Best cupcakes in San Francisco? Judging by volume, Cako leads the pack. Its network of seven locations in the Bay Area paints four-star restaurant quality into colorful edible artistry in the form of Banana Toffee, Strawberry Cheesecake, Tiramisu, Snickers, and so many other flavors.

Charlene Simon, owner of Fat Bottomed Girl's Cupcake Shoppe, aptly described "Cupcake Wars" as "the World Series of our industry." The bakery menu has classic but dynamic flavors such as Salted Caramel, Mint Chocolate and Lemon Lavender. Simon says she's proud to offer decadent cupcakes made daily.

Cake Creations AK goes wherever the Air Force takes them, meaning this home-based business has an Alaskan reindeer sausage cupcake, a Southern-style pink velvet cupcake plus another 80 flavors! Cupcake Wars judges loved their creativity, calling their spiced peach bourbon cake absolutely delicious.

Named after New York City's famed 21 Club, this cupcake shop takes a classic approach to its "grownup edge" cupcakes. On Cupcake Wars, 21 Cakes impressed the judges with its ooey-gooey chocolate cake. But back home, locals have fallen in love with the salted caramel Parisian macarons.

The "Kreative" in Kreative Kupcakes means baking nearly 25 kinds of gourmet cupcakes every day. Kreative's bright-green storefront isn't hard to miss, but regardless, its variety definitely has customers coming back. How about a Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla cupcake or Girl Scout favorite: The Samoa.

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.

Prepare to send the most delicious email you've ever penned. Let's Kiss and Cake Up! is a homegrown baking operation that sells sassy sweet treats out of Peoria, Ariz. Try out favorites like the Super Chocolate, Caremelloooo and Bananas Foster cupcakes, and you'll want to kiss the cook.

Skip the flowers: The cupcakes at Mia Bella Cupcakes come prearranged for you in custom cupcake bouquets. They look like flowers, but they taste twice as sweet. Try your hand at a dozen cupcakes with flavors like lemon blueberry, available in a style of hydrangeas or even daisies.

Don't let the run-of-the-mill name fool you. The Coffee Shop is anything but. It's an oasis in the Arizona desert packed with baker Jessica Cuff's mom-inspired sweets. Homerun creations like Boston Cream Donut and Chocolate-Marshmallow cupcakes earned her a triple-play appearance on Cupcake Wars.

Locals line up in the cold to order from Kastle Sorensen's mobile cupcake truck traveling all across Eagle River, Alaska. With more than 80 different flavors from Sparkling Apple Cider to White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia, it's tough deciding on only one cupcake.

At Cupcakes and Co. in Burbank, Calif., owner Maryanne Tongko infuses her cupcakes with international flair like ube (purple yam), mango and green tea. Other favorites include the Citrus Veil cupcake with fresh lime curd and the Black Pearl cupcake with Valhrona chocolate pearls.

An online baking business in Beverly Hills, Sweet Spils creates custom confections with the philosophy that cakes should be shared — unless they're mini, of course. Cheesecakes, pies and cakes are built to clients' individual wants and needs, and cake pops make for the perfect solo treat.

Leyna Doan is a culinary school graduate, and it shows in her cupcakes — at Leyna's Kitchen in Los Angeles, she's made Mint Concorde Grape cupcakes chilled with liquid nitrogen. Leyna's culinary expertise and creative recipes helped her stand out on Cupcake Wars.

Running a bakery in Beverly Hills for 15 years is no small feat, but that’s exactly what Farshid Hakim has been doing at La Provence Patisserie and Café. With years of experience and renowned cupcakes like their giant Red Velvet, Farshid was a hard-to-beat competitor on Cupcake Wars.

Sheila Heninger's cookie baskets made her a favorite with friends. Now Frosting, Ink, her dream cupcake shop on the corner, is a sweet escape for the whole neighborhood. Two uptown classics that never go out of style: Sophisticated Red Wine-Chocolate with Salted Caramel and Spiced Red Velvet.