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.

The motto for Simply Sweet Cupcakes is simple: "Your imagination is our creation." The motto came in handy on Cupcake Wars, as Simply Sweet baked a one-of-a-kind treat for the Harlem Globetrotters challenge. For a Simply Sweet bite, try the Caramel Frappuccino.

Stephen Lowry and Jared Sullivan opened Showboy BakeShop to fuse their two loves together: a good cake and show biz. Each of their gourmet cupcakes embodies the glitz and glam of their Las Vegas roots, be it the strawberry Showgirl cake or the Matinee cupcake made with a juicy orange cake.

Think of The Sweet Tooth in Blue Springs, Mo., as the perfect place to feed your cravings. Possibilities run the gamut from cupcakes and cookies to gelato and cheesecakes to cake pops galore. The Peanut Butter Dream Cupcake wins rave reviews, and cookie lovers go for the 14-inch Monster Cookie.

Sugar Cupcakery likes to put as much on the top of their cupcakes as they do inside. The signature red velvet cupcake comes with a surprise filling and a cream cheese frosting sprinkled in glitter. Along with the classic flavors, they offer cupcake specials each week.

Owner of Red's Cupcakes Robyn Redmon brought her unique baking style -- which she calls "causal glam" -- to the Cupcake Wars competition. The online bakery features a unique menu of fun flavors such as Strawberry Lemonade, Swedish Fish and Caramel Apple, as well as cupcake classics like Red Velvet.

Casey Shiller of Jilly's may have sent Florian Bellanger of Cupcake Wars "straight to the moon" with his mango cupcake. But back home in St. Louis, locals love the Bee Sting gourmet cupcake made with honey lemon curd and toasted almonds. For an extra buzz, Jilly's also serves delectable waffles.

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Weddings, parties and special events across North New Jersey were kicked up a notch when The Art of Cake hit the ground running in 2010. The crafts-loving, self-proclaimed perfectionists in its bakeshop are known region-wide for their custom creations that are as delicious as they are awe-inspiring.

Ava's Cupcakes of Rockaway, N.J., offers sweet specialties like Chocolate Salted Caramel and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, as well as savory renditions for the adventurous. Owner Michelle Spell's Italian roots shine through in fluffy creations like Chocolate Cannoli and Hazelnut Truffle.

With over 185 tasty cupcake flavors to choose from, Tan's Tasty Cakes delivers on both quality and quantity. The New Jersey bakery has become a local favorite with mini, jumbo, vegan and sugar-free cupcakes. Try for yourself with the popular Banana Pudding cupcake or Orange Creamsicle cupcake.

Behind the doors of House of Cupcakes you'll find New Jersey's self-proclaimed "Cupcake Giant," Ron Bzdewka. With co-owner and wife, Ruthie, Ron towered over the competition on Cupcake Wars. Meanwhile, back home they've won over locals with more than 30 varieties of cupcakes from brownie to lime.

Vegan fans adore Papa Ganache and so did the judges on Cupcake Wars who named Papa Ganache their favorite. Even without using dairy or eggs, this bakery whips up spectacular muffins, cookies and cupcakes, including the signature Drenched Elvis cake made with an addictive peanut butter buttercream.

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Michelle and Yolanda, founders of Taste Love Cupcakes in Royal Oak, Mich., met during college. Together they've competed on Cupcake Wars and shared their baked delicacies with the greater Detroit community. Their Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcake is locally renowned along with Vegan Chocolate.