See Tosa Bakers Compete on Food Network's 'Cupcake Wars'

One of Wauwatosa's newest businesses is about to become one of its most famous – and perhaps really famous.

The co-owners of , were chosen to compete on the Food Network's popular "Cupcake Wars," and the outcome will be revealed when their segment airs at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Nicole Bitter and Kimberly Hall know that outcome, but they aren't telling.

"We are sworn to secrecy," Bitter said. "We can't really talk about what happened on the show until it airs."

What she can talk about is the grueling format of the show, which anyone who has watched already knows.

For those who haven't watched, four teams compete in three rounds, all of which will be condensed into Sunday's segment.

"We competed against teams from California, New Jersey and Atlanta on the same type of theme," Bitter said.

The first round, Bitter said, "is a taste round, where they throw some ingredients at you and you have to try to come up with something unique.

"The second round is kind of your choice – you bake your best three products.

"For the third round you're supposed to take (the judges') critiques of the first two rounds, and combine those four cupcakes to make 1,000 cupcakes in a display that goes with the theme that was presented at the beginning."

The catch is that one team is eliminated from each of the first two rounds, leaving two teams to go head to head in the final 1,000-cupcake battle.

The winner gets a prize of $10,000.

And the runner-up?

"Nothing. Nada," Bitter said. "Except, of course, the exposure, which is certainly something."

Just to be chosen for the show is quite an honor. Bitter said there have been some 12,000 applicants, all of whom must submit a video showing their creations and methods.

To that extent, even those teams that end up eliminated in the first round are already members of the cupcake-making elite.

Bitter said it was her partner Hall who applied to be on the show last season, when the she was still putting together a business plan. They were passed over and thought that was that.

They had just gotten the shop early this year and were in the initial stages of turning it into a bakery when the Food Network called and offered them a spot this season.

They spent four days in February in Los Angeles for the competition.

In a face-to-face interview Friday, the poker-faced Bitter showed no signs of either excitement or disappointment over Signature Sweets' place in the judging. No tics or tone of voice gave any hint.

To find out how they did – and just how big a mark East Tosa has made in the gourmet cupcake world – you'll have to tune in Sunday.