DIY funfetti from the box, so grain of salt) but definitely hit the spot. Also a personal palate preference - I like a decent cake to icing equilibrium, and photogenic cupcakes tend to have a bit too much frosting for me. I definitely scraped off some before consuming so I didn't end up with mouthfuls of nothing but icing.

Definitely a fun little treat and I saw enough here to go back for more, though I'd like to investigate some of the other offerings on display as well. Maybe once I've burned off the...

NOTE: this is a review of the pop-up store in Manhattan! YES!! Caked Up has a location in Manhattan!

If you live in Rockland County, then you can enjoy Caked Up whenever you want. Those of us that live in the City can't so easily...

...and if you enjoy the New City location, and if you also come into the City, then you need to go to the 7th Ave location and tell all of your friends to go too. Why?

Because these are the best cupcakes anyone will ever enjoy! Because they're the best, we'd like to keep the location here in the City. That means we should all do our best to support it! Let's convert the pop-up to a permanent location!

The consistency of these incredible creations is perfect. Not dry, not messy or "wet"...just perfect. The sweetness is dialed in and spot-on. The textures create a blend of flavors that is literally sublime!

"C'mon, Jay, it's a cupcake. You describe it like it's a work of art or something..."

These incredible, brilliantly created, masterfully finished miracles ARE more like works of art than cupcakes! The attention to detail is amazing. Amazing!

Hopefully you're getting the idea...we have enjoyed good and great cupcakes all over the City. I could send you a list of places ranked and all are good or better than good. Some are great.

But on the top of that list will be Caked Up. They're miles ahead of everyone else!

The NYC location is 345 7th Avenue (across the street and just south of Madison Square Garden). Tell everyone you know!

Caked Up cupcakes are The Best! Everyone else is fighting for second place. You really...

Absolutely delicious cupcakes and wonderful staff.

Caked Up's cupcakes are as delicious as they look. They are beautifully-constructed, and thus could easily function as an alternative to a standard birthday cake. Unlike so many clever cupcake flavors, these do not disappoint. The chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake, for example, is better than any chocolate chip cookie I've ever eaten!

The fundamental quality of a cupcake, in my humble opinion, lies not just in the overall flavor but also the texture of the cake and frosting and of the proportion of cake to frosting. These cupcakes have a moist, fluffy crumb - not too delicate, yet not quite as dense as a standard cake. The buttercream is buttery and creamy with a hint of sugar crystals. There is, perhaps, more frosting than cake (the cupcakes are all, I believe, filled), but it's difficult for me to judge, as I generally like more cake than frosting, unlike most people. In summation, Caked Up obviously cares about the quality of their products, and not just how pretty they look.

As the daughter of a former baker, I have always been picky about the baked goods I eat. I am delighted to have discovered Caked Up and only wish I had...