Sweet Thing: Cupcakes in Los Angeles

10595 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064 (map)

"Please stop by, we want to butter you up!" Such is the greeting of this hidden sweet shop tucked behind the chi-chi Sunset Plaza. Aside from the cakes, cookies and fruity tarts, the cupcakes (buttercream, red velvet and chocolate are offered with a variety of frostings) satisfy sweet tooths with their simple, looks-just-like-Mom-made-them goodness.

2918 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505 (map)

Fro-yo might be the latest sweet trend sweeping L.A., but cupcake mania is far from over. Burbank's gourmet bakery is devoted solely to this sugary icon's existence with 30 selections like the popular red velvet and Hawaiian coconut.

8350 W Third St, Los Angeles, CA 90048 (map)

Sure, this gourmet market-cafe does a little bit of everything for the tragically trendy Hollywood set, but the cupcakes here are no doubt the real stars of the show. Gorgeous raspberry-filled cakes are topped with ribbony pink frosting while the red velvet cupcakes are dense and delicious. It's time these babies got their close up.

9635 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90291 (map)

The pint-sized shop that started it all, this cupcakery to the stars bakes up 20 flavors every week. (You can't go wrong with basics like strawberry and vanilla.) Even though it's been open since 2005, Sprinkles still manages to make otherwise seemingly rational people stand outside in line and wait for up to an hour just to get a taste of the sweet things ... if they haven't all been sold, that is.

1710 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (map)

Silver Lake sweet tooths with a yen for Hostess cupcakes can't get enough of the homemade--and humongous--versions of the classic at this laidback eatery. Expect twists like raspberry filling and white chocolate frosting swirls.

11708 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 (map)

Step inside this retro-chic Brentwood space for the flavors and aromas of grandma's kitchen. While cakes at any size are here for the making (and taking), it's the frosting-filled cupcakes in flavors like chocolate mint and luscious lemon that keep folks coming back for more.

512 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (map)

The tiny shop on Wilshire looks like a dreamily frosted little cake itself--pale pink buttercream walls, white icing trim, milky white chandeliers and sparkly glass pastry cases. But enough eye candy--the real treats are the sugary cupcakes in rotating flavors like key lime, black and white, and of course, vanilla bean.

4616 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041 (map)

Savory classics might lure locals to this Eagle Rock diner, but the real reason people make the pilgrimage from all over L.A. drive? The famous red velvet and coconut cupcakes. Word of advice: Get here early as they usually sell out by the afternoon.