Cupcakes, like babies, are smaller, cuter, and more tempting to nibble on than their full-sized versions. Make a modest cake proposal with today's Groupon: for $9, you get a half-dozen gourmet cupcakes at Gigi's Cupcakes, located on West Wadley Avenue. Gigi's won first place in the cupcake category in Southern Exposure magazine's 2009 Sizzle Awards.

Serving cupcakes to your guests cuts down on dirty dishes and eliminates the shame of being the first one to cut into the cake. The cupcake selection at Gigi's upgrades handmade sweets to gallery status with swirling farm-fresh creamy butter, well-placed fruit and nut selections, and decadent chocolate sauces that look inviting enough to swim in if they weren't gummie-shark infested. Well-prepared customers can check the daily menu for currently available eats.

On a hot summer day, fortunate cake cravers snatch up root-beer-flavored yellow minicakes topped with buttercream frosting, layered in marshmallow cream, and accented with an appropriate gummie cola bottle and straw. Other refreshing choices include piña-colada-coconut cupcakes topped with cream-cheese frosting, a fresh cherry, and a functional paper umbrella for those who like piña coladas but dislike getting caught in the rain.

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Gigi's Midland branch has been featured on MyWestTexas.com.