Cake Pops

[Arch]

I came across the concept of cake pops for the first time at the weekend, in a Lakeland catalogue. Basically, they are little balls of cake, coated in fondant or chocolate, on sticks. Cake lollipops. I instantly fell for the idea - two of my favourite things, cake, and food on sticks! Having had some money for Christmas, I decided to buy the electric cake pop maker. It's like a sandwich toaster, but cooks 6 little balls of mix at once, in 4 minutes. We worked out that it was much more energy efficient than turning the whole oven on and using the cake pop baking tin.​

I wouldn't have chosen pink perhaps, but there is no choice of colour!:

The little dimples inside fill easily, especially when the mix is piped in (the slight spillage just dries out as it heats, and wipes off easily):

And after 4 minutes, you've got ickle buns!

Turn them out to cool:

And then once cool (and preferably actually cold from the fridge or icebox), dip and decorate!:

I made a one egg mix (half the recipe they give you). and that made 14 bunlets. You can use any fairy cake mix, so the cakes could be chocolate, vanilla, lemon, orange, any flavour you like. Great fun! I need to get the hang of fondant icing, I made it a bit too runny I think and it was hard to make it stay on. But the chocolate worked well! I reckon you could make a big batch and freeze them, and decorate at leisure. I suggested it to NT as a hen night activity. but he pointed out that very few would then make it to the reception... If the buns were flavoured mixes, then just a dusting of icing sugar might be enough. You can also make tiny doughnuts in it apparently, and those would be rolled in caster sugar.

I had to try one of course, in the interests of quality control. Very nice! Perfect for a little sweet thing with a cup of coffee perhaps, and would be a wow at a party.

Food on sticks, it's a winner every time. We are definitely having these at the wedding!​

 

[Night Train]

Hmmmm, I can see one problem. Make 14, try one, leaves 13. That's unlucky.
Send one to me and you will have a nice round dozen.

 

[Arch]

Hmmmm, I can see one problem. Make 14, try one, leaves 13. That's unlucky.
Send one to me and you will have a nice round dozen.

I thought of that. I've taken one out of the box I'm taking to work, so there are 12 in that, and one loose in the fridge.

Don't worry, there will be more. I may come over next weekend armed with chocolate and sprinkles.

(although I don't trust the lid on the sprinkles tub, so I'll have double wrap it. Don't want a rucksack full of sprinkles).

 

[Sandra Piddock]

Arch, that looks good. Buttercream icing would work well, I would think. Flavour it with a little orange or lemon juice, and then dip in the sprinkly stuff and let it harden off in the fridge. For some more 'grown up' cake pops, you could add a little liqueur to the icing.

 

[Arch]

oh yes, that might work well!

I did some more a couple of weeks back, and just made them plain, dusted with caster sugar. They went down well too!

 

[Shaun]

It's not too far from Hull to York, so if you need an official taste tester just let me know ... I can help you decide on the best ones for the wedding.

 

[Arch]

Thanks Shaun, for that selfless dedication to forummer's needs.



It's just occurred to me though, that if anyone deserves an invite to the event, you do! After all, it was on your forum we met!

 

[Shaun]

It's just occurred to me though, that if anyone deserves an invite to the event, you do! After all, it was on your forum we met!

Cor blimey, you don't want that - there'll be no food left for the rest of the guests ...

 

[Puddles]

Now that I get! The other cake pop thing where you blitz up perfectly good cake into crumbs then squish it back together with butter cream into a ball and stick it on a stick I don't get!

But this yes yes yes I get it cake already in balls on a stick marvellous

My question I always ask of gadgets - is it easy to clean?

I see they do a 12 ball one too

 

[Arch]

Now that I get! The other cake pop thing where you blitz up perfectly good cake into crumbs then squish it back together with butter cream into a ball and stick it on a stick I don't get!

But this yes yes yes I get it cake already in balls on a stick marvellous

My question I always ask of gadgets - is it easy to clean?

I see they do a 12 ball one too

Funny you should ask, I got it out tonight to make a batch to take to some friends tomorrow!

Yes, it's easy to clean. If you dose the hollows right (IE just fill the bottom half), you don't get any overspill, and the pops just lift out with a fork or cocktail stick. The instructions say to grease the hollows with oil (I use a pastry bush) for each batch, but in practice I forget about half the time, and it's fine. Once you've finished, leave it to cool and then just wipe it out with a bit of kitchen paper.

If you do overfill, you just get a sort of Saturn's ring of extra cake round each pop which comes away with the cake.

My only reservation about the electric maker is that like sandwich toasters, the hot plate gets very hot (obviously!), and the hot edge is exposed at the side. Just means taking care not to brush against it as you raise the lid. Of course with the tin you put in the oven, you remember to use oven gloves...

Here it is dosed with chocolate sponge batter (looks like poo, because I piped it in - worth doing as it's easy to get the dose right, but you can spoon it in):

Once baked:

I'll chill them overnight, and coat them in chocolate and sprinkles tomorrow.