TACOMA, Wash. — Today's popular confections in the colorful paper cups are not your mother's cupcakes.

"There's something fun and nostalgic about cupcakes," says Krissie Bowman, Tacoma, Wash., owner of The Last Bite (www.thelastbite.net), maker of European desserts and wedding cakes.

Bakeries like Hello, Cupcake in Tacoma, Wash., (www.hello-cupcake.com) and Indulge Cupcakes in Puyallup, Wash., (www.indulgecupcakes.com) specialize in elaborately decorated decadence that puts to shame the plain-Jane snacks you may be used to eating from your yesteryears.

We asked a few bakers to share some of their secrets for tips on how to fancy up the cupcakes you make at home. Our experts: Odette D'Aniello, co-owner of Celebrity Cake Studio (www.celebritycakestudio.com) in Tacoma's Freighthouse Square, and Bowman of The Last Bite.

CUPCAKE SECRETS:

Start with a basic cake.

Try using a measuring scoop (sold in kitchen gadget departments) to ensure each cup contains an equal amount of cake batter. This will ensure uniform baking times. And don't overbake.

Use your favorite buttercream frosting recipe. Unsalted butter, at room temperature, works best.

You can also flavor icing with cocoa powder or vanilla extract, and color it using paste food coloring. The paste is more concentrated and gives a richer color than liquid food coloring.

Pack icing into a plastic pastry bag.

Use a metal-tipped nozzle for patterned icing designs. Both pastry bags and the tips are available at craft stores.

Start applying icing on the edges, and work your way toward the center in a concentric circular motion. Don't squeeze too hard.

If you don't have special tips or bags, you can improvise with a zippered plastic bag. Cut a tiny hole from a corner of the bag. The results will be less decorative, but still fun.

For a fancy touch, add food coloring to coarse decorating sugar, which is available at specialty shops. Pour the tinted sugar into one palm, and twirl the frosted cupcake's edges through the sugar with your other hand. Wearing gloves keeps icing from sticking to your fingers.

There's a special tip, called a rose tip, that can help you craft delicate frosting rosebuds. Keep your strokes short and small — one line up, one line down.

Use a paper pastry tube filled with green icing for tiny leaves. Cut an upside down letter V into the tube.

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING