A great thing about cupcakes is, if someone's industrious enough, they can eat them whole in one bite.
But, the best thing about cupcakes is that there are two cupcake-only bakeries near campus.
Lulu's Cupcakes is perfect for the guilt-prone indulgent. While the cupcakes are decadent, students can ease their guilt knowing Lulu's cupcakes are made from all-natural ingredients. In fact Lulu's slogan is "100% Natural 100% Naughty."
The store is located in a slightly unglamorous strip-mall near the border of Tempe. It's about a 10-minute drive from campus.
Lulu's couldn't be more out of place with its drab strip mall surroundings. Decorated in achingly sweet lime green and pink, the store exudes kitschy cuteness. From the glass-counter domes of cupcakes to the wall of odd gifts, such as devil rubber duckies. Lulu's will steal the cutesy hipster's heart.
Of course, don't forget the cupcakes themselves. Lulu's offers seven daily "sins," like Bunny Boo, carrot cake with cream-cheese buttercream frosting, Chocoschnitzel, German chocolate cake, and the most popular, Blonde Bombshell with vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream frosting.
Co-owner of Lulu's, Danielle Lowe, says they opened the store a year-and-a-half ago because they saw an opening in the cupcake market.
"Now there are a bunch," Lowe says of Phoenix cupcake shops. "But we were the first."
Lowe, who herself eats cupcakes on almost a daily basis, says Lulu's primary customers are adults buying cupcakes as corporate gifts. And really, what better way to say, "Thanks for not firing me this week," than with a box of cupcakes?
Lowe says she thinks the appeal of cupcakes for many is the nostalgia associated with them.
"I think they remind us of childhood," Lowe says. "And they're a fun little treat without over-indulging."
Lulu's closes at 5:30 p.m. and is closed on the weekends, which also helps keep overindulgence at bay.
Further away from campus is Cupcakes in north Scottsdale.
Cupcakes is owned by the Esparza sisters and has been open since March 2007.
It too is located in a strip mall, but Cupcakes fits in well with the neighbors at this strip mall, the trendy Hilton Village Plaza.
Co-owner Stephanie Esparza says they opened the shop because her family is full of entrepreneurs and they love to bake.
The walls are painted a robin's-egg blue and two faux crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling. A large picture of the Esparza sisters next to a tower of cupcakes hangs behind the register, where small cupcake-oriented jewelry is also sold.
Cupcakes' treats may only fit in the mouths of the most talented; the cakes are doubled in height by their towering helpings of frosting.
But for those in fear of such a diet killjoy, Cupcakes has a vegan cupcake. Lemon flavored with lemon frosting, it's known as the Skinny Mini. For those wanting the opposite of the Skinny Mini, there is Cupcakes' decidedly indulgent bestselling treat Hollywood, red cocoa cake frosted with cream-cheese frosting brushed with gold luster dust.
Cupcakes makes its eight to 12 daily flavors of cupcakes from scratch with the finest ingredients, Esparza says.
What makes Cupcakes special, Esparza says, is the cupcakes are air fresh — meaning the cupcakes are kept in an open display case, unlike most bakeries.
"It makes them shiny and shimmery, which is our trademark," Esparza says.
Esparza agrees with Lowe on the popularity of cupcakes being partially due to their portion-control friendliness.
"People who aren't health conscious are going to eat them anyway," Esparza says. "But for people who are, it's less than a slice of cake and, once it's gone, you're finished."
Lunchtime is the busiest time for the shop, Esparza says. Word on the street is that Cupcakes sells out early. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays, it's probably in students' best interest to get to Cupcakes earlier rather than later.
Caitlin Torres, a junior ASU journalism student, doesn't think the prices (approximately $3 a cupcake at both shops) are worth it.
"Maybe if I got like six (cupcakes) for that," Torres says, "but I wouldn't pay that much for one."
But Torres might just be lucky. Her parents are excellent cooks, and Torres' favorite cupcakes, strawberry cheesecake with strawberry-cheesecake frosting and green sprinkles, are homemade by her family.
Her families' cupcakes are so good in fact, Torres wonders if maybe she's the one who should be peddling cupcakes.
"Maybe I should go and sell them my cupcakes," Torres says with a laugh.