The display of oversized frosted cupcakes in a variety of flavors en route to the register makes it nearly impossible not to indulge. The coconut cupcakes are especially delectable but don't give the chocolate or red velvet cupcakes short shrift.

This Orange County bakery offers a variety of cupcakes with flavors that change daily. Check the website for daily updates. Some flavors include red velvet, dark velvet, white velvet, peanut butter, cookies & cream, white-on-black, lemon and lime.

In addition to its five signature cupcake -- chocolate topped with a crown of whipped chocolate mousse frosting, vanilla, zesty lemon, espresso cake with mocha chip buttercream frosting and Italian orange -- this Torrance bakery offers a rotating selection of unique concoctions like sparkling pear, dark chocolate mint, red velvet, smores, double chocolate with bourbon and ricotta. For special orders over one dozen, call 48 hours in advance.

This old school diner serves comfort food done right. Top off your meal with a slice of cherry pie, peach cobbler or one of their famous red velvet cupcake. They don't make cupcakes every day, so if you see them in the dessert case, snatch them up. You can also pre-order their red velvet, chocolate and carrot cupcakes.

Big Man Bakes specializes in cupcakes, offering five basic flavors: carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, traditional red velvet, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, the "p;d school" (yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting) and coconut with vanilla buttercream frosting. They also sell mini-cupcakes for $1 each.

Conceived as a one-stop shop for the perfect cake, card and gift, Big Sugar Bakeshop offers an array of cakes and cupcakes infused with a touch of nostalgia, novelty, and artistry. Cakes and cupcakes look lovingly frosted with minimalist candy toppings. Most popular are the Southern comforts of red velvet, in both layer cake and cupcake form, and hummingbird cupcakes. The down-home fare also includes mom's apple pie and "State Fair" oatmeal cookies. The confectionery turns out hand-molded buckeyes (an Ohio tradition) and soda fountain fudge.

Their bakery features Danishes, muffins, croissants, brownies, bars, cookies, banana nut bread, a sour cherry brioche, cakes, cupcakes and more. The cupcakes come in chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, coconut or carrot with your cream cheese, chocolate or coconut frosting.

Buttercake offers six standard flavors of cupcake: buttercream, chocolate, red velvet, peanut butter, mocha and coconut. Their brownies, lemon bars and honey pecan bars also have legions of admirers. The pastry menu also features an assortment of pies, cakes, cookies, scones and more. Standouts include the double layer strawberry shortcake, the chewy chocolate espresso cookies, the apple crips, the lemon curd tart and the red velvet cake

Need a cake in the shape of a purse, a celebrity's head or the Eiffel Tower? If you can dream it, Cake and Art can build it -- with batter and frosting, no less. This small West Hollywood bakery specializes in elaborate, uniquely cake designs as well as photo cakes. They even offer cupcakes imprinted with photos and designed to your specifications.

In addition to lavishly decorated cupcakes, this Long Beach bakery makes buttercream cakes, character-carved cakes, tiered wedding cakes, cookies and novelty items like chocolate-dipped strawberries and petit fours.

As the name implies, this is one of L.A.'s most loved destinations for cobbler: peach, blackberry, cherry, peach, apple and more. But Pam, a.k.a. the Cobbler Lady, also makes killer cupcakes. Aficionados swear by her moist red velvet cupcakes with their dense, creamy frosting. And her 7-Up cupcakes are also a huge hit. The Cobbler Lady also serves a small assortment of sandwiches and other lunch items.

It looks like Sprinkles has competition.This New York chain of bake shops opened its first L.A. outpost in (where else?) Beverly Hills in August 2007. Specializing in gigantic cupcakes, they offer unique flavors topped with rainbow-colored candy: chocolate, vanilla and red velvet. Some examples: the Reese's Peanut Butter cupcake, a chocolate cake with a peanut butter buttercream center; the Caramel Apple, a vanilla cake with apples baked into the batter that's frosted with vanilla buttercream and drizzled with caramel; the Pistacchio, a vanilla cake filled with pistacchio flavored buttercream, frosted with vanilla buttercream and sprinkled with chopped pistacchio nuts.

After vying with Sprinkles for market share in the hotly contested Beverly Hills cupcake field, Crumbs opened a second L.A. location in May 2008. Specializing in gigantic, filled cupcakes, this bakery (which originated in New York) offers unique flavor combinations in addition to the basics: chocolate, vanilla and red velvet. Some examples: the Key Lime Cupcake, a mildly tart vanilla cupcake filled and frosted with key lime buttercream; the Fluffernutter, a vanilla cake filled with marshmallow-flavored buttercream and frosted with real peanut butter. For those who can't decide between chocolate and vanilla, there's the Artie Lange cupcake, created by Howard Stern's dessert-scarfing sidekick. It starts with vanilla cake filled with chocolate buttercream then topped with vanilla frosting, a layer of chocolate fondant and vanilla sprinkles. If you don't live in New York, they'll ship it to you. Both Crumbs locations also make miniature versions of their cupcakes.

The latest storefront in the Crumbs cupcake chain is perfectly poised to sate the sweet tooth of Americana shoppers.

In addition to all the standard high-end cupcake varieties (vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, coconut, lemon, strawberry, carrot cake, mocha), Cupcakes & Co also makes banana walnut, triple chocolate, German chocolate, tres leches and the wicked, a chocolate cake with cream cheese and chocolate chips baked inside and a chocolate ganache on top.

Delilah's cupcakes, which cost $3.25 each or $31 for a 9-pack, come in a few basic flavors (yellow, chocolate, red velvet, coconut and carrot) with a variety of options for the frosting. The chocolate cupcakes can be topped with chocolate, peanut butter, German chocolate, smores or Jack Daniel’s frosting. All of those same cupcake flavors -- in addition to banana, Italian cream, German chocolate and lemon chiffon -- are also available as cakes.

As its name implies, Dots Cupcakes in old town Pasadena does one thing and does it well. In addition to standards like vanilla, chocolate and red velvet, which are served every day, the rotating menu includes carrot, dulce de leche, chunky banana, kona, chocolate mint, banana cream pie, lemon drop, strawberry shortcake, pina colada, cookies and cream, pumpkin pie and Hostess cupcakes. (Check the website for a full list.)

Located in One Colorado in Old Town Pasadena, the second location of this "neighborhood cupcakery" boasts a cutesy, pink polka-dotted appeal and it's got the flavors to back its dainty home-baked image up. With a range of recipes to bake fresh depending on the day of the week -- imagine peanut butter-banana and strawberry-lemonade -- Dots keeps it dynamic, delicious and affordable. Can’t make up your mind? Check out the irresistible mini ‘cakes -- mix and match!

At $4 each, their "iced softballs" (a.k.a. jumbo cupcakes) are a dessert lovers dream and a diabetic's nightmare. They come in three basic flavors (chocolate, white & red velvet) with half a dozen frosting flavors including peanut butter, raspberry, chocolate, espresso, mint, Oreo or vanilla buttercream.

Lightweight, "European-style" cupcakes in an assortment of basic flavors -- chocolate, vanilla, carrot cake, red velvet, peanut butter chip and a few others -- as well as one original flavor: the Good Morning, a lightly spiced vanilla cupcake topped with graham cracker crumbs. They also make cupcake bouquets for any occasion.

This Costa Mesa Bakery, which has been around since 1956 and used to be known simply as the Cupcake Bakery, offers a wealth of cakes, cupcakes and other baked goods. They make nearly two dozen flavors of their "cupcake fantasies," ranging from common flavors like chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, coconut and carrot to lemon blueberry, key lime, mocha, German chocolate, mimosa (orange and white layered champagne cake iced with champagne butter cream) and cherry chocolate chip. Their snowcone cupcakes made with your choice of cake and topped with a globe of frosting that's topped with brightly-colored sprinkles, are a favorite for children's birthday parties.

This Long Beach bakery offers five basic cupcake flavors -- royal white, chocolate, red velvet, carrot, and lemon -- with a variety of mix-and-match frosting options: cream cheese, vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, Nutella and mint-chip buttercream. They also make seasonal cupcakes such as strawberry, orange, pumpkin and banana. Cupcakes are $2.95 each or $30 for a dozen and select flavors can be special ordered in miniature size.

Among the sweet new wave of bakeries popping up around town, Hotcakes offers cakes, pies, brownies, various desserts and a deliciously unhealthy assortment of cupcakes. Cupcake devotees swear by their red velvet, English toffee and German chocolate flavors.

From basic birthday cakes to elegant wedding cakes and elaborate theme cakes, pastry chef Jamaica Vawter offers a selection of desserts to die for: tarts, tortes, cupcakes, cookies, scones, cinnamon rolls, streusel bars and much, much more. In the realm of cupcakes, they have three standards that are usually onhand: vanilla, chocolate and red velvet. You can also order a host of other flavors including (but not limited to) chocolate peanut butter, coconut, lemon poppyseed, cinnamon spice, carrot, cookies and cream, banana and strawberry.

Along that interesting stretch of 3rd Street between La Cienega and Fairfax, the recently expanded Joan's on Third functions as a bustling deli and lunch spot, a gourmet European market and a deliciously decadent bakery, all rolled into one. Joan's makes three basic cupcakes -- chocolate, vanilla and coconut ($3) -- as well as a handful of more exotic flavors a spice cupcake with maple frosting, a marshmallow cream-filled chocolate cupcake, a peanut butter-filled chocolate cupcake, a snickers cupcake, a carrot cupcake and a marshmallow cloud cupcake dipped in chocolate ($4).

This trendy, high-concept coffee shop -- decorated to look a bit like a French bordello -- specializes in gourmet coffee and delectable desserts. As of February 2009, LAMILL has added red velvet cupcakes made with Valrhona dark chocolate to their menu, and they will be adding more cupcakes in the coming weeks.

Vanilla, chocolate and red velvet are only the beginning at Lark, where the cupcake roster includes a caramel cupcake, a berry shortcake cupcake, a vegan orange chocolate cupcake, a chocolate orange cupcake and something called an "old fashioned icebox cupcake" that's made of chocolate wafers or molasses ginger cookies layered with whipped cream, like a mini 7-layer cake.

Leda's Bake Shop features both traditional and vegan desserts such as cakes, cupcakes, cookies, muffins, bars, scones and tea cakes. Their regular-sized cupcakes come in chocolate and vanilla, but what Leda's is really known for are their mini cupcakes. These include raspberry-filled chocolate, coconut lime, passion fruit, pumpkin, dulce de leche, strawberry, espresso, a carrot cupcake filled with mascarpone buttercream and orange curd filling and a chocolate cupcake filled with peanut butter buttercream.

Leyna's Baby Cakes come with a "courtesy warning": highly addictive. And they are. The strawberrilicious cupcake won the the coveted and highly competitive title of "L.A.'s Best Overall Cupcakes" and was voted as "Public's Choice for Most Original" at the 2008 L.A. Cupcake Challenge. But she offers a wealth of flavors: pink lemonade, "poshtachio" strawberry, mixed berry cocktail, white chocolate wonderland, red velvet raspberry, bananlicious and more. Leyna's doesn't have a retail storefront; all orders must be placed in advance, and the pickup location is in Torrance.

In addition to delicious burgers and mac & cheese , you'll find some very good cupcakes (common flavors are chocolate, red velvet and, naturally, devil's food cake). The feel is that of a stylishly mod cafeteria, the food is upscale gastropub fare and the beer selection is impeccable.

As their name implies, dairy products (specifically the sweet, creamy frozen kind) are their forte. If you're not up for ice cream, try one of their cakes, cookies, pastries or cupcakes. Their salads, sandwiches and soups are also on the upper end of cafe fare.

Miss Priss offers a handful of basic cake flavors -- white, chocolate, red velvet, vanilla with chocolate chips, carrot cake -- and more than a dozen frostings that can be combined into the cupcake of your choice. You can also top your cupcakes with chocolate-dipped strawberries or chocolate molds that come in a variety of shapes.

Ms. Ruby's in Inglewood makes a variety of baked goods that they sell out of their own shop or to various restaurants in the area, but they're especially well known for their red velvet cupcakes and their peach cobbler. Their chocolate and yellow cupcakes are also delicious.

Started in the summer of 2006, My Little Cupcake makes 20 different cupcakes (some of which are seasonal) including standards like vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, carrot, coconut, banana nut and pumpkin as well as more elaborate creations like: mango-filled vanilla, vanilla soaked with coffee syrup and layered with coffee frosting and chocolate ganache, chocolate topped with peanut butter mousse, lemon topped with Swiss meringue and devil's food cake topped with a marshmallow and then dipped in chocolate.

This European cafe and coffeehouse is an oddity among its immediate neighbors, which include a dive bar and a single-room-occupancy hotel. The breakfast crowd selects from creative, nourishing offerings such as smoked salmon and goat cheese quesadilla, ham and egg pie and museli with Greek yogurt. Lunch fare includes sandwiches, panini, soup and daily selections of salads, quiches and meats in the deli case.

Chef and founder Jamie Cantor has set up a retail space in her commercial kitchen on Washington Boulevard, where the French Laundry alum has been baking cookies (her signature ones are oatmeal cookies with Zante currants, granola, chocolate chips and walnuts), cream puffs, tiny cheesecakes, brownies, madeleines (vanilla brown butter, sweet cornmeal, honey almond), lemon pieters and cakelettes (mini cupcakes). The cakelettes come in flavors such as chocolate, carrot, chocolate peanut butter and red velvet bottom cheesecake.

"We are enemies of shortening or artificial flavorings!" Polkatots declares on their website. This Pasadena bakery specializes in cupcake cakes in a tantalizing array of flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, lemonade, carrot, banana nut, ducle de leche, red velvet, coconut, the dalmation (a vanilla-chocolate marble cupcake with vanilla buttercream) and choco-latte (a chocolate-mocha cupcake with mocha buttercream ).

Different days of the week see a different assortment of flavors ranging from chestnut cupcakes with vanilla frosting to root beer-flavored to dark chocolate filled with cherry liqueur to banana cake filled with spice custard. The standard flavors -- vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, etc. -- are also available. Other desserts include bread pudding, rice pudding, chocolate lava pudding, sweet potato pudding, cookie, brownies, fruit scones and cheesecake.

Despite its cringe-inducing name and the fact that it's proudly gluten-free, the Sensitive Baker manages to churn out some quality breads and pastries. Sweet treats include quinoa-cranberry cookies, vegan snickerdoodles, chocolate-zucchini muffins, brownies, mini-Bundt cakes, vanilla or chocolate cupcakes frosted with non-dairy “buttercream” or “cocoa-cream," mini-cheesecakes and more. Vegan chocolate cupcakes are available by special order.

These ain't no 'cupcakes-from-a-box. Sprinkles come in over 20 flavors, are made from high class ingredients and are topped with sassy modern dots. Flavors include chai latte, ginger lemon, peanut butter chip, red velvet and banana.

These aint no 'cupcakes-from-a-box. These miniature gourmet cakes come in over 20 flavors, are made from high class ingredients and are topped with sassy modern dots.

A drive-through outlet of the well known Sprinkles cupcake mini-chain. You must call ahead to place an order for pickup.

They specialize in in an array of sentimental dessert favorites such as whoopie pies, snickerdoodles, frosted animal cookies, puddings, pies and cakes, they're best known for their frosting-filled cucpcakes, which come in regular and miniature sizes. Flavors include: chocolate, vanilla, mocha, peanut butter, red velvet, coconut, lemon, chocolate mint, strawberry and a handful of seasonal favorites.

They specialize in in an array of sentimental dessert favorites such as whoopie pies, snickerdoodles, frosted animal cookies, puddings, pies and cakes, they're best known for their frosting-filled cucpcakes, which come in regular and miniature sizes. Flavors include: chocolate, vanilla, mocha, peanut butter, red velvet, coconut, lemon, chocolate mint, strawberry and a handful of seasonal favorites.

Pretty much all of their desserts are decadent and delicious but Susina's molten chocolate cake is a real standout. Susina also makes wonderful cupcakes, though they're not sold in the stores & are only available by pre-ordering them.

Known for her floral wedding cakes, proprietress Jane Lockhart's Sweet Lady Jane bakery is cozy and quaint. Surrounded by Melrose Avenue's hip boutiques, it's a nice stop for coffee, tea and a bite of one of Lockhart's scrumptious desserts. Sweet treats include a variety of fruit pies, lemon bars, rugalah, scones, Florentines, various cheesecakes, apple tarts, cupcakes in three flavors (yellow, chocolate or red velvet) and cornucopia of cakes.

This inordinately popular cafe in the heart of the Mid City West cafe district offers California-fresh sandwiches, soups, salads, breakfasts and desserts. This is the perfect spot for sipping a latte and noshing on one of Toast'scupcakes -- which come in vanilla, chocolate, coconut, carrot, lemon, red velvet, blue velvet, 1/2 chocolate 1/2 vanilla and a few others -- as you people watch in mid-afternoon.

In addition to wedding cakes and other elaborately decorated cakes, the Torrance Bakery makes the full assortment of desserts: fruit pies, cheesecake, eclairs, napoleons, brownies, muffins, croissants, donuts, Danishes, scones, bagels and more. Their cupcakes come in three flavors: yellow, chocolate and carrot. The chewy chocolate cookies are to die-for. They also offer a small lunch menu: about a dozen sandwiches, a few soups and macaroni and cheese.

In addition to wedding cakes and other elaborately decorated cakes, the Torrance Bakery makes the full assortment of desserts: fruit pies, cheesecake, eclairs, napoleons, brownies, muffins, croissants, donuts, Danishes, scones, bagels and more. Their cupcakes come in three flavors: yellow, chocolate and carrot. The chewy chocolate cookies are to die-for. They also offer a small lunch menu: about a dozen sandwiches, a few soups and macaroni and cheese.

The Vanilla Bake Shop offers six standard cupcakes (priced at a $3.25 apiece) plus daily rotating specials like banana chocolate chip, toasted coconut, spicy carrot, strawberries & cream, key lime, mint chocolate, fudgy brownie, chocolate raspberry and old fashioned. Calorie counters, beware: the shop also offers banana pudding, tiramisu and various cakes for $10 and $20, depending on size.

Violet's bakes traditional 1950s-style cupcakes from scratch using bittersweet Callebaut or Valrhona chocolate, fresh fruits and sweet creme butter. Their winter cupcake menu alone lists nearly three dozen varieties including apple streusel and caramel, Almond Joy, Peppermint Patty, chocolate banana, pumpkin, baked Alaska, red velvet, chai latte, French toast, Boston cream pie and something simply called Elvis. This is in addition to the standard assortment of vanilla, chocolate and gingerbread cupcakes. Devotees swear their cream cheese frosting is the best.

Wonderland specializes in elaborately frosted and decorated cupcakes rather than creating innovative flavor combos, but if you want a cupcake cake, this is the place to go. Everyday they offer vanilla, chocolate and red velvet cupcakes along with three other flavors ranging from strawberry, coconut, banana, pumpkin spice, vanilla peanut butter chip and more.

With over 136 flavor combinations, you could easily go into a diabetic coma before you'd even worked your way through a tenth of the Yummy Cupcakes menu. The rotating menu features 18 options that are available in-store every day, and the cupcakes come in three sizes: jumbo, standard and mini. In addition to vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, carrot and coconut, their more unusual flavors include 7-Up; pink lemonade; blood orange; sour apple and vodka; the Blue Hawaiian, a pineapple, rum and blue Curacao cupcake frosted with whipped pineapple buttercream; a lemon cupcake topped with a lemon Pinot Grigio buttercream; the Elvis, a peanut butter cupcake topped with chocolate/banana buttercream; an egg nog cupcake topped with egg nog buttercream and a sprinkle of nutmeg; and many, many more.

With over 136 flavor combinations, you could easily go into a diabetic coma before you'd even worked your way through a tenth of the Yummy Cupcakes menu. The rotating menu features 18 options that are available in-store every day, and the cupcakes come in three sizes: jumbo, standard and mini. In addition to vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, carrot and coconut, their more unusual flavors include 7-Up; pink lemonade; blood orange; sour apple and vodka; the Blue Hawaiian, a pineapple, rum and blue Curacao cupcake frosted with whipped pineapple buttercream; a lemon cupcake topped with a lemon Pinot Grigio buttercream; the Elvis, a peanut butter cupcake topped with chocolate/banana buttercream; an egg nog cupcake topped with egg nog buttercream and a sprinkle of nutmeg; and many, many more.