New York Cityis not a sweet place.
It is not soft, or delicate, or easy to take in.
It does not beckon with childhood nostalgia or simple comfort, or act as a panaceaquite the opposite.
Photo: Courtesy of Dacha 46
But, it is a town, nonetheless, devoted to sweets.
I can chart each year of my life in New York by the desserts of the time.
When I arrived in 2012,Milk Barwas ubiquitous, with its bandana-sporting employees and saccharine treats.
Photo: Courtesy of Dacha 46
Milk Bar began selling naked cakes: multi-tiered confections with sides un-frosted to reveal layers of exposed sponge.
New flavor releases were treated with the frenzy of a Supreme or Nike drop.
But there was one that started it all: Magnolia.
Photo: Courtesy of Dacha 46
When Magnolia Bakery opened in 1996 in ManhattansWest Village, it changed everything.
They became a sensation.
Not cupcakes, but true fork-and-spoon cakesrounds, sheets, and wedges topped with billowing whirls of frosting.
Photo: Courtesy of Aimee France
These were cakes you could sink your teeth into.
Cake, all around.
And many were being crafted in my home borough of Brooklyn.
Photo: Courtesy of Aimee France
There was a renaissance and reinvigoration into what was a really stale and boring pastry world.
The pandemic knocked down barriers and preconceived parameters for Quinn and many of her peers.
The reception was overwhelmingly positive.
Photo: Courtesy of Clio Goodman
It was as extraordinary as it sounds.
Prat grew up in Brooklyn above a toy store owned and operated by her mother.
She always had a sweet tooth and began baking at an early age.
Photo: Courtesy of Clio Goodman
My mom always said, If you want to eat it, you’re free to bake it.
Guests were invited to vote on which cake aligned best with the 12 zodiac signs.
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Prats style is heavily informed by having grown up in a toy store.
For Aimee France, on the other hand, its all cakes all the time.
So I just cut the corner off the bag and did my own thing.
Ingredient-wise, Frances preference is always to explore seasonal produce foraged or found at the farmers market.
With 101K Instagram followers, shes transcended into a cake celebrity, of sorts.
But France is used to sharing pictures of her life and, especially, what shes eating.
For some, though, grappling with this newfound notoriety can take some getting used to.
Id just post stuff, she says, and then rememberoh wait, people are actually looking at this!
But, the parameters were limiting.
By 2021, Goodman was ready to experiment with other desserts.
Using global inspiration like Thai iced tea and yuzu, she began baking cakes.
Three months and some boosted Instagram posts later, she had a business.
But also, if were being honest, they want to post on Instagram.
In a few weeks, Ill be leaving New York City for good.
After 12 years of living here and a thousand dessert spoons licked, Im leaving.
