Brown Betty Dessert Boutique
1030 N. 2nd Street # 601 (Northern Liberties Walk)
215. 629.0999
Elizabeth Ruthie Hinton passed down a valuable gift to the women of her family in her vintage cake and pie recipes. I have always had a weakness for a good cupcake. And since baking sweets does not come easily for me, I thank the lord for the women of Brown Betty Dessert Boutique!
My first visit to Brown Betty was on their one year anniversary. I’m not sure why I was on the guest list, but the invitation said there would be pastries and champagne, so I brought my friend Harmony and we started sampling all the goods. At first we were only interested in the generous pours of bubbly, but once i had my first bite of vanilla sourcream cupcake, I knew it was a million times better than any cupcake i have ever had. You can order vanilla, almond, lemon, strawberry, pineapple, chocolate red velvet, coconut, and carrot. My favorite is vanilla. They are not stuffed or sprinkled or fancy, but they are for real, and they are huge! You can order on line at www.brownbettydesserts.com. If you’re in need of more than a dozen of these perfect treats call two days ahead for special orders. The store front in Northern Liberties Walk is closed on Mondays.
On a daily basis I am also lucky enough to walk past Naked Chocolate Cafe . These cupcakes are nothing to sneeze at. Quickly becoming one of their signature sweets, the bakers spread pistachio icing on vanilla cupcakes and stuff mammoth keylime cupckaes with lime curd. Excellent idea! It seems like they have new flavor every week.
An honorable mention must go to Flying Monkey Patisserie located in the Reading Terminal Market . It seems by the time I get there most of the cupcakes have vanished. But, I managed to select two, and then let them melt in the back seat of the car. My picks were a dark chocolate cupcake with lavender buttercream icing, and a poundcake covered in cream cheese, with a pinapple wedge. Next time, I hope I am lucky to try the peanut butter jelly dot on top…pound cake stuffed with strawberry preserves covered in peanut butter buttercream. Their website’s cupcake map can help you along with your decision and if you still can’t decide they offer the cupcake fleet.
Matt surprised me with the most darling accessory, an individual cupcake holder from Grocery on 13th and Chestnut.

4 responses so far ↓
1 Foobooz » Blog Archive » Finding Cupcakes // Sep 4, 2007 at 10:27 am
[...] The Icing On The Cupcake [Finding Philly] Read More:Brown Betty Dessert Boutique, Dessert, Flying Monkey, Naked Chocolate Cafe [...]
2 anon y. mous // Sep 4, 2007 at 2:24 pm
I would like to say how irresponsible it is for you to report on Brown Betty like this. We have been going there for some time and were quite pleased that few knew where it was. And now you went and told everyone and so help me god if we have to wait in line because of you. Honestly, their cupcakes suck, don’t go there, go to those other places. Dunkin Donuts has better cupcakes, really, please, stay away.
3 Brooke // Sep 5, 2007 at 9:43 am
Just a minor correction to help people find these delish cupcakes (the more they eat, the less I will be able to!): it’s located at Liberties Walk in Northern Liberties (there isn’t a Northern Liberties Walk). That’s on 2nd Street just south of Girard on your right. It’s worth a trip and you can see the restaurants and shops everyone has been talking about…
4 Melanie // May 28, 2008 at 10:54 am
I must say Flying Monkey is my favorite, there Peanut Butter and Jelly Filled Cupcake is good, but the Pistachio one takes the cake..pun not intended.
Leave a Comment