In 2000, a little talked about TV series – Sex and the City – popularized a single bakery item, which, for years, had been utilized to celebrate birthdays and entice (read: bribe) children to be on their best behavior. Of course we mean the cupcake. You can blame (thank?) Sarah Jessica Parker for making a favorite childhood pastime look and, subsequently, taste trendy. Yet, as Sex and the City later saw its untimely demise, the New York City's cupcake obsession only exploded in popularity and shows no signs of waning anytime in the near future.

It started with what is, arguably, Manhattan’s most well-known baked goods establishment, Magnolia Bakery – which first opened in 1996 but became an international phenomenon after Carrie (Parker) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) indulged in a fat fete at the West Village joint on the hit HBO series – and expanded to include cupcake empires like Crumbs, which now boasts four locations throughout the city (Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Bryant Park, East Village).

While Magnolia, with its line of fans from far and wide that wraps around the corner of Bleecker and well down W. 11^th Street, only offers basic flavors – white, chocolate, yellow, and the occasional specialty of red velvet – in an assortment of colors, Crumbs serves up some unique entities like S’mores, Caramel Apple, Key Lime and Twinkie, among many other tasty treats. Crumbs’ cakes come in three different sizes: bite-sized (self explanatory), mini (standard cupcake measurements), and large (for the absolutely ravenous; we stand by our belief that each could easily feed a family of four).

Can you say a heart attack in a wrapper? Magnolia and Crumbs ( may be the most famed of the bunch, but we’ve scoured the city to find the other 10 best bakeries that will make you yelp “hallelujah!” and want to give us a hug next time your cupcake craving bites. (We accept thank-yous in the form of kitchenware and frequent flyer miles.) And if you’re worried your thighs will require their own zip code after heeding our advice, just remember: there are no calories on vacation.

1. Bruce’s Bakery
1045 First Ave. 212-223-1085
2. Buttercup Bake Shop
   973 Second Ave. (for additional locations, see Web site)
   212-350-4144
3. Babycakes
   248 Broome St. 212-677-5047
4. Amy’s Bread
   672 Ninth Ave. (for additional locations, see Web site)
   212-977-2670
5. Tribeca Treats
   94 Reade St. 212-571-0500
6. Burgers & Cupcakes
   265 W. 23^rd St. 212-242-0600
7. Cupcake Café
   545 Ninth Ave. (for additional locations, see Web site)
   212-465-1530
   
8. Billy’s Bakery 184 Ninth Ave.
   212-647-9956
9. Sugar Sweet Sunshine
   126 Rivington St.
   212-995-1962
10. Joe Coffee
    141 Waverley Pl. (for additional locations, see Web site)
    212-924-6750

By Kristin Leigh