This book is all about inspiring cupcakes that delight the eye and tickle the imagination. The focus of the book is on decorating and transforming a plain cupcake into fun faces, furry pups, happy sunflowers, and dozens of other creations. Six different cupcake recipes are offered along with six frostings, and six cake mix variations. The rest of the book is full of step-by-step how-tos for working the icing and embellishments into delightful pieces. You'll enjoy choosing your favorite construction, then riffing on the theme for your own cupcake improvisation.

Cake Pops by Bakerella. Copyright © 2010 by Angie Dudley. Published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.

Like the author's own experience, after our first cake ball, we noted that this was a subject to be revisited. We immediately fell in love with the Cake Pops book as an excellent guide for our explorations. The basics are presented thoroughly with all the tips for success generously included. From there, more than 40 different creations are detailed and pictured - from Spring Chicks, Bride & Groom Cake Pops, to Lovely Little Ladybugs - there's a cake pop for every occasion and every season. After initial success, you'll want to make more and expand your abilities - the instructions and tools for beginners and the advanced alike are all there waiting for you!