Magnolia Bakery

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Behind the lacey curtains and homey, small town image lies a big business in Betty Crocker-style confections, so much so that a line seems to snake around the blue-awning corner in perpetuity. Most come for the fabled cupcakes, quaintly frosted in pretty pastel colors, but the cloyingly sweet icing and crumbly cake make it hard to determine exactly what the fuss is all about. Other options are cakes and tarts that sound as if they might have been invented by kids at a fanciful tea party, with flavorings like Oreo cookie and Snickers, but too much sweetness overwhelms these goodies, too. Chocolate pudding pie tarts are refreshingly sparing of sugar, yet a mushy crust keeps it from matching bake sale memories of yore. Overlooked items like the creamy banana pudding better hit the sweet spot, and while the staff brews a decent cup of coffee, a handful of seats and the milling mobs don't make it a great spot for lingering. — Kathleen Squires