Tuesday, January 26, 2010

She makes cake pops! And a few other things.

Cake pops have been, like, all the rage on those uber cool baking blogs and I've just been itching to take a crack at them. So after perusing a bunch of different sites, I decided on a method that seemed best to me.

Let me break down the whole cake pop thing if it's new to you.

Here, my friends, is a cake pop.


And here's a whole bunch of cake pops.



Everyone has a different method of making them. So I spent a whole Saturday figuring out just how to make these adorable treats.

An overview of the method goes like this

1. Bake a 13x9 cake.

You can really bake any type of cake you like. From a mix or from scratch. I decided to use a mix, even though I generally don't, in the future I'd really like to try a cake from scratch because you can very much taste the cake, and I think a non-mix might be really YUM. You're going to want to bake this cake the day before so it has plenty of time to cool. Then wrap it in plastic wrap.

2. Get some frosting.

I made cream cheese frosting from scratch. It's really not that hard. But lots of the recipes call for store bought frosting so that works too.

3. Crumb your cake.

I found using my hands and just rubbing the cake into fine crumbs worked best, but if you're prissy you can use some forks.

4. Add your frosting to your cake crumbs (in a large bowl).

I dumped all my frosting in and I wish I hadn't. It didn't really occur to me that the cake pops would taste exactly like cake mixed with frosting (I don't know why...) and I wish I had added the frosting a bit at a time until I had a consistency that would roll into a ball, but wasn't too mushy.

5. Roll all that mushy cake into balls.

I made mine about the size of a ping-pong ball. I suggest a bit smaller. Line a baking sheet, or whatever will fit into your freezer, with parchment and put as many on there as you can without them touching. Here's a great visual of what this will look like, as well as another good tutorial.

6. Insert sticks.

I just pushed my lollipop sticks in. However, I saw later that some people suggest dipping your sticks into the melted candy first. I think this is a great idea. I didn't and everything worked out fine. But in the future, for stability's sake, I will melt a bit of candy coating in the microwave, then dip the sticks in it before inserting them about 3/4s way in to the cake ball.

7. Freeze their brains out for around 3-4 hours.

8. Dip in candy coating.

I have a double boiler. If you don't just put a metal bowl over some boiling water and melt your candy/chocolate.

I bought those Wilton's candy melts, available at any craft/baking store in lots of colors, and I added 2oz of white chocolate to my white batch. I think this made the coating thicker, or better somehow because it didn't drip as much as the blue batch, which was just straight up candy melts.

It took me a while to realize that when the melted coating gets TOO melted (as in too hot) it doesn't stay put on your pop as well. DRIPPY DRIPPY. So I think it's best to let it be a bit cooler. I also read that you can add some edible wax melts. But I haven't found those yet.

9. Decorate.

I decided to keep it minimal with some sprinkles. However, if you want to be amazed and feel bad about yourself be sure to check out Bakerella's cake pops.

10. Let set.


Do not put these in the fridge. I learned that the hard way with some chocolate covered strawberries. You can, however, put them in the freezer. But I didn't want my cake to be cold when people bit into it, so I left them out at room temp. By the time I served them (3 or so hours later) they were great. In fact, I've had some out at room temp for a couple days now, and they're holding up just fine!

I bought myself some Styrofoam and inserted my sticks in it so they could stand upright to set. However another lesson I learned the hard way, spray paint will deteriorate your foam. I was trying to make my foam cuter (for display DUH!) and I sprayed it with glitter spray. 30 minutes later I had a warped and very ugly monster. I'm still brainstorming ways to make the styrofoam cuter. Next time I think I might cover it with frosting. MAH!

11. Take your cake pops to a party and bask in the praise.

Anyway. I hope this comprehensive list helps you muster up the courage to make some cake pops! Everyone really liked them, even though I thought they were a bit moist and needed less frosting.

I made the cake pops for my friend Tara's surprise birthday party. And because you can't put a candle in a cake pop, I decided we needed a cake too! (I know, I cannot be stopped!)

So I whipped up some shockingly purple frosting.


ARE YOU SHOCKED!?

And a 3 layer butter vanilla cake with this recipe. Then I used some left over blue candy coating to make the polka dots!


PARTY!

My friend Tara loves to wear ridiculous ghetto-inspired gear, so while the cake was baking and the cake pops were setting...I quickly cut out some "T's" from some foam and covered them in glitter for everyone to wear at the party. It seriously added to the atmosphere, even if everyone thought I was insane for demanding them to, "PUT ON A T!" So here are the T's (pre-glitter) and the birthday girl enjoying a cake pop.



So now that I have confessed to you how out of control I was with my crafting a baking this weekend (I might have squeezed an apple pie in there somewhere too..) I promise to chillax for at least a couple of days.

Maybe.

Alright! Well happy making from me to you. I have a super cute giraffe to share with you soon. I'm pretty excited.

His name is Niles.

xoxo

Alison

8 comments:

  1. This post makes me happy and sad. Wish I was there to party.

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  2. Love, love, love the cake pops and of course, the new layout. Bravo dear Alison.

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  3. So glad that your back on your she makes she makes!!! I was ecstatic to see there was a new post from my google reader. love the cake pop ideas, can't wait to have a good reason to try it!!

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  4. I'm so mad I am not eating one of those right now. Made my mouth water big time.

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  5. oh man. I saw these on bakerella and wanted to make them so bad! They do sort of look like a lot of work.. but prob not that bad once you just decide to do it. I LOVE Taras cake. LOVE it!!!!

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  6. This may be a "why are you asking this" type question, but, why is it bad to put them in the fridge? I don't see how the chocolate would go bad? I like cold cake, mm.

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  7. Amanda,

    Not a stupid question at all! I had to learn the hard way, so hopefully you don't have to!

    If you put melted candy coating, or melted chocolate in the fridge it cracks and doesn't adhere. I have no idea why, other than I'm sure it messes with the temperature.

    You'd be safe to put these in the freezer AFTER they have set, but it would freeze the middle of the cake balls, making them harder to eat.

    I left some out for a day or so and they were just fine the next day. So if you needed to make them the night before you'd probably be fine. Or I think you'd be safe putting them in the freezer. Just remember to give them some time to thaw before serving.

    xoxo

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