"magnolia bakery" news and stories

Carrie Bradshaw's favorite bakery has found itself in the middle of its own melodrama. The owners of Magnolia Bakery, the Manhattan cupcake shop made famous by Sex & the City, are suing one of its founders, Jennifer Appel, for opening an illegal branch in Athens, Greece, reports Daily Mail UK.

The charges in the suit are a little bit hazy, but first, some history: Magnolia first opened its now-iconic doors in Manhattan in 1996 with Appel and Allysa Torey as co-owners, but Appel sold her share in 1999 and set up a competing shop: the Buttercup Bake Shop. In 2007, Steve and Tyra Abrams bought the rights to Magnolia and expanded its locations (you can now find Magnolia outposts in L.A. and Dubai -- yes, Dubai).

The lawsuit comes courtesy of the Abrams' -- they claim Appel allegedly shared business secrets and recipes with Greek socialite Nicole Kotovos in order to open their own branch in Greece last year. But Appel denies the charges. In fact, she's counter-suing.

If Dubai's indoor ski slopes, man-made islands, and luxe hotels weren't enough of a draw, Magnolia Bakery's coveted buttercream-frosted cupcakes are now on the city's list of attractions. The New York's famed West Village bakery is opening up its fourth location -- and first overseas -- in the United Arab Emirates city, and it's just the first of a wave of iconic Manhattan favorites headed to the Middle East. Tasti D-Lite, the go-to indulgence for calorie-counting ice cream lovers, has plans to open a Dubai location in 2010, and Danny Meyer's Shake Shack, famous for its lightly charred burgers and endless lines, is headed to Kuwait City, Kuwait, later this year.

It's easy to understand why the Middle East -- and Dubai in particular -- makes sense. Until recently, the region was booming, and locals and tourists alike have been opening their wallets for American theme restaurants like Planet Hollywood and Johnny Rockets in Dubai for years. But why now, when the crumbling economy has made a significant dent in the city's dizzying expansion?

Photo: Amazon.com

'The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook'
Recipes by Allysa Torey and Jennifer Appel
Photographs by Rita Maas and Zeva Oelbaum
Simon & Schuster -- 2009
Buy it on Amazon

While we can admit that we're not the biggest fans of the extremely popular sugary concoctions (cupcakes) that Magnolia Bakery puts out, we are on the other hand, fans of their bars and squares. Yes, the cupcake movement has taken over New York City, but there's no doubt that this establishment still holds the market share with the longest lines.

"The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook" consists of recipes for muffins, quick breads, coffee and Bundt cakes, cookies, brownies and bars, cupcakes and layer cakes, icings, cheesecakes, pies, tarts and ice creams. Whew. Chances are if you've ever seen it in the front window of the bakery, the secret to that recipe lies in this book, along with some new recipes from Allysa Torey's home kitchen.

See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.

What could be better than a cupcake? It is an individually-sized cake serving that fits into your hand and is topped with a generous amount of gooey, sugary icing. A cupcake is not really complete until it has also been topped with a generous amount of sprinkles, and the Skinny Epicurean did not let that fact escape her when she made a batch of Magnolia Bakery's Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing. Using the recipe from the famous New York bakery's cookbook, she put out a batch of the most beautiful cupcakes I have seen. Maybe it's the lure of those rainbow sprinkles, but I wouldn't mind making a batch myself just to get a taste! She has the full recipe on her blog.

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