It's all about choice at this cupcake boutique. With 125 flavors — including Lemon Drop, Peanut Butter Cup and gluten-free options — Nadia Cakes can satisfy just about any sweet tooth. Work your way down the flavor list at its locations in California and Minnesota.
All roads led to Choco Patisserie in San Antonio for owners Lynn and Lauren Townsend. Their decades of experience in professional kitchens reared two lean, mean baking machines. Their menu of flavors rotates weekly, including essentials Maple Bacon and Boston Cream every Thursday.
This bakery's recipe for success: food that's both satisfying and sweet. Not only do they offer over-the-top cupcakes flavors (think: Butterfinger, Boston Crème Pie and Creamsicle), but they also specialize in "Slovak Soul Food" like their hearty cabbage and noodle haluski.
At Urban Cookies Bakeshop in Phoenix, owner Brady Breese started selling cupcakes called OllieCakes shortly after the birth of his son, Oliver. One of the more popular treats is the Orange Blossom cupcake, which consists of orange olive oil cake with rosewater buttercream.
These aren't the cupcakes of your youth. Known for alcohol-infused sweets HAPA Cupcakes of Irvine, Calif., creates guilty pleasures for all ages that are sexy and playful. Gift a significant other with modern flavors like Strawberries and Champagne, or steal one away for yourself.
At Cupcakes Couture in Manhattan Beach, Calif., Cupcake Wars veteran Stephanie Franz prides herself on making cupcakes that are as beautiful as they are delicious. Their selection includes classics like Old Fashion Chocolate, petite Neapolitan treats and designer creations like Caramel Apple.
A background in title insurance with no formal culinary training hasn't held the owners of The Sweet Spot Bake Shoppe back; baking is in their blood. It's gained neighborhood acclaim for charming edibles like cake truffles and vanilla cupcakes with chocolate whipped cream and strawberry buttercream.
Twisted Sisters Cupcakes really turns heads with flavors like Cherry Coke Float and its super chocolatey brownies. To add to the twistedness, these Cupcake War bakers drive around Virginia Beach, Va., in a big, pink "diva" van that reads, "Move over ice cream man, we have BIG GIRL treats!"
The signature flavors at Mockingbird Cupcakes pay tribute to the shop's Nebraska locale. The Cornhusker, a red velvet cupcake, and The Cornflower, a blue velvet cupcake with fresh blueberries, will have you cooing, "Hush little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a Mockingbird cupcake."
Whatever you dream up, Sweet Dreams Cake 'N Things is ready to make it a reality. This Cupcake Wars veteran has been in the trenches with baking cakes, too, having made intricate and edible Versace purse cakes, football helmets and elegant showstopping wedding cakes.
Kevin VanDeraa took a little sweetness a long way. His Minneapolis outpost, Cupcake, started with the gift of a cookbook in 1987. It hooked him on baking and now, equipped with three Cupcake Wars appearances and flavors like Boston cream pie and s'mores, the sky's the limit for his sweet adventure.
On this episode of Food Network's Cupcake Wars, the owner of Love Sugar Cupcakes competes to win $10,000 and have her cupcakes featured at a star-studded fundraiser.
The sister-brother duo from Simply Cake may have impressed the Cupcake War judges, but usually they stick to wowing locals with their elegant tiered wedding cakes or whimsical birthday cakes.
With just a spoonful of sugar -- organic, that is -- Carla Jennings has become an in-demand baker for her sweet, simple cupcake creations. Locals and judges agree that these all-organic cupcakes embody pure elegance, with flavors like grapefruit champagne and maple brown sugar with candied bacon.
Make restaurant favorites at home with copycat recipes from FN Magazine.
Let Guy take you on a coast-to-coast tour Friday at 9|8c.