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.

Christa Kelso's goal is to make cupcakes that are ''mini masterpieces,'' so it's no surprise that she was eager to arrive in the Cupcake Wars arena. Her cupcakes come in a variety of flavors, such as Lemon Raspberry and Pumpkin Spice, and other tiny treats include mini cheesecakes and truffles.

Market Restaurant in Los Angeles is known for serving and catering market-fresh salads, sandwiches and other pleasures. The cupcakes are so good that owner Bret Thompson competed in Cupcake Wars. His restaurant offers classic Chocolate, Vanilla and Red Velvet every day and specials for preorder.

The art deco exterior of Milk serves as the perfect setting for its throwback menu of ice cream shakes and diner favorites. Milk's ice cream cone cupcake wowed the Cupcake War judges, but the bakers also have a way with cookies including the must-try favorite: ooey-gooey double chocolate.

As a former contestant on Cupcake Wars, Michelle Della Penna takes pride in using all-vegan ingredients to create delicious treats like cookies and brownies. Some of her signature desserts include the Cran Rustica (an oatmeal cookie with dried cranberries) and Fudgy Wudgy Brownies.

On this episode of Food Network's Cupcake Wars, the owner of Maria Antonia Cakes competes to win $10,000 and have her cupcakes presented at the American Film Institute's Young Hollywood star-studded party.

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.

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.

Sweet Daddy has a little something for everyone. Kids go wild over the rainbow Doodah sprinkles cupcake, and the classic Red Velvet is the number one best seller. Visit one of Sweet Daddy Cupcakes' three Arizona stores, or track down its roaming cupcake van for a taste on the go.

"Cupcake Wars" contender Bliss Cupcake Cafe has a menu of 9 to 12 cupcake flavors that changes every day, except for shop staples Red Velvet and Chocolate Milkshake, with two possible two gluten-free options. Owner Lacey Carney describes her bakery as, "a mouth full of happy."

On this episode of Food Network's Cupcake Wars, the owner of Glen the Baker competes to win $10,000 and have his cupcakes presented at the preview event for the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Stephanie and Lindsay Esparza started CupCakes in Scottsdale, Ariz., after graduating from college. In just three years, they've expanded to a second location, in Tucson, and earned national acclaim on Cupcake Wars. A CupCakes must-try: the vegan Skinny Mini, a lemon cupcake with gold luster dust.