5 Popular Magnolia Bakery Desserts, Ranked

The first cupcake recipe was published by American cookbook pioneer Amelia Simmons in 1796. The recipe was for "a light cake to bake in small cups" (via Food Timeline) and may have been closer in density to a fruit cake than the cupcakes we know today, but Simmons still holds the distinction of being a dessert trailblazer.

Today, cupcakes exist across a wide spectrum, from the super-sweet, prize-topped treats found at many a children's birthday party to gourmet bakery items with eye-popping price tags. One New York City bakery opened its doors in 1996 and quickly made a name for itself not only for its cupcakes but also for one of the best banana puddings in the U.S. Add in a cameo on "Sex and the City," and Magnolia Bakery quickly gained a cult following that led to new locations across the country and a few spots internationally.

As a celebration of the brand's 30th anniversary, Magnolia Bakery sent me five of its most famous items to taste and rank. Will a cupcake take the crown, or will the bakery's other famous item — banana pudding — make a push? Read on to find out which Magnolia Bakery item should headline your next order.

Magnolia Bakery reached out and offered to ship me five items: banana pudding, carrot cake, vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting, and red velvet cupcakes with whipped vanilla frosting. Magnolia Bakery ships a wide variety of cookies, brownies, blondies, and banana pudding flavors nationwide, and while I would have loved to try them, none of those items fell inside the bakery's Top 10 sellers list. (Cheesecakes are not shipped and can only be purchased in-store or ordered locally, so I was unable to try any of the cheesecakes.)

The day the shipment arrived at my house, I took photos of each item before tasting. My evaluations were based on flavor, texture, and overall quality.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

My opinions on red velvet cake are hardly a secret. I know tons of folks love it, but for me, it's the lamest version of chocolate cake filled with red coloring in an attempt to class up a cake that lacks sweetness. All of that said, I don't entirely hate the stuff, but it requires a special touch to turn a boring cake into something more (like this red velvet cake batter shake from Sonic).

Unfortunately, Magnolia Bakery's Red Velvet Cupcake with whipped vanilla frosting did little to change my mind. The cupcakes — which follow the same recipe as the full-sized cakes like the others on this list — were the driest of the three flavors I tried. The cake is dense and not terribly sweet, but that much is by design. It's not a bad cake by any stretch, but it's also not exciting.

The frosting is where a red velvet can be elevated, but the whipped vanilla frosting falls flat. While it sets up firm atop the cupcake, the frosting is extremely airy and quickly dissolves in your mouth. With little sweetness to speak of and limited added moisture, the frosting does nothing to improve the cake it calls home. Red velvet cake clearly isn't my thing, but given the better options at Magnolia Bakery, I wouldn't recommend it. There are better cakes on the list, including another divisive flavor that I usually love.

From one mildly controversial cake to perhaps the most debated of all, I present you the carrot cake. I'm a huge fan of carrot cake for a number of reasons. When done properly — like in these best store-bought carrot cakes — it's dense but incredibly moist and chock-full of nuts and a smattering of fruit pieces, including anything from raisins to pineapple. The best part of a proper carrot cake, though, is the rich, sweet, thick cream cheese frosting. Sadly, Magnolia Bakery only delivers on half the carrot cake promise.

Raisins, pineapple, coconut, and an outer layer of walnuts so thick it's difficult to see the frosting they rest upon are all positives this cake has going for it. The texture is solid; not the most moist I've tasted, but on the whole, the cake is quite tasty. The frosting, however, is wildly underwhelming.

Magnolia Bakery has opted for cream cheese, but forgot that it's supposed to be frosting; there's no sweetness at all. In fact, the slight sour aftertaste of a good cream cheese is the final lingering flavor of every bite, which is not something I'm looking for in a dessert. The three-layer cake has plenty of frosting, but without any hint of sweetness, I found myself eating around what's usually my favorite part in search of more cake. What's most surprising is that Magnoila Bakery makes some really great sweet frostings, but you wouldn't know it from the first two entries on this list. Thankfully, the next three items are all fantastic in their own right.

Carrie Bradshaw made this pink-frosted cupcake adorned with a sugar flower an overnight sensation on "Sex and the City" for good reason. The cake is far moister than the red velvet and carries a strong vanilla kick, making it plenty flavorful in its own right, but it's the frosting that pushes this one to new heights.

If you enjoy those super-sweet, store-bought soft frosted sugar cookies, then you're going to love this cupcake. The buttercream frosting is thick and brings just as much vanilla to the party as the cake itself. For those looking for an extra hit of sweetness, the sugar candy flower on top melts in your mouth.

I'd love to try this flavor in a traditional slice of cake where it's a little easier to control the cake-to-frosting ratio, but there's really nothing to complain about here. Good cake, good frosting, good all-around cupcake.

Not everyone loves frosting as much as I do, but it's hard not to fall in love with a chocolate buttercream like Magnolia Bakery's. Describing it as anything less than exceptionally creamy and decadently fudgey would constitute food review malpractice. Plus, this is the most whimsical of the three cupcakes I tried, thanks to a generous smattering of circular rainbow sprinkles on each. Even if they're not terribly complex and may not add much flavor, sprinkles still elevate everything they touch.

The frosting is undeniably the best of the trio, but the cake is as well. While the red velvet bordered on dry and the vanilla was quite good, this chocolate cake is great. The chocolate flavor is strong, but because the frosting edges more towards a fudge profile, the balance across this cupcake is near perfection. If you're looking to try one of Magnolia Bakery's core cakes, this is the one to snag.

It feels a bit like cheating to put the most famous menu item in the top spot, but the banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery has earned its reputation. While the bakery offers two other flavors — red velvet and chocolate hazelnut — I sampled the classic variety, and it was fantastic.

The pudding is the key to any good banana pudding, and Magnolia Bakery has found a lovely balance between light and airy and sweet and creamy. A banana or vanilla wafer-less bite is nothing to complain about, as the pudding's vanilla notes and texture can easily carry it alone.

Speaking of vanilla wafers, these are some of the spongiest I've ever had. With an almost cake-like texture, the wafers hold up especially well over the short period this may sit in the fridge without becoming soggy or dense. Finally, thick and plentiful banana slices bring it all together.  There's nothing overly complex about Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding, and that's a good thing. This dessert thrives on its simplicity, making it a must-order whenever you're checking out Magnolia Bakery.