BabyCakes NYC

[REFINED SUGAR-​FREE GLUTEN-​FREE WHEAT FREE
SOY-​FREE DAIRY-​FREE EGG-​FREE VEGAN KOSHER]
Their cookie’s and cookie sandwiches are BOMB.
Cinnamon buns and banana bread are also amazing
If you aren’t used to vegan desserts you most likely won’t dig this place, but if you are its the best i’ve had so far in LA county.

I have family members who have Gluten allergies and for special occasions, it’s always been a bit hard to please them. Most people don’t know how hard it is to bake Gluten free pastries and make them taste REALLY good (I know, I’ve been at it for almost 8 years for my son). Finally, there’s a place that makes Gluten free goodies that taste nearly as good as anything that isn’t!
Are the prices high? Well, if you want to compare these goods to something from a typical bakery, then yes. However, if you understand how hard it is to make anything that is Gluten free taste delicious, then you probably know Babycakes is worth every penny!

REFINED SUGAR-​FREE GLUTEN-​FREE WHEAT FREE SOY-​FREE DAIRY-​FREE EGG-​FREE VEGAN KOSHER
We bought a variety of things for our party from Babycakes including cupcakes, cake pop balls, and a cake.
The cake pop calls were gross. They had a sandy gummy texture but then again… I am not a huge fan of cake pops in general. The cupcakes and cake were okay with the brownie cake being the winner of the flavors we purchased.
For allergen free cupcakes (nut-​free was most important to us), they are decent. If you do not have any allergies, I would prefer a different cake shop for the real thing. The cakes here are extremely dense but had good flavor.
Frosting tasty for the cupcakes. They do not really do any custom designs either so you need to get creative if you want something other than plain and frosted.

wow… This place is horrible.
Pro:
1) Gluten Free
Cons:
1) EXTREMELY OVERPRICED
2) Has a weird grimy texture as if there’s some sand in the desserts.
3) Taste doesn’t get any worse
4) The cookies of the cookie sandwich tasted like cardboard and whatever was in the center was just a waste of space. My stomach was mad at me for consuming such nastiness.

Finally, a place within walking-​distance that gives me a guiltless sweet-​fix!
The staff is always friendly. The environment is small and adorable. Perfect to pick up and take home. The desserts cannot be compared with any other pasty. Donuts, cake balls, cupcakes, cookie-​sandwiches. .. the decision is always difficult.
Bring this to your next party. Share it with a friend. Inhale a box, solo. Whatever.

I was going to give this place 3 stars, but I had to counter the number of people giving Babycakes low stars just because they’re vegan. That’s like going to an pizza place and giving 2 stars because you don’t eat cheese. Kinda ridiculous… In any case, I ordered the red velvet cupcake, a maple donut and a coconut donut. I was very happy with my red velvet cupcake! I LOVE anything made with agave nectar! :) The donuts… I dunno. They just didn’t do it for me. The price is a little higher than I was expecting, but not that much more than other gourmet bakeries.
If I’m ever in the area I’d be open to stopping by for a little red velvety goodness, but I most likely wouldn’t go out of my way…

Stopped by this little store in downtown la to grab some cupcakes and cookies.
We got the red velvet and lemon cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies.
ABSOLUTELY fantastic! They’re gluten free meaning healthy! :)Always a fan of healthy foods especially if they’re baked foods. The only con is parking BUT it’s downtown LA so what can you expect, right? But lovely little bakery to stop by at if you’re in the area.
When you step inside, the aroma of all the baked goods just swarm over you. lol

4 Stars for being Vegan, Gluten-​Free and Yummy to the Max.
4 Stars for Vegan Donuts that taste amazing.
1 Star deducted for ghetto-​location. I was so scared. Go during the day. There were guys standing outside just to stand and I don’t think they had a purpose. They were scary guys too. Daytime visits only!

One evening we found ourselves meandering around Downtown Los Angeles looking for parking. I must have gone around the block some five times until I scored the best parking spot. I looked around and there, in front of me, was BabyCakes NYC. Oooo, I just had to go inside. As for my friend, well, she followed suit.
Babycakes NYC looks like a most of the cupcakeries around the L.A. area, but they have a unique product that didn’t disappoint me… Death by Chocolate.
I love the Death by Chocolate Cupcake, because it keeps my addition to chocolate in check. It’s a perfect parcel of chocolately goodness!

Came here right before they were closing. Of course I wasn’t expecting much but I did still want a good cup cake to eat. They had two flavors left vanilla and chocolate.
I decided to grab the vanilla one and man was it hard to eat. Super dry and the frosting was nice but I do believe way too much of it was on here. I guess they should of thrown those out.
I probably will give this place another try because I have heard so many people raving how great it is but maybe it was because I grabbed a cup cake late at night instead of getting it in the early times.

Baby Cakes
I’m gonna tell you right now
That I appreciate it
You’re the one for me
Unilocaler Juliet R conviced me to go to this place. She said there’s this great vegan bakery that sells all organic, sugar free, gluten free and dairy free products.
What? First of all, I want sugar in my cake. I am not vegan and I don’t care for organic stuff because they are pricey. But I can never say no to Juliet because she is sweet like a cupcake.
The bakery was so cute. Tiny donuts caught my eye when I first walked in. I was kinda lost and the ladies there offered help right away. I was still lost trying to figure out what I want while snapping pictures.
I got myself a chocolate chips cookie, a tiny brownie and a sugar cinnamon donut. It was kinda $$$ because the goods were not very big.
Cinnamon Sugar Donut: it was crumbly and a bit dry, but very good. It’s not too sweet but sweet enough for my sweet tooth. It tasted like dry churro.
Chocolate Chips Cookie: very thin but delish. I don’t know what they put in that cookie but I wanted more.
Brownie: Super small. I can eat 4 of these in one sitting. This brownie was good and I was surprised that small brownie satisfied my chocolate craving.
I didn’t feel bad after eating all of them because they were not greasy. Plenty of metered parking on the street if you’re lucky.
Baby Cakes
Maybe there’s a possibility
We grow old together, live happily
4 stars! I am a fan. I can’t wait to go back there again.
BabyCakes NYC is yummylicious!

(To the tune of that 1920’s jazz song «Baby Face»
)
BabyCakes
You got those yummy vegan BabyCakes
Your cookie sandwich outta take first place
…in my face
My sweet tooth is ravin’, you sure have got me cravin’
BabyCakes
In vegan heaven when I finally have a taste
Give that cupcake a shove into my mouth with love
You yummy, tasty BabyCakes!!! :)
:jazz hands!!!:
Ok, so here’s a breakdown of what I got:
— Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich with Vanilla Filling. If you’ve never had a vegan mouthgasm, I highly suggest you get your ass downtown and shell out the $ 5.
— Red Velvet Cupcake. Meh on the flavor. Kinda on the dry side but I also waited until the next day to eat it.
— Chocolate Mint Cupcake. It’s like they magically captured the essence of those popular Girl Scout cookies, Thin Mints, and baked it into vegan awesomeness!
— Pumpkin Cupcake. A-​Ok but I wasn’t amazed.
— One Brownie Bite. OMG! Why did I buy only one? Chocolatey good times in my mouth :)
— Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. Moist. Fluffy. Good balance of banana and chocolate without competing flavors. Get in my belly!
So even though there were a few I could do without, I’m still really impressed by the variety of what is available. It was also nice to walk into a bakery and know that I could eat anything in there without having to ask a bunch of annoying «is this vegan?» questions.
To top it off, the staff was super sweet! Especially when I was ogling the desserts with amazement and speechless with excitement! Check out my box full of treats:
and
…five, six, sev (en)
Give that cupcake a shove into my mouth with love
You yummy, tasty BabyCaaaaakes!!! :)
:jazz hands!!!:
—
***UPDATE 7/​29/​11***
This review was performed at Unilocal’s Poetry Slam Elite Event at Pangea Garden
(yes, there is video!)

Babycakes is an adorable little bakery serving up pretty looking vegan & gluten free baked goods in downtown Los Angeles. I’m very skeptical of «vegan, gluten-​free» bakeries mostly because I feel like desserts and sweets SHOULD HAVE all those not so great things for you so they taste delicious.
I didn’t know Babycakes was a vegan bakery, usually I would high tail it elsewhere, but the décor was so darn cute, I thought why not?
I’m a sucker for cute interiors like I’m a sucker for packaging and presentation. The girls that work here wear adorable pin striped little shift dresses with bows on the neck. Um, yes please!
The prices are higher. I find that’s pretty common for places like this… but $ 5.00 for a CUPCAKE… I know it has fancy grains and soy milk… but FIVE DOLLARS for something I can literally eat in two big bites? Hrmph.
If you’re in downtown LA and looking for a cute vintage-​y place to get a vegan baked treat (and DELICIOUS coffee, seriously, so yummy!) I recommend Babycakes. But, if you’re not really into the «healthy» versions of sinful desserts like brownies, cupcakes, and bread loaves, I’d probably just skip it unless you want to go here to admire the vintage records on display and to feel cute in this very girlie bakery.

The only time you’ll hear Jeannie Mai and Baby in the same sentence.
.is when I’m stuffing mai face with some Babycakes.
Anyway, Babycakes NYC, for those of you who don’t know, is only the most delicious, happiest place on earth. You just feel better eating everything because it’s a proudly presented vegan bakery. That’s right, you can have oooey, chewy chocolate cookies, creamy cheezy whipped frosting, warm crispy on the outside oozy on the inside doughnuts, and NOTHING IS ANIMAL BASED. Cruelty-​free cookies! Don’t get me wrong, I’ll demolish a bloody steak, but it’s the gluten my lil bod can’t take. I’m alright though– my frown has turned upside down because this NY hotspot packed it’s flavor punched ingredients up and moved right into the cuts of Downtown LA. (This is where I’m so thankful for the «hood» in me to have to park blocks away, dodge past the 3 crackheads, and dress like a lil Asian boy as non-​photo shopped above to make it to my doughnuts.)
What’s also great is the effects these au natural treats can have on you after eating. Most fructose, crap sugar packed goods leave you feeling heavy and sedated after eating. Since Babycakes goods are only sweetened with pear and agave nectar, it won’t have you climbing the walls. or in my case the homeless people planted all over my car by the time I’m done eating my treats. The cakes are made with unsweetened cocoa powder, which lends the cake a robust, elemental flavor. But the oh. oh. moist, buttery doughnuts. Yes. You, too, will experience foodgasm. Which is why it’s much safer if you ladies reading this go there dressed like a lil boy, too. (See my pic.)

Yum

I do not need to eat gluten-​free, but oh my god, Babycakes makes the best frosting I have ever had. Hands down delicious. Rich, creamy, smooth, but never too heavy or too much. It’s true, I’ve had better cake, but it was laden with butter and a dozen could kill a horse. This cake in perfect ratio with THE BEST FROSTING EVER makes a damn fine cupcake. My favorite is the spelt vanilla, though the gluten-​free pumpkin ones are very ’tis-​the-​season and make me happy, too.
Want to go into an agave nectar coma? Check out the cookie sandwich. Two soft chocolate chip cookies loaded up with THE BEST FROSTING EVER in the middle. One bite and I wondered if I had died and gone to heaven.
The guy behind the counter was so nice and answered all of my annoying questions that I’m sure he gets every day. I am less of a fan of the location, but lucky for me, I’m close to M Café, where they always have an assortment of fresh Babycakes treats. And I really shouldn’t have a cookie sandwich on a regular basis anyway — vegan goodies might not wreck havoc on your body, but calories still make you fat.
This is a phenomenal alternative for people with restricted diets, but even if you eat everything under the sun, you will find something here that will rock your world.

The only special thing about this place is that they offer vegan and gluten free products… otherwise, it’s overpriced and not that great.
BROWNIES — $ 1.50
–Agave-​Sweetened brownies were moist but way too sweet… especially with the fudge topping.
CUPCAKES — $ 3.50
–Mint chocolate cupcake was unique but WAY too sweet and rich. The entire cupcake was filled with more chocolate chunks than there was cake. Mint frosting was mediocre tasting.
–Pumpkin cupcake was moist and not as sweet as the chocolate.
Doughnuts (maple, blueberry, and cinnamon sugar) — $ 3.95
–Their doughnuts are very moist and not too sweet. Not your typical doughnut though… they resemble cakes more than doughnuts.
Overall, WAY overpriced and nothing spectacular. I think I enjoy the vegan cakes and doughnuts at Whole Foods more than the ones at Babycakes.

NOTE: I am NOT vegan
Went with a friend who recently became vegan and seeing as though she should still enjoy desserts, came here to try out our first Vegan Bakery (im pretty sure it was her first time too)
We came around 8 pm and found parking just around the corner on Los Angeles st. (loading only zones are free after 8 =]). After crossing a few streets we went inside and it was just the most adorable bakery ever.
The entire selection of desserts looked completely appetizing, although I felt as though coming earlier in the day would’ve allowed for a wider selection. The worker was really friendly and suggested the doughnuts and cupcakes and cookie sandwiches knowing it was our first times. After a few minutes we decided on the apple cinnamon doughnut and sugar brownie cupcake mint.
They boxed the cupcake brownie in a mini to-​go box (chinese style) which was just adorable! We sat down at one of like 4 tables (don’t suggest coming in large groups unless you plan on eating it outside or at home) and dug in. They were sooooo goooood. Honestly, I would go vegan for these (just saying)
recommend the place to everyone (please don’t discriminate just because it’s labeled as vegan, this place is delicious regardless)
One flaw: pretty pricey but I can deal since I won’t be going everyday =]

My wonderful PA’s birthday was a few weeks ago and we normally celebrate by going to lunch but we didn’t get to since she wasn’t here. Being a responsible boss, I couldn’t let her birthday go unnoticed so I went and bought goodies at Babycakes NYC in downtown. I’ve been meaning to try this place since I’m now a vegan and have been deprived of anything sweet, delicious and bread-​y for the past month. My PA is also a health-​freak so it was the perfect excuse to indulge and not feel guilty about it.
Everyone who knows me knows I hate LA. It’s like a Monet… from far away, it looks good: glamorous, historical and blah blah blah… but up-​close and living/​working in LA is a completely different story. The traffic sucks, the roads suck, there’s no parking, it’s filthy with trash everywhere and it’s just a stressful environment. Some parts of LA are nice but it’s very rare. I know a lot of people don’t agree with me but we can agree to disagree. I’m a suburbs kind of girl.
Anyway…enough ranting about LA and back to Babycakes. I rarely venture to downtown during the day and I was disgusted by the piss-​smell (crinkle nose here) that hit me when I got out of the car and was on every street I walked down. The city smells like a urinal. Gag! Maybe the heat from the sun intensifies the smell because I never noticed it before at night. It was very unpleasant and added to my LA resentment. I only had enough coins to park for 20 min so I knew I didn’t have time to waste. Isn’t it ironic that when you’re pressed for time, that’s when things decide to go wrong? The girl that was helping me was clearly a new employee and she rung me up incorrectly which delayed the process and they changed their system so the register was faulty and wouldn’t print receipts. I remained patient and got to my car in time so no harm, no foul.
Boy am I glad that I didn’t cause a scene in the store because the desserts were HEAVENLY! I got a box for the office which contained a carrot, red velvet and chocolate cupcake, agave brownies, a cinnamon donut and an oatmeal raisin cookie. The other box had a spelt carrot and red velvet cupcake. Everything was so good and didn’t fall far behind goodies that contain eggs and dairy. My favorites were the carrot and red velvet cupcake and brownies. The chocolate cupcake wasn’t anything to write home about. Everyone who tried the desserts said they couldn’t even tell it was vegan. I’m so happy there are places like this that can soothe my sweet-​loving soul. For Babycakes, I’ll endure the piss-​stank and street parking…

I was so looking forward to this place. Everything did look good. This place, however, may be great for vegans but it’s definitely not what you’d expect if you’re used to Sprinkles (Beverly Hills), Yummy (Burbank), SusieCakes (Brentwood), or Dolcissimo (Chino Hills).
I tried the red velvet, the chocolate cupcake, a brownie cupcake, a banana blueberry cupcake, a lemon coconut doughnut, a chocolate doughnut, and a chocolate chip cookie. There is definitely a distinct dry grainy taste to all the treats, especially the cupcakes since they are gluten, egg, refined sugar, and soy free. The frosting on the red velvet was just that… frosting and not cream cheese, but hey, it’s vegan. The cookies were okay though.
Vegan cupcakes — not something I would choose to eat again, unless I’m a vegan and truly had to. They seriously taste nothing like a true cupcake. If I’m going to have cupcakes, I want it all — the taste, the calories, the filling and the fat.
On the upside, the place is adorable, the packaging looks nice and the service is great. A little pricey even for vegan treats.