Want to get inspired? Think New York City. Want to get inspired with cupcakes? In New York City, Magnolia is synonymous with cupcakes. People have been known to wait for hours, in lines snaking around the block, for a Magnolia cupcake. In addition to daily cupcakes like the flourless chocolate with vanilla bean meringue buttercream, Magnolia offers so much more: peanut butter icebox pie, hummingbird layer cake, chocolate chunk blondies. No wonder Magnolia has expanded beyond New York to other cities as far away as Dubai!
 
Something else that’s synonymous with New York City is the television sitcom Seinfeld. In “The Muffin Tops” episode, Elaine had an idea for a store selling only muffin tops, and her former boss then opens “Top of the Muffin to You!”
 
The Blue Sky Bakery in Brooklyn serves more than just muffin tops; the entire muffin is there—and it’s especially noteworthy. This gourmet bake shop knows its muffins. As an example, fresh, still-warm, wild blueberry muffins paired with a cup of steaming espresso makes the morning commute much more bearable.
 
Speaking of Seinfeld and muffins, babkas hold a place of pride on the television show. Jerry and Elaine lose out on the last chocolate babka at Schnitzer’s Bakery in a memorable episode. Did you know that you can make babkas, a sweet cross between bread and cake, in muffin pans? That way you’ll make enough so that nobody loses out on this mouthwatering treat. While chocolate babka is the old standby, cinnamon babka is a close contender. New York bakeries are bursting with babkas, and if you haven’t eaten (or baked) one, you’re missing out!