-The Associated Press

The cupcake is a classic, let's face it. An unsung favourite for eons, in recent years it has hit the culinary pop charts, even the art scene. The sugary little darlings have become big business, but they still retain their cosy place in our hearts.

These days not only do bakeries across the country sell cupcakes, but you can also go out to eat at a cupcake cafe and choose a ritzy cupcake from the dessert menu of an upscale restaurant. You can order cupcakes online from cupcake boutiques, make your own from one of the many cupcake-only cookbooks, and you can get married with cupcakes starring at the wedding feast.

Celebrity has spotlighted cupcakes, from the Magnolia Bakery in New York City, munched in endless reruns of television's Sex and the City, and cupcakes from Sprinkles in Beverly Hills, sent by Barbra Streisand as a gift to Oprah Winfrey.

Dede Wilson's newly published A Baker's Field Guide to Cupcakes (Harvard Common Press) is as smart and handy as a cupcake itself: a colourful ring-bound collection of some 60 recipes for every occasion, each with photo and "field notes" besides loads of other tips.

Children have always felt a close link to these diminutive confections, Wilson pointed out recently. After all, each cupcake is yours alone: "All of that cake and frosting is just for you."

Also, she said, "I think for a lot of us as children cupcakes seemed to be tied in with school functions - you often didn't see them outside that mother-child home-baking connection."

That was then.

"Now we see how versatile they are, how fun. They'll go from a homey bake sale to an individual dessert for a shower, to a campy, kitschy item for adult holidays," Wilson said.

The cupcake market has become so sophisticated that the little desserts are sold with their own accessories. In addition to the many holiday-themed paper baking shells a home cook can buy, you can also buy a petite cupcake carrier for a single cupcake, to protect and "stabilize" the delicacy.

Kara's Cupcakes in San Francisco adds a wholesome West Coast note to the delectable aura: they say they "make every possible effort" to obtain and use local, organic ingredients for their well-reviewed cupcakes.

Kara Lind started her catering business, focusing on special events and delivery, about a year ago, and says she's busy baking away while she's preparing to open a store. She e-mailed her explanation of the cupcake magic: "Small is the new big, and people love the personalization of a cupcake!"

Wilson however reserves says people respond to cupcakes on a basic but immediate level.

"One thing they have over other baked goods - they just bring a smile to people's faces," she said.