Let them eat cupcakes!

Cupcakes have arrived.

In 2005, our Food section reported that cupcakes were making a comeback and were no longer relegated to kids' birthday parties.

At the time, Utah bakeries were jazzing up these mini-treats with a variety of fillings, frosting and toppings.

Since then, several "cupcakeries" — such as So Cupcakes, Mini's and Diva's Cupcakes & Coffee — have opened in Utah, following the lead of big-city spots such as the Magnolia Bakery in New York and Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills.

Now it's pretty common to find cupcakes served at weddings and other formal occasions.

Valentine's Day is a great time to brush up on cupcake cuisine, as they lend themselves to hearts, flowers and all kinds of cutesy decorations.

What's the draw? Maybe it's portability. Cupcakes are easy to enjoy — they don't require a knife and fork.

Maybe it's the built-in portion control, if you can stick to just one.

Maybe it's part retro-food fun, since a lot of the cupcakeries sport a "girlie" ambiance with pink ruffles-and-flourishes decor that would never be mistaken for a steakhouse.

However, at Diva's Cupcakes & Coffee, there were several male customers reading and chatting in the paradise-like domed greenhouse area. Diva's seems to be a place to relax, as there's also a little nook with a bookshelves and board games.

Mini's has an old-fashioned parlor ambiance. So Cupcakes has a bulletin board where hundreds of customers have posted snapshots with thoughts like, "So ... Princess." "So ... sweet," or "So ... addicted."

At the cupcakeries we visited, cupcakes were $1.25-$2.50 each, depending on the size and type.

Recent cookbooks devoted wholly to cupcakes include "Cupcakes: Luscious Bakeshop Favorites From Your Home Kitchen," by Shelly Kaldunski (Simon & Schuster, $18.95) and "Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor," by Anne Byrn (Workman, $14.95).

Kaldunski's book features beautiful photography and demonstrates frosting and garnishing techniques.

Byrn's book is a continuation of her popular "The Cake Doctor" series, where she creatively "doctors" boxed cake and muffin mixes.

So whether you want to go out and buy cupcake treats, or bake up a batch at home, there are plenty of options.