Solo resident Janissa Portincaso is surrounded by examples of cupcakes she makes for customers of "Swirls and Pearls," a business she recently opened in Houston.

With the popularity of television programs like the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” and the widespread surge of specialized eateries around the U.S. (especially in urban areas and college towns), the concept of gourmet cupcakes is certainly more familiar to Americans now than it was a few short years ago.

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