An unassuming bakery and coffee place in Bushwick claims to have the best cupcakes and chocolate cake in the USA. And they’re getting celebrity attention.
Bake Shop, located on 995 Flushing Ave. (corner Bogart St.) has been building a name even among A-listers such as Katie Holmes or cool rappers of the moment such as Princess Nokia.
Eat your cake, Katie!
A Bushwick Daily reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, spotted actress Katie Holmes at Bake Shop on two occasions last week. On the first sighting, Katie ordered hot cinnamon spice tea and cake, and later this past weekend, Katie went for a full Brooklyn Blackout Cake. (Right on, Katie!)
Celebrated “bruja” and queer rapper Princess Nokia, spotted by the same perceptive reader, casually sipped a hot beverage with her crew a few days ago. The reader managed to snap a pic as well.
We asked Bake Shop for a comment on their recent surge of popularity among celebs, but the they declined to comment.
Katie, aka Joey from “Dawson’s Creek,” has been living in New York since 2012 when she fled from Tom Cruise in the aftermath of her high-profile divorce. These days Katie is said to live in a luxury apartment on the Upper West Side with her daughter Suri. Five years after the divorce, Katie seems to be enjoying the city like average New Yorkers, whether it’s playing with Suri in McCarren Park or simply snoozing on the R train after a long day.
Still, what was it that brought Katie all the way to Flushing Avenue when there are at least 50 super-acclaimed, artisanal, vegan, organic bakeries between UWS and Bushwick? I’m not sure, but since I’m all about investigative journalism I went to Bake Shop to see and taste for myself.
“best cupcakes in the USA” Really?
Bake Shop, which opened in 2015, claims on their signs and social media to be making the “best cupcakes in the USA” and the “best chocolate cake in the USA,” both awarded by Food & Wine magazine. To confirm these claims, we searched the Food & Wine website, but couldn’t locate the source of this information.
While Little Cupcake Bakeshop has been named one of 21 bakers that make the best cupcakes and the best chocolate cake, it doesn’t have a branch in Bushwick, nor does it seem that the two bakeries are connected.
Food & Wine’s Digital Director Danica Lo couldn’t confirm these claims either, explaining that their brand has undergone some significant staffing changes recently. Employees at Bake Shop were also unable to point us to the source of their lauded cupcakes.
Local press would love Bake Shop to break their silence and send us the source of their “best of” accolades, so that we can settle this for once and for all.
We were forced to try them
As you can see, I was forced to order a cupcake to see if this fancy Food & Wine acclaim was at least plausible.
An employee recommended that I try the “Brooklyn Blackout” cupcake, which can be ordered also as a full cake if you want to pig out or, you know, share with others.
I appreciated that the cupcake wasn’t ginormous, and thus the guilt over stuffing my face with sugar was smaller as well. (But again, what wouldn’t I do for journalism!?)
Upon consuming the cupcake, I can say that it was damn good! It’s light and chocolatey, but not too much. While I don’t dare to say that it’s the “best cupcake in the USA,” it’s definitely delicious and satisfactory! And apparently Katie Holmes approves of it, too!
Profile
Bake Shop
Bakery & coffee shop offering organic and vegan options. The purveyors of seriously delish Brooklyn Blackout cake, which may or may not be the “best chocolate cake in the USA.”
995 Flushing Ave. (corner Bogart Street), off Morgan Avenue L train stop
Mon-Fri: 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sat-Sun 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Follow the Bake Shop on Instagram.
Cover image: Katarina Hybenova for Bushwick Daily