Both are good bikes from reputable companies. The key choice for me would be with the gearing. As delivered, both bikes have a similar low gear for climbing hills.
The Cube looks like it has a triple chainset (three chainrings at the crank). If you live somewhere with very steep hills then this may be the way to go if you have no sporting background. It's easy to get the smallest chainring changes to something smaller than the 30 tooth ring or even the rear 9 speed cassette 11-30 for something with a lower gear.
If you live somewhere with hills that aren't overly steep then the Specialized would be my choice. The 34x32 gear will allow you to climb all but the steepest hills when you start riding. Specialized has a wide range of women specific fit components like handbars and saddles. Small details that can make a big difference in comfort. Smaller hands need a handlebar that allows better access to the brake levers - something I don't see on the Cube.
At the end of the day they're both great bikes to start riding on. The most important thing is that which ever one you choose, it needs to fit you well and be comfortable when you ride. Bike fit is the single most important thing and trumps the slight differences in equipment between the too bikes. If it fits well, feels nice and looks nice, chances are you'll ride the bike lots.
I think I would go with the Specialized one, due to its structure and how its built. You can see a slight difference in the body structure and the material and I think it just is better for you, while this is my opinion, you can look at both and see what they can offer you and write a list of what you actually need and compare them till you come to the best conclusion of what is best for you.
You need to fix the Cube link. It opens to the Spesh page. Just from looking, the rims on the Cube may be marginally better than the Axis rims on the Dolce. My eyes aren't good enough to make out the brand. Entry level bikes have entry level rims. Some hold up better than others.
Now that I looked closer, they appear to be Shimano R500s, which are a very good entry level rim.
What kind of warranty does Cube offer? Specialized is lifetime to the original purchaser and they have a decent reputation for honoring it.
As far as quality of the frames go, I wouldn't worry too much about it. They are probably similar.
Specialized - despite their industry bullying - take very good care of their customers. Their warranty is second to none. I've seen 10+ year old frames come back with a crack in a weld and they replace it, no questions asked. A lot of companies look to get out of their lifetime warranties, but not them.
Mpre is right about the wheels - the R500 is one of my most liked entry level wheelsets. I have one that is currently on my daughters Dolce. What I like about them is the hubs are easily serviceable. Other than that however, I like the build up of the Dolce, more than I like the Cube.
I would stay away from the Cube because that "brand" uses some Cube components which could be problematic getting fixed or replacement parts for.
A crack in a weld is one thing, but a crack say on the frame not near a weld no company will warranty, they hold their warranty papers high and say "see, it says right here we don't cover for normal wear and tear!". And since aluminum has a finite life expectancy and the manufactures know this they won't warranty your frame. Ridley didn't warranty my Scandium frame after a crack developed at the top of the headtube, after a long battle they determined it was due to wear and tear and not covered...wear and tear after just 5,000 miles.
A lot of great comments here from riders who know there stuff. How blessed we are to have such a community. I just want to add one point that hasn't been touched upon. You provided the links for the latest models, have you ever considers looking a year or two older? You could save 25%-50% for the same bike a year or two older than haven't been touched. My LBS has a basement full of of last years models. The owner tells me that people turn there nose up at them since they want the "newest" model, even though the only thing different is the colour! Food for thought.
