The long-awaited Magnolia Bakery recently opened on the corner of 3rd and Orlando in Los Angeles to much hype and anticipation. The  L.A. location is the newest link of the small chain that started in New York's West Village in 1996.

The original West Village location received widespread attention after being featured in "Sex and the City" and SNL skit "Lazy Sunday."

The cupcake craze is nothing new. From blogs to organized meet-ups, it's clear L.A. residents can't get enough of the haute cupcake obsession.

Sprinkles Cupcakes opened its doors in Beverly Hills in 2005. Ever since, the cupcake bakery has inspired long lines of celebrities and addicted locals alike, tauting the cupcake-makers as the best specialists in these baked treats.

But with Magnolia Bakery's grand opening, should Sprinkles be shivering in its boots?

I decided to see for myself, taste testing a cupcake from each bakery to see which sweet treat left me more satisfied.

MAGNOLIA BAKERY

The new bakery immediately sends the customer into a state of comfort after walking through the door. With the rich aroma of the baked goods lingering in the air, my mouth was watering even before I got in line.

A crew of employees in crisp, white aprons frosted cupcakes in an open work area. With more than a dozen flavors of cupcakes, I was indecisive but finally settled on red velvet.

The Verdict: Ehh. Slightly disappointing. My high expectations were sadly not met. The cupcake itself was moist and had great texture, but the red velvet flavor was slightly bland. The whipped vanilla icing was light, but had a strange aftertaste. Overall, the cupcake was only okay, but not worth the $3.25.

SPRINKLES CUPCAKES

Because Sprinkles already has a reputation of being the best, I walked into the Beverly Hills location with the highest of expectations.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one with a cupcake craving in the middle of a weekday afternoon. The line in the mini-bakery reached the door.

To be fair, I decided to order the classic red velvet cupcake for better comparison.

The Verdict: After sinking my teeth into the delicate cake, I immediately knew the winner in the cupcake battle. The red velvet was rich, smooth and had perfectly light texture. The infamous cream cheese frosting stole my heart --tantalizingly sweet and addicting. It was clear to me: Sprinkles Cupcakes takes the cake.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Although Sprinkles won in the battle of the red velvet cupcake, L.A. residents shouldn't immediately dismiss Magnolia Bakery. Magnolia also offers icebox pies, cheesecakes, layer cakes, cookies, puddings, brownies, bars and squares. My friend ordered the banana pudding and it was delicious - a perfect combination of ingredients to make a refreshingly rich dessert.

If you're walking past and need a sweet tooth fix, you should stop by Magnolia Bakery. The quaint decor and charm are worth checking out. But if you have a car and your real craving is for a cupcake, I would recommend driving the extra 10 minutes to go to Sprinkles.

 

Magnolia Bakery:8389 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA

Sprinkles Cupcakes: 9635 Little Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, California

 

To reach reporter Amanda Tran, click here.