Cake by the cupful

It would be hard to find anyone more enthusiastic about cupcakes than Clare Crespo, local mastermind of miniature cakes disguised as brains, crop circles, fried eggs, even balls of yarn. And at this Saturday’s launch party for her new kids’ cookbook, “Hey There, Cupcake!,” she’ll be sharing the love.

How many cupcakes will be there, Crespo isn’t sure. “I’ve made 100 before,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m going to beat my own record, but I’m going to make a pile.”

Some will arrive already decorated as eyeballs, bumblebees and other oddball items from the book; others will be topping-free for little hands to set imaginations free.

“Hey There” is a follow-up to Crespo’s 2002 debut, “The Secret Life of Food,” an art-meets-edibles cookbook with recipes for football meatloaf (a football-shaped meatloaf with onion slice stitching), caterpillar cake (assembled from 10 Hostess Sno Balls, googly eyes and pipe cleaners) and other fanciful foodstuffs.

But this Saturday is all about cupcakes. “It’s gonna be a cupcake party,” the 36-year-old said. “My favorite kind.”

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“Hey There, Cupcake!,” Storyopolis, 116 N. Robertson, Plaza Level A, L.A. 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Free. (310) 358-2500 or www.storyopolis.com.