This afternoon I spotted the newest members to join the lineup at Babycakes on the Lower East Side: powdered sugar, chocolate-dipped, cinnamon-sugar, and jelly "doughnuts". These vegan doughnuts are delicious, tender with a hint of cinnamon spice. But blindfolded, you wouldn't mistake these baked versions for the real thing. Though a committed omnivore, I've generally been a fan of Babycakes, perhaps the most popular of the vegan-friendly bakeries in town.

The doughnuts are petite and pricey ($3.50), like everything else here, obviously due to the higher cost of ingredients. The "jelly" was a dark red strawberry, falling just the right side of sweet, with bits of real fruit. And the "doughnut" itself? Moist and cakey, fresh, with all the essence of a real doughnut. Enjoyable—though in truth, when I'm craving a doughnut, nothing will satisfy but an honest-to-goodness, deep-fried number.

Babycakes NYC

248 Broome Street, New York NY 10002 (map)
212-677-5047
www.babycakesnyc.com