Cake pops — those colorful dipped and decorated golf ball-sized rounds of cake on a stick — are everywhere. They’re popping up at school functions and weddings, birthday parties and baby showers.
There are books about cake pops, classes and YouTube videos.
Even Starbucks sells them.<
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Popularized by a blogger known as Bakerella (www.bakerella.com), cake pops have taken over as the new cupcake. In her New York Times best-seller, Bakerella shows readers how to craft cake pops that look like robots, koalas, puppies and ghosts.
The classic cake pop is a super-sweet and mushy mouthful. In its original form it is made of finely crumbled cake and frosting creamed together, chilled, then dipped in colorful candy melt and decorated.
There’s more than one way to make a cake pop. And the Babycakes Cake Pop Maker — while not the original way — is certainly the fastest. Heat it up, pour cake batter in the 12 round holes, then close the lid.
Poof! Perfectly round cake balls, ready in minutes. Put on a stick, then chill, dip and decorate.
One limitation. Since the cake is not mixed with frosting, it is not moldable. It’s round, or nothing.
Still, the machine has proved popular.
The cake pop maker costs $24.95 at Kohl’s and also is available on the company’s website, thebabycakesshop.com.
Here’s how to make cake pops the “traditional way,” without the machine.
Cake pop flowers
1 boxed cake mix, baked
3/4 can vanilla frosting
3 (1-pound) packages white chocolate candy coating
1 package of 50 cake pop sticks
Multicolored candy corn
1 cake pop stand (available at most craft stores)
1 pastry bag
1 small bag pastel-colored M&Ms
In a large bowl, break up cake into fine crumbs, eliminating all chunks. Add frosting, then cream together with cake crumbs until mixture reaches a Play-Dohlike consistency. With your hands (wearing thin, latex gloves) mold batter into small, cone-shaped balls, then place on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours in refrigerator. Do not freeze.
Melt candy coating, one package at a time, according to package directions. (Tip: if candy coating is too thick, add 3 tablespoons solid shortening per package to candy coating and reheat in microwave to achieve a thinner consistency).
Taking a few cake balls out of the refrigerator at a time, dip the end of an empty cake-pop stick into the melted candy coating, then pierce the center of the narrowest end of cone-shaped cake ball, pushing no more than half way through. Holding the stick with the pop facing down, dip entire pop into the melted candy coating. Remove pop slowly and lift upward, allowing excess candy coating to drip down toward the stick. Rotate (or spin) the pop as the coating drips down to achieve even coating and cover all “bald” spots. Set coated pops in cake pop stand. Add melted candy coating to pastry bag.
Using coating like glue, squeeze a thin layer on top of cake pops. Carefully arrange candy corns in desired colors to make the petals of the flowers. Squeeze more candy coating on the middle of the flower petals, and top with M&M of your choice.
Makes 48. Per cake pop: 249 calories (42 percent from fat), 12 grams total fat (6 grams saturated), 7 milligrams cholesterol, 35 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 115 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber.
Recipe from Celia Thompson, instructor of the cake pop class at the Culinary Center of Kansas City.
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