New York

Where to Find Red Velvet Cake in NYC, Just in Time for Juneteenth

And support these Black-owned bakeries in the process.

Matt Antonino/Shutterstock
Matt Antonino/Shutterstock
Matt Antonino/Shutterstock

Juneteenth is the oldest-known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. While it’s widely observed across the U.S., the holiday actually originated in Texas, marking the date in 1865 that news of the abolition of slavery reached the state (despite the fact that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863). During the two and a half year gap, slave owners kept this information hidden from slaves in order to reap the continued benefits of unpaid labor.

Juneteenth is still not recognized as a national holiday, but locally it’s celebrated with gatherings, parades, and feasts that specifically feature red foods and drinks. Barbecue, baked beans, watermelon, and red drinks such as West African Hibiscus tea, strawberry soda, punch, and lemonade made with strawberries or cherries make appearances on park and backyard tables around the U.S. every year.
 
I talked with Michael W. Twitty, culinary historian and the voice behind Afroculinaria, about how West African culture influenced the tradition of eating red foods on Juneteenth. 

“The color red is very interesting because it’s a color that’s very deep to the African roots of our people,” he said. He went on to explain a significant amount of West African ethnic groups such as the Yoruba and the Congo, were brought to Texas via Cuba. These two groups are deeply spiritually rooted countries in West Central Africa. 

Twitty explained that red for the Congo people symbolizes spiritual power, resistance, protection, struggle, fighting, and blood. For the Yoruba, the meaning is similar but also emphasizes creativity, love, power, and persistence. 

While an array of food and drink is served on the holiday, my favorite Juneteenth treat is red velvet cake. Much like the history of ancestral backgrounds of many African-Americans today, the exact origins of where the color of this bright dessert came from are unknown. One theory is the scarcity of cocoa during WWII led cooks to use beets to add color and flavor to desserts.  

The theory I’m most familiar with however involves it having Southern roots, as I was born and raised in Georgia, where serving red velvet cake slices made with buttermilk was common during post-church service meals and at family gatherings. My grandmother would even send me back to school with a container full of homemade red velvet cupcakes when I would visit her. 

But since I’m celebrating Juneteenth in New York this year, I sought out the best Black-owned bakeries to grab a slice (or in some cases a whole cake). Pair yours with Bad & Boozy Cocktail Co.’s red “Bey’s Lemonade” or Ode to Babel’s “Sorrel Not Sorry,”  — both of which are available to go. Remember to abide by each bakery’s social distancing rules. 

Make My Cake
Make My Cake
Make My Cake

Make My Cake

Upper West Side and Harlem
There’s something unique about a bakery that uses family recipes, especially when those recipes combine the southern flavors of Alabama and Mississippi with the soul of Harlem. This is what creates the magic at Make My Cake, which has been featured in Essence, The New York Times, and Black Enterprise. Although Make My Cake serves a variety of desserts like German chocolate cake, key lime pie, sweet potato pie, New York-style cheesecake, and an array of cookies, the red velvet cake is what you need to order here. The rich red cake topped with buttercream frosting will turn you into a regular customer for sure. Try it as a cupcake, a slice, or a whole cake.  
How to order: Place an order on Seamless, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub or pick up in-store

BCakeNY

Prospect Heights
Chances are you’ve seen BCakeNY all over your Instagram and watched in awe at how a cake can take so many forms and still remain 100% edible. From Jordan sneaker boxes (and the shoes) to an ultra realistic Yoda cake, this shop located in Prospect Heights can pretty much create a cake of anything. But if you’d rather start off with baby steps, try one of BCakeNY’s cake jars which comes in an assortment of flavors including red velvet, vanilla, lemon, carrot, blue velvet, and Hennessey. There’s a limited amount of cupcakes available in-store daily, so give the store a call ahead of time to make sure red velvet is one of them. You can also order a dozen cupcakes ahead of time online here.  
How to order: Order online through the website or call 347-787-7199

Brooklyn Sweet Spot
Brooklyn Sweet Spot
Brooklyn Sweet Spot

The Brooklyn Sweet Spot

Fort Greene
If you’re near the Fort Greene area, visit The Brooklyn Sweet Spot to try one of the “Sexy Lady” red velvet cupcakes. It would be wise to get to the shop early as the red velvet cupcakes are one of the more popular flavors so they disappear quickly. If a big Juneteenth party is in your plans and you need a custom red velvet cake, please order online at least 72 hours in advance to allow time for the staff to fill your order. If you arrive just after the last of the red velvet cupcakes have been bought, try the Sweet Spots, which are buttery shortbread cookies filled with homemade strawberry preserves or a strawberry cheesecake jar.
How to order: Place an order on Postmates, order on the website or pick up in-store    

The Bakery on Bergen

Prospect Heights
Owned by Akim Vann, the daughter of Grammy award-winning songwriter and producer Teddy Van (who gave us “Santa Claus Is a Black Man” and co-wrote Luther Vandross’ “Power of Love/Love Power”), The Bakery on Bergen’s sense of community is what makes it stand out. Vann and her team host special events and classes to empower the Brooklyn community through baking and education. If you aren’t too full from the red velvet cupcakes finished with cream cheese frosting, make sure you grab a chocolate chip cookie made with smoked sea salt.  
How to order: Pick up in store or order on Grubhub

Baked Cravings
Baked Cravings
Baked Cravings

Baked Cravings

Harlem
Craig Watson, owner of Baked Cravings, is also a father who made it his mission to create desserts more accessible for children with nut allergies. According to their website, Baked Cravings’ facility is nut-free and all ingredients are sourced from nut-free vendors. This means even if you have nut allergy restrictions, you can still enjoy red velvet cupcakes and red velvet cupcakes in a jar
How to order: Place an order through UberEats, Grubhub, Doordash, Postmates or pick up in store

Lloyd’s Carrot Cake

The Bronx and Manhattan
Don’t let this name of this charming bakery fool you. Lloyd’s Carrot Cake does in fact sell more than delicious carrot cake. What started as Lloyd Adams’ hard work to perfect a carrot cake recipe passed down from his mother, turned into an iconic staple in the New York community. In 1985, the late baker opened his first location in the Riverdale area of the Bronx. After his passing, his wife, children and staff continued his strong legacy. Today, the small but bustling storefront is famous not only for its carrot cake, but also the pies, muffins, and other cake flavors — including red velvet which comes in slices, cupcakes, sheet size and round. The line for Lloyd’s is known to wrap around the block so plan accordingly.
How to order: Pick up in store or order through Uber Eats (Bronx location and Manhattan location)

Brooklyn Baby Cakes
Brooklyn Baby Cakes
Brooklyn Baby Cakes

Brooklyn Baby Cakes

Bed-Stuy
The first cake Myriam Nicolas made when her baking journey began was a red velvet cake. Nicolas went on to continue baking these red delights out of her home and eventually opened Brooklyn Baby Cakes in Bed-Stuy. Nicolas says the red velvet cake is still the most requested and is the top seller in her shop. Each red velvet cupcake is topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and also comes in mini sizes if you think you’ll want more than one (which you probably will). 
How to order: Stop by in-store or order through Uber Eats, Seamless, or Grubhub

Abu’s Homestyle Bakery

Bed-Stuy
“Home of the Bean Pie,” Abu’s Homestyle Bakery is known for its bean pies which date back to the 1930s. The use of navy beans to create dishes was popular throughout the National of Islam, and the bean pie and bean soup were two of the most prominent. Abu’s bean pies and other desserts like whole red velvet cakes, cupcakes, and slices are available in-store and can also be shipped directly to you when you order on their website
How to order: Order on the website, call 718-230-1115, or pick up in-store

Doc's Cake Shop
Doc’s Cake Shop
Doc’s Cake Shop

Doc’s Cake Shop

Bed-Stuy
Doc’s Cake Shop was originally founded as “Doc D’s Southern Desserts” in 2010 by Darrell Oswald Christopher Darwood, also known as “Doc.” In 2012, he opened up the Bainbridge Street location in Bed-Stuy where he developed and improvised recipes passed down from his grandmother, Joyce Darwood. You can get cake by the slice in flavors like German chocolate, lemon, Oreo, strawberry shortcake, and of course classic red velvet. If you’re on the go, opt for the red velvet cupcakes instead. 
How to order: Pick up in-storeSign up here for our daily NYC email and be the first to get all the food/drink/fun New York has to offer.

Kristen Adaway is an editorial assistant at Thrillist. She’s celebrating Juneteenth this year by eating a huge slice of red velvet cake, obviously. Follow her on Twitter.

New York

Scavenge for Peeps Cookies and More Fun Treats in NYC This Easter

The best Easter desserts in NYC this spring include Easter Bunny Churros and Carrot Cake Macarons.

Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery
Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery
Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery

As spring makes its way through New York City, not only do we get to enjoy beautiful weather, stunning cherry blossoms, and cool activities priced at $Free.99, but it’s also the perfect time for some limited-edition desserts.

With Easter fast approaching, bakeries are filling their shops with tons of chocolate eggs, carrot cake-flavoured everything and all types of flavours that offer both nostalgia and innovation within the city’s dessert landscape. After you’ve picked up a cake from the city’s best new bakeries, from Easter Bunny Churros to Carrot Cake Macarons, here are 8 Easter desserts to try in NYC right now.

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery

Throughout April
Various locations
There’s great news for devotees of Magnolia Bakery’s Classic Banana Pudding: For Easter, the spot is mixing up the iconic dessert’s vanilla pudding with some carrot cake. The Carrot Cake Pudding is filled with freshly grated carrots, coconuts, pineapples, raisins, and walnuts. And if both bananas and carrots aren’t your thing, they’ll be offering their Classic Vanilla Cupcakes in pastel colours with a Cadbury chocolate egg hidden inside.

Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery
Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery
Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery

Funny Face Bakery

Through Easter Sunday
NoHo and Seaport
Known for their celebrity face and meme-worthy decorated cookies, fans of Funny Face Bakery know that a new fun design is always just around the corner. For Easter, they’ve created the adorable Hoppy Easter decorated cookie that resembles a classic box of marshmallow Peeps. Along with that, they also have the return of their fan-favourite Caramel Pretzel Chip cookie flavour, plus a set of three mini-decorated cookies perfect for gifting.

The Doughnut Project

Friday, April 7 through Easter Sunday
West Village
With the ever-changing flavours at The Doughnut Project, it’s super easy to miss out on trying out a new debut. But this Easter weekend, there will be two new flavours available. One is of course, a carrot cake doughnut topped with a cream cheese glaze, and the other is known as the Doughnut Nest-a French cruller “nest” with a cream-filled doughnut hole “egg” in the centre.

Photo by Cole Saladino, courtesy of The Fragile Flour
Photo by Cole Saladino, courtesy of The Fragile Flour
Photo by Cole Saladino, courtesy of The Fragile Flour

The Fragile Flour

Wednesday, April 5 through Easter Sunday
East Village
For stellar vegan desserts this holiday, head to The Fragile Flour, a plant-based bakery and dessert wine bar. They’re known for going all out for each holiday with a variety of new pastry options that you can pair perfectly with a glass of wine. This Easter, they’ll have a whole dessert menu that’s both delicious and gorgeous for posting on IG. The menu includes Stuffed Carrot Cake Cookies, a Lemon Cake (whole or by the slice), some festive cupcakes, and specialty macarons.

Photo courtesy of Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate
Photo courtesy of Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate
Photo courtesy of Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate

Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate

Through mid April
Midtown
For a luxurious take on Easter chocolates, browse the selections available at Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate. You can even pick the Easter Signature Chef’s Selection for a special box curated by award-winning chefs. For something other than chocolate, choose between the Carrot Cake Macarons or the cake flavored Easter Marshmallow Trio, both of which are almost too cute to eat.

La Churreria

Throughout April
Nolita
This churro-centric spot is putting the cutest Easter spin on their crispy cinnamon churros by twisting them up into bunnies and bunny ears. At Churreria, choose from a Bunny Churro Lollipop topped with your choice of chocolate or dulce de leche and sprinkles, or the bunny ear churros in the Ube and Matcha ice cream sundae or the Ube Milkshake, both of which are made with ice cream from il laboratorio del gelato.

Photo by Briana Balducci
Photo by Briana Balducci
Photo by Briana Balducci

Lafayette

Throughout April
NoHo
You’ve surely seen this croissant tons of times while scrolling through IG or TikTok, whether it’s the Pain au Chocolat one or the latest of the month. Known as Suprêmes, these filled croissants went viral and continue to live up to the hype each time a new flavour comes out. April’s flavour-sour cherry amaretto with a Luxardo custard and toasted almonds. While you’ll have to be super early and wait in line during one of their three drops of the day to get a taste, we promise you it’ll be worth it.

Photo courtesy of Levain
Photo courtesy of Levain
Photo courtesy of Levain

Levain

Seasonal
Various locations
We all know the iconic cookies from Levain-they’re gigantic, perfectly crispy and chewy, and well worth the long lines. For spring, the shop is launching a new flavour: Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip. Filled with gooey caramel chips, fresh shredded coconut, and melty dark chocolate, it’s one you’ve got to try while it’s still around. To further celebrate the new season, all of Levain’s storefronts will be decked out in spring floral displays, serving as the perfect backdrop for pictures.

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Alaina Cintron is an Editorial Assistant at Thrillist. Her work can also be found in Westchester Magazine, Girls’ Life, and Spoon University. When she’s not at her desk typing away, you can find her exploring a local coffee shop or baking a new recipe.

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