Your first cupcake experience was probably at somebody's birthday party -- maybe your own -- when you were quite small. For many people, there's a reservoir of warm, happy memories attached to that little cake you could claim as your own. It shouldn't come as a surprise that when a few enterprising bakers started making gourmet cupcakes for grown-ups, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Two cupcake cafes are about to enter the scene in Pittsburgh -- Coco's Cupcake Cafe, in Shadyside, and Dozen Cupakes, in Squirrel Hill, which both plan to open Friday. "I've actually been talking about this idea for three years," says CoCo's proprietor Shea Mullen, who also owns Good Chemistry, which designs T-shirts for American Eagle and Barney's. "I've become enamored of cupcakes in New York and L.A., through my other business. ... The past few years, I've been going for cupcakes wherever I go." The childhood cupcake's hip city cousin probably got its start about 10 years ago at the Magnolia Bakery, in New York City, which gained national acclaim after appearing in "Sex and the City" on HBO. "It's very happy food," says Nichelle Stephens, who co-writes " Cupcakes Take the Cake " -- a blog that has become a hub for cupcake enthusiasts. "You know if someone had a nasty breakup, and they're eating a pint of Haagen-Dazs• I don't think you can eat a cupcake and be in a bad mood." And there's the portability of the cupcake: You can carry it like a slice of pizza with one hand, she points out. In the media capital of the world, an idea can snowball into a phenomenon fairly quickly. Being featured on TV with Sarah Jessica Parker and friends certainly didn't hurt. "When we started 10 years ago, it wasn't something others were making -- it's kind of gone crazy," says Allysa Torey, owner of Magnolia Bakery. "But we were open three or four years at the point when they came and filmed. So, we were pretty well known before 'Sex and the City.'" Now, there's Cupcake Royale, in Seattle, Citizen Cupcake, in San Francisco, and dozens of other cupcake bakeries opening all over the country. Getting a cupcake shop can say a lot about your city, according to law professor Mike Madison and economist Chris Briem, who write about the local economy at " Pittsblog ". They've speculated, jokingly, about "the rise of The Cupcake Class." "Cities that want to compete economically in the 21st century need to attract 'The Cupcake Class': people with the time, money and taste to consume small amounts of upscale baked goods," writes Madison. Of course, trends rise and fall, but the cupcake seems to have staying power. "Surprisingly enough, it's lasted," Torey says. "I think it's because it has such an appeal for reasons other than being trendy. People really enjoy it." To Stephens, the appeal is obvious. "Done right, they're the perfect dessert," Stephens says. "Not too much, not too little -- kind of like the Goldilocks of desserts."

CoCo's Cupcake Cafe Mullen, of CoCo's, thinks the cupcake is a perfect fit for Pittsburgh. "My first experience at a cupcake place in New York was at Magnolia Bakery," she says. "As I stood in line for those cupcakes, it evoked memories of childhood. Yet it has a hipness to it. I think a cupcake is timeless, and I think Pittsburgh appreciates timeless things." Mullen was inspired to name her business CoCo's by three things: Mullen's love of fashion, as in Coco Chanel; her love of chocolate, as in cocoa; and her affection for monkeys, as in Coco the gorilla. During the day, it'll be a cupcake bakery. At night, it will turn into a dessert bar. She and her partner Dennis Steigerwalt, are also planning on getting a liquor license for the cafe, which will take on the name Hot CoCo's at night. They've hired three local bakers to create their menu, including pastry chef Susie Treon, formerly of Cafe at the Frick. "I think we fit a lot of demographics," Mullen says. "It's a great place for families, a great place for a date. It's a great place for women to come and meet, without having to be at a traditional-type bar." It took a lot of research to find the right mix of flavors for the menu. "We've done a lot of cupcake tasting around the country," she says. "Twenty-five pounds later ...."

Dozen Cupcakes On Saturdays, at 4 a.m., James Gray, 33, of Regent Square, can be found baking in the basement of his temporary kitchen at Second United Presbyterian Church. Dozens of eggs, sacks of flour, pounds of butter and chunks of chocolate line the kitchen table as he begins to pipe out sweet buttercream icing onto gourmet cupcakes. With more than 24 unusual flavors, like the Cosmo, chai latte-vegan, the Elvis, mint meltaway, root beer float, key lime pie, white wedding and the black-and-gold, to name a few, Dozen Cupcakes has transformed the traditional cupcake into something new and exciting. "There's a cupcake craze in the world," Gray says. "A cupcake (is) a blank canvas ... it can be anything you want it to be." Dozen Cupcakes is owned and operated by David Wojtonik, 28, a consultant from Chicago, and Gray, a graduate of The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. "Dozen Cupcakes is taking the cupcake one step further," Wojtonik says. "Cupcakes are definitely a trend, and we have done a lot to set ourselves apart with our customer service philosophy, the feel of the space, all natural ingredients and specialty beverages." Even before Dozen's official opening, Gray has already attracted a clientele through telephone and Internet orders. "I've contributed cupcakes to charitable and holiday events and used a targeted e-mail approach to a variety of people around the city introducing myself and the company" Gray says. "The word is spreading fast, and it seems like people in Pittsburgh really want cupcakes." Newlyweds Jonathon and Lisa Fortier, of the South Side, were looking for an alternative to a traditional wedding cake. They served white wedding cupcakes from Dozen. "Our guests were impressed with the look of the cupcakes," Fortier says. "They were presented on a three-tiered cupcake tree. The white battered cupcakes were frosted with vanilla buttercream and decorated with silver non-pareils. They were incredible." Lori Potts, an event planner for The Events Specialists in Pittsburgh, recommends Dozen Cupcakes to her clients. "The cupcakes are unlike anything I've ever seen," Potts says. "They are gourmet cupcakes that you won't find in a bakery or grocery store. My clients go crazy over the red velvet and the mocha cupcake." Gray and Wojtonik expect the cupcake market in Pittsburgh to soar like that of New York and Seattle because of the diversity of flavors. "Once they have one, they will have the desire to have another great flavor," Gray says. "It will quickly become a part of what people do here in Pittsburgh." Additional Information:

Details

CoCo's Cupcake Cafe Grand opening: Planned for Friday Hours: 11 a.m.-12:30 a.m. daily Where: 5811 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside Price range: $2.25-$2.50 per cupcake Details: 412-361-2626 Dozen Cupcakes Grand opening: Planned for 5 p.m. Friday Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Fridays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays Where: 1707 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill Price range: $1-$3 per cupcake Details: 412-805-5119

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