A movie that ties together cupcakes and fatherhood should be pretty sweet.

But while "Operation Cupcake" (8 tonight, Hallmark Channel) goes for all the sappy notes, the lingering taste isn't sugar but vanilla. Not the fancy fragrant vanilla bean, but the tasteless artificial stuff.

Dean Cain plays Griff Carson, a military man who has been a mostly absent father and husband to Janet (Kristy Swanson) and Kim (Galadriel Stineman) and Ollie (Alec Gray). In his absence, Janet has started a cupcake business, opening one shop and ready to open a second one with an oily partner. The kids have gotten used to relying on mom.