Box of Cupcake. One Perfect Cupcake.

It's hard not to love a good cupcake. But sadly, getting one home without smudged icing or smooshed edges is an even bigger challenge. (It's tougher, come to think of it, than resisting  inhaling your newly-purchased treat as you walk out of the bakery's door ... or burning off the calories on the treadmill afterward.)  But if you pick up your cakes at Billy's Bakery in New York City, those mini-tastes of heaven will always get home in pristine condition.

How does Billy's pull it off? It's all down to the box, this well-designed portable case that keeps your cupcake beautifully unbattered and blemish-free. It's just made of paper (recycled, of course), but protects each treat, includes a handle, and has an instant gift wrap feel that's great to save the day if you forget a friend's birthday or other special occasion.

If you're not familiar with Billy's, here's the short version of its story: Two business school pals dreamed of opening a store with the charm and pure ingredients of a 1940s neighborhood bakery and went ahead and did it. Six years later, it's a thriving operation that just opened a second Manhattan location. (Take that, recession!) Red Velvet Billy's were even served backstage in the tents this year at New York Fashion Week. We didn't see any models eating them, but hey, more for us!

Billy's cupcake carriers are particularly popular — especially this time of year — as wedding favors. Yes, finally you can take something home from a wedding other than engraved napkins, bland coated almonds, and a hangover the next morning. In other words, you can have your cupcake and eat it too.