Babycakes

If the idea of vegan and/or gluten-free cupcakes doesn't immediately sound all that appealing... well, I'm with you all the way. But given the choice between vegan baked goodies and no baked goodies at all—as happened to us the other night on the Lower East Side, ten minutes before showtime—clearly the former will win out every time. And I must say, though Co was decidedly NOT a fan, I enjoyed these Babycakes treats a lot more than those served at plenty of other animal-product venues (ahem, Crumbs).

Not being celiacs, my daughters and I went with the spelt line of cupcakes, sampling a vanilla with chocolate icing, a chocolate with the same, and a chocolate topped with vanilla. The secret here is the agave nectar, derived from cacti, which handles all the sweetening responsibilities in a subtle, yet eminently satisfying, manner.

The cake itself was moist and firm, the icing thick and creamy and, because Co was such a grump about it, I got to eat two of them! Also very good were the chocolate chip cookies which, again, I thought much better than those I've had in countless other non-vegan spots (ahem, Grey Dog's).

Babycakes is located on Broome Street between Ludlow and Orchard. In addition to a full array of single-serving treats, they also bake cakes to order. For lots more information about what goes (and does not go) into their goodies, check out babycakesnyc.com