Europeans serve savory cheese after a nice meal. Americans prefer something sweet and sugary. Alison Riede manages to marry the two concepts with her wildly original and surprisingly delicious cupcakes. She starts with the flavors and winds up with something that defies expectation. Recipes for salty, nutty, spicy, savory, tart, fruity, and chocolaty desserts include:

• Lemon Olive Oil Cupcakes with Sage and Sea Salt Buttercream
• Rosemary Parmesan Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting and Toasted Almonds
• Cucumber Mint Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream and Fresh Mint
• Banana Cupcakes with Mango Filling and Banana Rum Frosting
• Chocolate Pinot Noir Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling and Dark Chocolate Pinot Buttercream

One taste and it will be clear why Cupcake Wars handed her the crown. Her recipes are simple and straightforward, illustrated with mouthwatering photographs. This is a truly original winner of a cookbook.