Frighteningly enough, as someone who never finds things too sweet (I used to eat spoonfuls of white sugar as a kid and would dump white sugar on everything from ham to eggs to vegetables), I thought the frosting on almost all of the baked goods that I've tried from Billy's to be almost unbearably sweet. Of course, that didn't stop me from eating too much of Billy's and falling into a mid-afternoon sugar coma. - Mini sprinkles cupcakes. I find Melissa's has cornered the market on bite-size cupcakes and anything else can't compare with that next level of moistness (hate that word). Plus, Melissa's is decadent enough that I can stop myself at 2 or 3. With Billy's, because they're so damn deceptively fluffy, I'll eat the whole tray and find myself still reaching for more. - Carrot cake. My boyfriend will kill me if I say I liked this one more than his made-from-scratch version but this was comparable. What destroyed me was the buttercream frosting - so sweet and thick that I could almost taste the sugar crystals. - Red velvet cake. I'm a Grinch who doesn't think red velvet anything is all that wow-worthy - it's just red food coloring, am I right? Billy's version was nice and moist, even after a night in the fridge, which I suppose speaks to the amount of butter or oil holding everything together. Very rich and, again, super sweet frosting. This has only made me more pro-cake and anti-frosting. I wolfed down a few bites when I was super hungry but in a more sober state I would have scraped off all the frosting. Bottom line: don't come here for anything less than a ridiculous sugar high. Drink lots of water to cut down on the sugar. read more

I actually came across this place which was casually referenced in a New York Times article so maybe my expectations were a little high since I was EXTREMELY dissappointed in the cupcake I ordered. And, they don't have a restroom for customers to use. I ordered a standard chocolate cupcake with white icing. The cake part was so-so and the icing tasted as if it were store bought! I felt there was no trace of homemade goodness at all with this cupcake. Interestingly, the three people who came in behind me and the one in front of me were there to pick up birthday cakes. Not sure if it was the first time these customers purchased a cake from Billy's, but to be fair, they purchased them. I visited the store in Tribeca but I imagine their store in Chelsea is just the same. I would save yourself a trip and go to Molly's Cupcakes. read more

Billy's Bakery banana cake is one of my favorite desserts ever, full stop. Even my boyfriend, who hates cream cheese frosting (not sure what's wrong with him), admits that it's pretty good. I also have had their chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, which I picked up for said boyfriend's birthday -- chocolate on chocolate is generally way too rich for me, but I loved this! The cake was really moist and the frosting somehow managed to not be overbearingly sweet. So this review would be five stars for taste, but why are the people in this store so mean??? The girl at the register gave me such attitude while I was trying to buy my cake, and got frustrated when I took a minute to think about what I wanted (while there was NO ONE else in the store). Sorry, don't they pay you to work here? read more

This review is a couple months late....please see below as to why!!!!I ordered a coconut cake for Easter and to say it was awful is an understatement. I paid $90 for a STALE coconut cake!!! I was scheduled to pick up the cake at their Chelsea location. Two days before pick up, they sent an email saying the Chelsea location would be closed (Good Friday) and that I needed to go to their Franklin Street location. I live in Hell's Kitchen and it took me almost two hours to get down to Franklin St and to the tunnel. I was annoyed but thought I had a moist, delicious coconut cake to look forward to on Sunday, so couldn't get too mad. The owners should absolutely be ashamed of themselves for selling $90 stale cakes!! Do NOT order from here....you're honestly better off with a cake from the Food Emporium...at least theirs are fresh! Also, this review is 3 months late is bc I had to leave my cousin's house on Easter Sunday to drive back to NYC and just took a slice of the cake with me. When I got home I tasted it and realized how stale it was. I honestly thought maybe it got stale during the two hour drive, so didn't say anything. But this past weekend I was at my cousin's again and I asked her about it. She confirmed it was super stale but never would have said anything had I not asked. So that's why this review is so late! read more

I found this place via food for all! I didn't know they have discounted cakes & cookies via the app. This is awesome to bring some goodies to parties or just to the office read more

Billy's Bakery - Still yummy - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

I figured I couldn't ask for admission to the NYC Yelp amusement park without reviewing a cupcake place. It is the NYC thing to do (I guess). And I have a soft spot in my heart for Billy's. They have my favorite cupcakes in the city. The perfect marrying of cake and frosting. They are never overly sweet, overly frosted, or dry. Just the perfect cupcake morsels, if that's what you happen to be craving. * exhale * read more

Yummy, yummy, yummy I have cupcake in my tummy. My friend Julie brought Billy's Bakery cupcakes by a few weeks ago after I slaved over a hot stove making her Kraft Mac & Cheese before our night out at the movies. I was a bit skeptical about Billy's because I'm pretty well versed in the gourmet cupcake realm but Julie assured me these were awesome. I took one bite and was pleasantly surprised by the moist chocolate cake and frosting that wasn't overbearing in flavor, texture or amount. After having plenty of Eleni's whose chocolate cake tends to be dry and Magnolia, who always adds a pound of frosting on top of their cupcakes, Billy's makes a cupcake with a nice balance of both cake and frosting. Yum. read more

Billy's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

I've been here before a couple years ago, and hadn't returned since because of how mediocre their cupcakes were. I only did this time because I received a voucher for a free cupcake. Glad it was free, because once again it was mediocre. I got their seasonal Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcake. It's a cinnamon cake with cream cheese icing. The cake was stale and the whole thing was terribly forgettable. There are a hundred bakeries in the city doing cupcakes better than this. Don't waste your money. Hit up Georgetown Cupcakes. It's where it's at! read more

Billy's Bakery - Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcake - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Bought 4 cupcakes and they were old and very dry. Thanks for ruining my birthday. Guess the 9th ave location has the freshest stock. Boo.

If you like a flavorful dense cake and thick sugary frosting then look no further. Great simple look as well. I tend to prefer dense cakes and appreciate the cupcakes taste as advertised (as opposed to just sugary colored cake), but I typically hold the frosting unless it's airy and light. I definitely prefer Billy's over Sprinkles, bit my whole heart belongs to a bakery hailing from Long Beach (CA) or Chicago. I was the first to arrive for a sweet and wish there were better/more options. Another couple cons...not a fan the the frosting and a fresh strawberry should be used instead of the wrinkled mess. My other thought is I feel like these cupcakes were baked another day... day old perhaps? 3 1/2 stars for a cute clean bakery, somewhat moist, dense and flavorful cakes. read more

Billy's Bakery - Chocolate frosted chocolate cupcake, strawberry lemonade cupcake and coffee. - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Billy's Carrot Cake was phenomenal and just set my Carrot Cake benchmark. What really made it so scrumptious and unique was the texture of the cake. A real hearty (yet light) crumbly texture so un-cake like and almost akin to a multigrain bread. Packed into the cake were shreds of carrot, raisins, and a most pleasant cinnamon/nutmeg flavor. Cream cheese frosting was very soft and smooth yet still firm enough to hold it's structure when subject to the tines of a fork. Sweetness level was in great balance as neither the cream cheese frosting nor the cake were overly sweet, a trait very much welcome (some cake frosting can be unbearably sweet). A must try! The Snicker Doodle cookie was a cookie-cutter (no puns intended) version, so there was nothing notably special. It was clearly overshadowed by it's larger and more decadent Carrot Cake brethren. Go forth and seek a slice of the Carrot Cake (or Carrot Cake cupcake as I'm told it's the same, albeit smaller). Billy can bake a mean a** Carrot Cake! read more

Billy's Bakery - The famous Carrot Cake. - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Service was great. I was in and out with my cake but I have to say the cake was DRYYYYY. For the price, I would imagine a bit more flavor and not be so over baked. Ekk there's plenty of other bakeries in NYC, go somewhere else read more

Saturday I had promised my fiance doughnuts. I wasn't able to hit up a doughnut shop that I wanted to check out, so I decided he wouldn't mind (that much) if I got him cupcakes instead. I walked into Billy's and it was dead. It was 7 (and they close at 8). The guy manning the front counter had been in the back, but realized there was a customer and came out. I was looking over the cupcakes trying to make my decision, so half joking I said, 'oh don't worry, I'm still deciding you have about a half hour.' He took it in stride, and responded, well in that case, I'll just go hang out in the back, pretended he was going to walk in the back, then turned and said, 'just kidding! I wouldn't leave you.' Definitely points for understanding and properly reacting to my sense of humor. Unfortunately, I didn't catch the name of the guy who helped me. However, he was super attentive, was able to answer all my questions about the flavors, and what was in them, ingredient-wise. I got carrot cake, s'more, banana Nutella, red velvet, salted caramel bourbon and confetti. Cupcakes were so good. My fiancé was super happy with them. His favorite? Shocking not any of the special favors. He loved the confetti one. Don't worry Billy's, my fiancé will always need cupcakes, so I'll make my way back. read more

Billy's Bakery - Clockwise: carrot cake, s'more, banana Nutella, red velvet, salted caramel bourbon and confetti - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Its become a nasty habit.... taking an innocent walk and ending up in this mecca for all things delicious and sweet. I think i am most in love with the decor. Its bright. Its cheery. Its old school feel... it just makes me WANT to take my credit card out and do some major delicious damage. It started with an innocent cupcake one day... and then a slice of cake. And now, when i go in there its simply to try something different hoping my addiction will cease. Nope. Everything here is as addicting as it looks. The peanut butter pie is silky and rich. The banana cream pie is creamy and fresh. The red velvet cake is a mammoth slab of fluffy cocoa cake with a creamy frosting that is the perfect amount of sweet. The snickerdoodle cookies melt in your mouth. And the iced coffee is strong, but not battery acid strong... For all these reasons, Im considering leaving manhattan and working somewhere far far way where Billys cant taunt me... like Mars or Jupiter. read more

The cupcakes were pretty disappointing. Chocolate was dry. Red velvet was ok but the cream cheese icing was kind of funky. The banana was good but again, the cupcake overall was ruined by the cream cheese icing. The peanut butter bar was good but it's not worth going back here just for that. read more

I only just learned of this TriBeCa location thanks to TableHoppingNY, and I greatly prefer it over the original one in Chelsea. It's newer, bigger, airier, and plays better music that's more befitting of a bakery - no emo here! You can't go wrong with the Chocolate on Chocolate cupcake. It was heavenly rich and moist. They also had free samples of soft, melty lemon bars when I was there. Yum! read more

The Bourbon Salted Caramel was a hefty slice of cake, easily shared between two people. Mr. Joy brought this home for us to share. It's alright, not bad, but not great. It's a little too dense for me. Also, I may be biased as I don't usually like the taste of bourbon or liquor flavored desserts, because I think it makes the flavor cloyingly sweet. read more

Billy's Bakery - Bourbon Salted Caramel Cake slice - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Ordered a cake here for delivery the day before and they were able to accommodate me, although I got two different answers from two different people. So if you don't like one answer, call again! Anyways, ordered two cakes that arrived on time and just as I ordered. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but the chocolate cake taste way better than the vanilla. The vanilla was very heavy while the chocolate cake was light and airy. I did ask for candles and a knife which was not in the bag, but I'm not going to hold it against them. Needless to say, their stuff is good. read more

This review is strictly on the banana cake..... A friend brought me a piece of their banana cake today and it was soooo good! The cake was perfectly moist with a strong banana flavor and the cream cheese frosting is simply a-amazing! LOVE this cake! read more

Took the kids for a Friday summertime afternoon snack and ordered up a few cupcakes and a slice of peanut butter pie for myself. The cupcake deal includes a cupcake and a tall cup of milk for $4.50. Cupcakes have a thick buttermilk creme on top that some kids love and others will find too heavy. My son tasted the peanut butter pie and remarked that it tasted 'exactly like KFC [peanut butter pie]'. Not completely sure that's a good thing. It tasted just ok to this peanut butter addict. The guy at the counter was nice enough without being effusively friendly. Taking into account value, service, taste and variety, three stars takes the (cup)cake. read more

See all

I generally like Billy's Bakery items. Have purchased their cupcakes and cakes for many occasions for my family and friends' celebrations. So I decided to order a birthday cake for my son's first birthday from them as well. If you want a custom cake - I'd say go elsewhere. The customer service wasn't great, we went back and forth with multiple different individuals, trying to explain the same idea of a cake I wanted over and over again. They weren't responsive or willing to work with me. Basically sent me to their webpage where all the cakes were as is with no alterations allowed. I really wanted a lemon cake so we ordered one. It was a basic round cake for 8 ppl - $80. The scribble on top of the cake wasn't even nice. The cake tasted fine but nothing special. I really wish I went with someone else. Felt like a ton of money for a cake that I could have gotten at Whole Foods, plus customer service would have been better. Disappointing. read more

My friend decided to take us on a "quest" and somehow we wounded up here. I had a red velvet cupcake and it was good. Good, but the frosting was just too much- overly sweet and dense. I loved the decor and the friendly staff though. read more

Was surprised by the 3 star aggregate yelp review - came here today on a whim and was immediately greeted and feel in love with the homey atmosphere. Maybe I'm too used to the ridiculous crowds at Magnolia or the crazy flavors at Crumbs but I really enjoyed Billy's simplicity. I got a chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting, T got a chocolate with chocolate and we both got ice cold Ronnybrook milk (so good). Happily biting into the cake, I was pleased to find a dense, moist crumb with a smooth chocolate flavor. The vanilla frosting was sweet but texturally pleasing, light and balanced against the rich cake. Towards the end of the cupcake the frosting became a little cloying for my taste but was far less sweet than Magnolia. I also liked the size of the cupcake, large enough to satisfy my sweet tooth but I didn't feel sick afterwards. The cold milk was just the proverbial "icing on the cake" to my Billy's experience, so to speak. Staff was friendly, ample seating and the 50s and 60s hits playing made it a pleasant stop. A little pricey for the amount of cupcake but overall would rather pay a little more for quality and not for sheer cupcake volume. Next time I want to try the coconut cupcake! Will definitely be back the next time I'm in Tribeca. read more

Billy's Bakery - Cupcake! - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

The smell is just AWESOMEEEE! You just walk in and POW you smell like the baking ingredients like cake batter its just so delicious! I just wanted to lick the air, would that make me look weird? hahaha Fresh homemade baking done on premise. Small little bakery shop in Tribeca and they serve cupcakes, cookies and cake. They also have coffee, tea, cappuccinos, etc. Its pricey! A dozen mixed cupcakes cost me about $40. Nice workers. Small area you can sit and enjoy your dessert. read more

Billy's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Quick service and gorgeous cupcakes piled high with yummy frosting. Handy park bench outside to enjoy both and then move along. The chocolate cake with buttercream frosting looked amazing. I'll have to try it next time. read more

Yellow daisy with vanilla buttercream & butterscotch gingerbread..does it get any more cutesy? I prefer this Billy's location to the Chelsea outpost, mainly since it's more spacious AND less crowded & unnecessarily hectic. I was helped out by a friendly lady in the trite yet quaint shop. Solid sweets & commendable service in a store much like the rest of the Franklin strip at that point. March 2014 update: returned for a free Tablehopping king cake cupcake from the sweet help and dined in..pretty cloying and not distinct from others, but tasty nonetheless read more

We stopped in for a snack while wandering around SoHo and TriBeca and it was enjoyable. Decor: The shop is on a quiet street and is very nice and it fits right in. Then you go inside and are transported to a very small-town bakery atmosphere. It's a very nice break from the NYC streets outside. There are a few tables and everything is very clean and inviting. Bathroom: I don't think they have one for customers. Staff: The front counter girl was very nice and patient while we decided what we wanted. However, she was like most cupcake shop employees in that they always seem like they are rushing a bit, as if they are needed back in the bakery or something. Food: The cupcake was pretty good, as were the Snickerdoodle cookies (they were dense, but tasted to be a day or so old). Value: The prices are about what you would expect from a small bakery like this. While it was nice to stop in and give it a try I don't think we'll be back again in the future. read more

I'm really sad that I have to write this review because I LOVE Billy's Banana Cake. Today to treat myself, I went in Billy's for a slice and once again they have no cake to slice. So against my better judgment, I get two banana cupcakes ( I knew they was probably spoiled) and yep, they are spoiled. I'm truly disappointed. I will still shop at Billy's but no slice, no buy!!! read more

Love this place. It beats Magnolia any day. The place has retro-style decorations. read more

Billy's Bakery - Zebra Cake in Action - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Tried two more cakes but I was disappointed this time. The lemon raspberry cake sounded good, but it was sooo sweet and the icing was a little chalky. The crowd pleaser cake tasted better, but was still nowhere near on the level that the red velvet and carrot cakes are. read more

Billy's Bakery - Lemon raspberry and crowd pleaser cakes - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I knew there were a few locations for Billy's Bakery, one close to where I work, but this location was close to one of my workout spots which I didn't realize until my best friend brought me over! My go-to whenever I go to Billy's Bakery would be the banana cupcake with Nutella frosting! I came here after a workout..(i know. counter-intuitive) for one cupcake to share and the cupcake was on the dry side which was not that enjoyable. The frosting was okay but could've been better! My very first time having the cupcake was so memorable but the ones here did not live up to that top-notch expectation. read more

As far as bakery's go this place is the cutest and has some of the finest cakes and baked goods I've ever eaten while traveling. My partner and I wanted a snack and fortunately stumbled upon this place. The deco is cool and simple. The seating and tables are a little plain, but you'll be focusing on the spoonfuls of yum. The vanilla cake was light and fluffy with thick sweet buttery icing. The brownie was filling and so delicious you'll want to buy the entire tray. Coffee is available, which my partner had. I know nothing about coffee but she did enjoy it. The location felt a bit out of the way, down a quite street. However if you are in the area do track it down, you won't regret it. read more

See all

Cute little bakery with a bench outside and some seating inside. My office was celebrating a birthday so we decided on a banana cake. It was huge. It's pretty comparable to the magnolia's cake (size wise). The cake was moist and sweet. read more

Billy's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Charming cupcake-heavy bakery in the financial district. Their claim to fame seems to be that they put cream cheese frosting on most types of cupcakes (banana, lemon, carrot cake). After consulting with an expert (the girl behind the counter), I opted for a carrot cake cupcake. It was very good! The cream cheese frosting was great (how could it not be?) and the carrot cake had a nice ratio of cake to fruit to nuts. Was it the most innovative thing in the universe? No. But it was a tasty pick-me-up. Apparently the gigantic slabs of carrot cake they offer as slices are even more moist and delicious. I would probably swing by again if I lived or worked in the area, although I wouldn't go far out of my way unless I needed cream cheese frosting right that minute. read more

Billy's Bakery - Carrot cake cupcake - yum - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

Was in the area and had a sweet tooth so I decided to stop by for 1 cupcake and only 1 I told myself lol. I couldn't believe I actually found parking right outside the front door. I noticed there was seating outside to enjoy your delicious sweets. When I went inside there was a small line but nothing major, it went by quickly. I ordered the carrot cake cupcake, paid around $3 and left. Back in car I took my cupcake out the bag and noticed it was in a plastic iced coffee cup and lid... wth. How can this be a cupcake place and not have a proper container for your cupcake????? I thought the frosting was a little sweet for my taste. I wiped off half of the frosting and enjoyed the cupcake much better that way. I would probably give it a 2.5 it was an ok cupcake but alot of people raved about it. read more

Billy's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

I tried the coconut meringue Easter cupcake and the banana and cream cheese. The cake with the Easter cupcake was so dry it was almost inedible. The meringue was good but not creamy enough to make up for the dryness. The banana cupcake was much, much better. I'd just stick with that next time. read more

Billy's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

I'm glad to finally find this Billy's location downtown as it's much more convenient for me. This may be bad for my health, but that's okay. This location is a little bit hidden, but it is easily accessed from Tribeca or Chinatown/Civic. It doesn't have the same character of the original Billy's, but the cupcakes are just as good, maybe better. I went on their one-year anniversary and they were selling cupcakes for $1.00 each, and considering this amazing deal, the place was still practically empty. Enjoy this spot while you can. read more

Billy's Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - New York, New York

If you want your cake to be late and your party ruined, order from here. Their 12-5pm delivery window leaves you waiting around all day and they can't even figure out how to get the cake delivered within that time. That's right. My cake came at 6:30pm. Not impressed and will never be ordering from here again. read more

Billy's completely ruined our gender reveal surprise for our family. Put yourself in my shoes: you are having a baby, and your whole family has gathered together, including several people from out of town. We got gender reveal cupcakes from Billy's TriBeCa. First of all, the ordering experience was a nightmare. I was on the phone for 30 minutes to order a dozen cupcakes. I was put on hold about 10 times. When I asked for 6 vanilla and 6 chocolate... I was put on hold for another 10 minutes and finally an angry worker told me that they would "do me a favor", but "I would have to stick to the standard order configuration in the future." Just very impersonal, frustrating, and cold. This is cupcakes, people. When we finally got our cupcakes and surprised our family, they forgot to fill them with the gender reveal frosting.... so everyone just had plain, empty cupcakes. They truly have terrible customer service so I would order somewhere else for important occasions. read more

One of the driest cupcakes I've ever had. One bite and I threw it in the garbage. Trying this place a 3rd time in the last couple of years and has been consistently bad. read more