From Cupcake Wars on the Food Network to DC Cupcakes on TLC, if you hadn't noticed on television yet, cupcakes are the in thing.The childhood favourite has come up in the world with a new, adult feel, and cupcake specialty stores have been popping up globally. Of course, Bermudians are always on trend, so it is no surprise that Love At First Bite, which opened earlier this year, is growing in leaps and bounds.Run by the mother and daughter team of Melissa and Kathy Marshall, this small at-home bakery has begun to make its presence known.“It started with my son's birthday,” Melissa explained.At Jayden's birthday, Melissa and Kathy surprised guests with delectable treats that were so good, that everyone said they needed to go into business, selling the personalised cookie and brownie pops.The white-chocolate dipped Oreo-style cookies and brownies, featuring photos printed on edible fondant sheets and decorated with colourful nonpareil sprinkles, were a huge hit, and before long the pair added luxury cookie bouquets and gourmet dressed cookies to the line up.Of course, that was not enough, so Melissa and Kathy went back to the kitchen to concoct some of the most delightful cupcake and icing flavours to introduce their Love Bites miniature gourmet cupcakes and Cupcake Plungers last September.“They are not just plain cupcakes,” Melissa said. “Each has a flavour burst inside.”According to Kathy, to create the flavours, which include Mojito, Chai Latte, Cherry Coke Float, Vanilla Bean Liquor Sundae and Pink Champagne: “We played around and experimented, giving samples to family and friends.”The Cupcake Plungers are truly unique. Similar to ice cream push-pops, these plungers feature layers of miniature cupcakes and icing, stacked inside a plastic tube that can be pushed up from the bottom, offering, as Melissa said, a “totally mess free” experience.The plungers come in a variety of flavours including Party Craze, which has confetti cake and a choice of coloured buttercream frosting; Chocoholic, which has chocolate cake and red cream cheese frosting; Circus Daze, which has pink cotton candy flavoured cake with blue buttercream frosting; and Happy Hour, which features orange flavoured cake with an Amaretto flavoured icing.With Christmas just weeks away, the ladies have also designed several seasonal treats. Their ever-popular cinnamon sugar cupcake has been given a holiday twist as a Christmas tree in their Tree's the Season cupcake, and the Chocolate Eggnog cupcake features a chocolate eggnog infused cupcake decorated with nutmeg flavoured buttercream icing.Peppermint lovers will enjoy the Candy Cane cupcake, with chocolate-peppermint cake and a twisted candy cane icing, and kids will go crazy for the Let It Snow cupcake, which features their one-of-a-kind “Christmas Candyland” flavouring.Other seasonal flavours include Christmas CAROL-mel Apple, New Year's Cheers, and Orange You Glad it's the Holidays with Cranberries.Christmas orders are currently being taken, but things are getting busy, so Melissa and Kathy recommend that you place your orders as soon as possible. Less than three dozen cupcakes can generally be whipped up with 24 hours notice, but bigger orders require more time.For more information, visit the Love At First Bite website at www.loveatfirstbite.biz.ly, by emailing loveatfirstbitebermuda[AT]gmail.com, or by calling them on 336-2403. You can also visit their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Love-At-First-Bite.Santa's Bermuda Pudding BitesMakes 30 mini bite cupcakesIngredientsFOR THE CUPCAKE½ cup cocoa powder1 teaspoons instant espresso powder½ cup boiling water¼ cup sour cream1 teaspoon vanilla extract¾ cups all-purpose flour½ teaspoon baking soda¼ teaspoon salt½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature1 cup sugar1 egg, at room temperatureFOR THE ICINGMake Bermuda Rum Sauce½ stick butter½ pound box confectioners' sugarBlack Seal Rum, to tasteTo make the cupcakes:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Mix cocoa powder and espresso powder into boiling water. Set the mixture aside to cool. When cool, stir in sour cream and vanilla; set mixture aside.In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until smooth and creamy, add egg. At low speed mix in ⅓ of the flour mixture; once combined mix in⅓ of the chocolate mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour and chocolate.Place mini cupcake liners in a mini cupcake pan; fill ⅔ full. Bake for 11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before piping on Rum Sauce.To make the rum sauce:In a bowl, cream butter and confectioner sugar. Add rum to taste.