The national media went on a sugar high late last year, and it's still buzzing about cupcakes.  First, it was a Washington Post newspaper column.  Now, is the cupcake craze ready for primetime TV?

Apparently so.  Food Network is considering an entire TV series devoted to cupcakes, and it's tentatively called "Cupcake Wars."

The Washington Post took coverage to another level when they started their own Cupcake Wars on September 10, 2008.  Over an eight-week period, food critics sampled 141 varieties of cupcakes inside the Beltway, documented their results, and told their tales of flavor.  After all was eaten and said, The Post declared the chocolate ganache cupcake from Georgetown Cupcakes as the winner.

And now this.  About 10 days ago, Food Network filed a trademark application to protect 'Cupcake Wars' for "a continuing program about food and cooking." I can't find any other details about the show and my requests to Food Network for more information went unanswered.  Wouldn't it be awesome if Food Network and The Post teamed up to do a "Cupcake War" series with each episode focusing on a different region?  Manhattan one week, Chicago the next, then LA, and Orange County and on and on.

Update on December 27, 2009: Well, we were right that Food Network was developing a program called CUPCAKE WARS, but it's only a special so far. The show aired on Sunday, December 27, 2009 from 10-11PM, and it featured four cupcake makers competing to have their treats presented at the Alma Awards. If/When we hear more, we'll update this page again.

Update on April 21, 2010: It's official. Food Network announced that CUPCAKE WARS will have it series premiere on June 18, 2010 at 10p.

For those of you in the Los Angeles area who want to do your own personal Cupcake War, here's a link to an LA-area cupcake map to get you started.  The map's not all inclusive, but it's pretty comprehensive.  Plus, I added a legend (with links) at the end of this post.  Enjoy!

BTW: I've sampled cupcakes from about 20 places, and I pick Delilah Bakery as the best.

Click here to go to Google Maps for the interactive map with addresses.

A. Auntie Em's Kitchen
B. Delilah Bakery
C. Lark Silver Lake Cake Shop
D. Toast Bakery Cafe
E. Joan's On Third
F. Cake and Art
G. Crumbs Bake Shop - Beverly Hills
H. Sprinkles Cupcakes
I. Clementine
J. Buttercake Bakery
K. Bluebird Cafe
L. Hotcakes Bakes
M. Le Cupcake
N. Yummy Cupcakes - Santa Monica
O. Vanilla Bake Shop
P. SusieCakes
Q. Big Sugar Bakeshop
R. My Little Cupcake
S. Yummy Cupcakes - Burbank
T. Cupcakes & Co
U. Crumbs Bake Shop - Glendale
V. Polkatots Cupcakes
W. Violet's Cakes
X. Dots Cupcakes
Y. My Sweet Cupcake

Picture credit: Emma Huang.