Cupcake Wonderland in Magnolia Bakery

50 SHADES OF TOKYO DESSERTS | SHADE 11

We all have our favorite desserts (éclairs, anyone?) and if cupcakes are your thing then I know exactly where you can satisfy your cravings in Tokyo. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Magnolia Bakery. And yes, that’s the one Carrie and Miranda were devouring while also solving the relationship problems on Bleecker Street. Those who don’t know, the original Magnolia Bakery was first opened in New York in 1996 before expanding internationally and is sometimes credited with helping to start a 1990s cupcake craze. Hidden on the basement floor of GYRE Building, this cute little shop looks like a colorful sweetland (Is that even a word?). As soon as you step inside you get immersed in the soft pastel hues of Tiffany-blue and blush pink. Lively music is playing in the background and sweet smell of buttercream captivates your nostrils. In the semi-open kitchen you can spy on bakers as they do their magic and fill the display cases with absolutely stunning creations. Making a choice is really hard with wide array of flavors available. You can enjoy your desserts accompanied with a wide array of hot and cold drinks in a cute café area or take it out. Since I was heading to Yoyogi Park to view cherry blossoms, I thought I might as well take my cupcakes there and throw a little sweet hanami for myself. I settled for three flavors. As soon as I saw seasonal sakura I knew I couldn’t leave without trying it. In addition, I opted for Easter Cupcake and Japan Cupcake because they all looked so lovely.

The taste of the cupcakes matches their presentation. Sakura cupcake had a vanilla base with sakura-flavored butter-cream, while Easter and Japan cupcakes had chocolate bases. The latter was a limited charity edition, as for every purchased Japan cupcake Magnolia Bakery would donate 100 yen towards the disaster area of Tohoku to assist with the rehabilitation of the area. The cakes were moist and light, and the frosting was creamy and delicious. I was also really impressed by the overall balanced sweetness of the cupcakes. All three of them were delicious, although chocolate base was my personal favorite and thus a winner.

It doesn’t really end here as the bakery also has equally beautiful cakes, cookies and even ice-cream for those who would prefer to sample something else besides cupcakes. I was particularly intrigued by the sneakers cake which I imagine is dangerously good. Next time… ;)

Details:

Address: 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingumae, 5 Chome−10−1 GYRE B1F
Hours: Mon – Thu 11:00 AM till 8:00 PM; Weekends 10:00 AM till 8:00 PM