by Janet Smith; Photographs by Deirdre Rooney

No dessert is quite as irresistibly charming as the delicate, single-serving cupcake. The icing on the cake is that these delicious little treats are simple to make and simply delightful to decorate. The recipes in "Cupcakes"-recipes that are accompanied by large-scale, stylish photographs-are designed to suit any occasion and holiday, from Christmas cupcakes and Halloween cupcakes to wedding cupcakes and St. Valentine's cupcakes. Janet Smith reveals how different types of sugar and flour these little cakes and what to do if they are dry or dense instead of light and fluffy. Some of the tiny treats featured Lemon cupcakes Apple and blueberry cakes White rose wedding cakes Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing Espresso cupcakes Bitter chocolate and peppermint cupcakes Pistachio cupcakes with pistachio cream Strawberry mascarpone cupcakes Lavender cupcakes Chocolate orange cupcakes