Recipes Archives - Page 6 of 6

How to Make Basic Cake Balls

How to Make Basic Cake Balls

Have you tried cake pops and wanna change it up a bit? Never made cake pops and want to learn how to make basic cake balls first? Either way you are guaranteed to love this bite-size treat. Not only are they delicious but are sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face. And isn’t that what our baking is all about.

Mini cupcake liners are also what makes cake balls so adorable. You can make a simple cake ball really pop and dress it up with your liner. Mini cupcake liners can be found easily in so many different colors and designs. That little extra touch is really my favorite part (except of course for the eating part).

Ingredients and Supplies:

A baked cake- choose your particular favorite. I choose chocolate and strawberry this time.

Icing- pair your cake of course with icing that complements it, ex: chocolate with chocolate icing and strawberry with cream cheese icing.

Melting chocolate or candy melts- in the color of your choosing

Sprinkles- or any other edible decoration

Mini cupcake liners

Wax paper- or non-stick aluminum foil

First you will need to crumble your cake into a fine, potting soil texture. Getting your cake to crumble into this mixture is easiest done by rubbing the cake against another piece.

If you are needing a certain amount of cake balls, I usually can make about 11-12 from ¼ of a 13×9 inch cake. I bake my cakes in a 13×9 inch pan always for easier measurement. It is also easy to freeze the leftover cake that you may not need right away by dividing it in 4 sections. I wrap each section in saran wrap tightly first and then in foil. Also do not forget to write the date and the type of cake on the outside of the foil with a sharpie marker.

Once your cake has been crumbled completely, add your icing. The icing may want to stick to your spoon but just keep working it into the cake and it will eventually be mixed in evenly. I use about 1 “rounded over” tablespoon for every ¼ of cake. Sometimes more and sometimes less. It will also depend on the moistness of your cake. Be careful with adding to much icing to begin with. If your cake has too much icing, the cake balls will not want to form their shape and will be too wet. It may seem at first that you will need more icing but continue to incorporate before assuming and adding more. Never forget you can always add more icing, but you cannot take it away.

Once you have a mixture that is holding its shape, begin rolling out your cake balls in the palm of your hand. I just use a simple tablespoon to measure out my cake. After several times of making cake balls and cake pops, I found an amount that I “eyeball” that forms the size I prefer. Usually my cake balls are about 1 inch in diameter which is the same for the cake pops.

Place your cake balls on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Do not let the cake balls become frozen as this will cause your candy coating to crack once it has hardened over the cake ball. You may also leave them in the refrigerator for several hours if you are busy and need to come back to finish them. The coldness will help you cake balls to retain their shape and make it easier when dipping.

While your cake balls are in the freezer, begin melting your chocolate or candy melts according to package instructions as different brands and types may differ. Melting at smaller intervals is the key with stirring the chocolate in between to avoid scorching your candy melts and having to throw away.

You may also add shortening in with 1 tsp at a time and mixing in well to assist with melting the chocolate more smoothly if you seem to be having difficulty with the candy melts melting completely.

Also be sure to melt enough candy melts that you are able to completely submerge your cake ball in order to have a smooth finish on the coating.

Now you are ready to dip those cake balls. Place your cake ball on a spoon and gently place it into the melted chocolate or candy melts. Be sure the cake ball is completely covered evenly. If not you can spoon some extra chocolate where needed.

Using your spoon, lift up your cake ball out of the candy melts. Shake your spoon back and forth and also tap on rim of bowl if needed to remove any excess candy melt.

Gently roll your cake ball off of the spoon onto wax paper or non-stick foil.

Don’t worry; once the chocolate has hardened then you will be able to lift it off easily with no problem. If your cake ball wants to stick to the spoon and seems to leave a blemish where the cake ball does not have a smooth finish all over, again do not worry. This is where sprinkles and edible decorations become your best friend. Use them to cover any problem spots.

Add your sprinkles or edible decoration of your choice immediately after placing on wax paper before chocolate hardens in order for sprinkles to adhere.

Wait until chocolate or candy melts have completely hardened and remove from the wax paper or non-stick foil. Place your finished cake balls into mini cupcake liners for that last perfect touch.

The mini cupcake liners in the photo below are Martha Stewart and were found on clearance in Joann. It is always a good idea when in Michaels, Joann, Hobby Lobby, Wal-mart, or any other craft or grocery store to stop by the baking section for any clearance items. Mini cupcake liners are normally inexpensive but even better when found of clearance. I will usually grab several packs when I find them for a good deal just to keep on hand. Because you just don’t ever know.

Also below is a picture of the same color theme with cake pops and cake balls that just look like so much fun when placed on this amazing cake pop stand.

And as always do not forget to share your cake ball creations below with all of us and never forget to enjoy the little things in life! Happy Baking!

March 27, 2014/2 Comments/by Bethany

Cake Pops, Recipes

How to Make a Basic Cake Pop

Ever seen one of those adorable sweet round balls of cake and chocolate goodness placed perfectly on a lollipop stick? Wished you could make your own? Well now that dream is becoming a reality today. I can’t wait to get you going and show you how to make a basic cake pop. You will be wanting to make all different kinds and shapes before you know it.

Cake pops are not only a treat for the eyes but also for the taste buds. The appearance is irresistible and so much fun to use your imagination to create something new and tasty. You may even find yourself looking at the candy aisle in a new way for your next creation.

How to Make a Cake Pop

I first must say that you should not get frustrated if this is your first time attempting to make cake pops. The more you make them, the faster and easier it will become. Another great tip I have for you is to be sure that you have all your supplies prepared and set-up before beginning. This will take away a lot of stress in the long run.

Another great plus about cake pops is that they are easily freezed and can be thawed out in a short time for people who are trying to watch their figure and do not want them to ruin. Now let’s get started.

Ingredients and Supplies:

Your favorite cake recipe or boxed cake mix
The ingredients needed to bake your cake
Icing-Choose an icing that pairs well with your type of cake, ex: cream cheese icing with red velvet cake, vanilla icing with vanilla cake, chocolate with chocolate cake.
Cake pop sticks– also known as lollipop sticks. I love using paper straws as well. They add a lot of color and can be found for just about any occasion.
Melting chocolate or candy melts in the color of your choice
Sprinkles
Cake pop stand– or anything that will hold the cake pops up while chocolate hardens

You will want to go ahead and have your cake prepared whether homemade or boxed cake mix. I do want to mention that I bake mine in a 13×9 inch pan because it can easily be divided into 4 equal parts. One-fourth will normally yield about 11-12 cake pops depending on the size. *I can then easily freeze the remaining cake to use later. I like to freeze each fourth separately by first wrapping in saran wrap and then in foil. Don’t forget to write on the outside of the foil with a sharpie marker the type of cake and also the date you baked it.

First crumble your cake into fine crumbs similar to sand or potting soil. Rubbing sections of your cake against each other will also assist in crumbling it into smaller pieces.

Once you have crumbled your cake mix, you are ready to add your icing. For one-fourth of cake, I add one large “rounded over” tablespoon. *I know precise measurement huh? But the amount of icing will also be up to your taste which will come in time after you have made several different batches. Start out with less icing than you may think and start to incorporate into your cake crumbles. You can always add more icing as you see needed.

Continue to mix in your icing until it is fully incorporated. You will start to see the cake molding together and no longer crumbling. *As you mix if your cake crumbles are not sticking together well, you will probably need to add more icing. If you are still unsure if you have enough icing, go ahead and test the cake by rolling together in ball the palm of your hand to see how well it stays formed.

Start rolling your cake into balls. I usually prefer for my cake pops to be about 1 inch in diameter. *The chocolate coating and sprinkles will also give the appearance of a larger cake pop. I use a tablespoon to scoop out the cake and begin rolling in the palm of my hand until a round and smooth ball is formed.

After all your cake has been rolled into balls, they will need to be chilled either in the freezer for about 15 minutes or in the fridge for several hours. *Chilling them allows the cake pops to retain their shape and not become mushy when dipping in chocolate. Be sure not to let them become frozen completely and then attempt to dip in chocolate immediately or it may cause your chocolate to crack on the cake pop once it has finished hardening.

Melt your chocolate or candy melts. I find the microwave is easiest. *You do want to make sure though that you melt enough chocolate to give you enough depth to dip you cake pop and submerge it completely. Follow your chocolate or candy melt package for specific heating instructions. Be careful not to overheat too quickly which can scorch your chocolate and can no longer be used.

The chocolate or candy melts are ready when it appears smooth with no lumps and flows smoothly off your spoon. *If you are having a hard time with getting it to melt evenly and without lumps, you can add shortening to the chocolate but only add about 1 tsp at a time. Stir until melted or add in and microwave to finish melting.

Remove your cake pops from the freezer once they are chilled and let the dipping begin. First place your cake pop stick about ½ inch into the candy melts and then place into your cake ball about half way through. *This application of candy melt on the stick before inserting helps your cake ball to cling to the lollipop stick.

Dip your cake pop into the candy melts being sure to evenly coat the ball. Lift your cake pop out and gently tap and rotate to remove any excess chocolate that would weigh down your cake pop and possibly cause it to fall down the stick. *Tap your wrist gently to remove excess chocolate and avoid knocking the cake ball off the stick.

Before the candy melt coating hardens, decorate with sprinkles of your choice depending on the occasion or holiday to ensure the sprinkles will stick and stay adhered. Place your cake pop into your stand and allow to completely harden.

At this point, you may either display for a party or wrap your cake pops in clear treat bags and close with either ties or ribbon. Cake pops are great as a gift just placed in a basket of some kind or even placed within a simple gift bag.

Hopefully these instructions will only be the beginning for a simple cake pop you can create. After you have mastered the basics, don’t be afraid to let your imagination go wild and inspire you to make even more elaborate cake pops that all your friends and family will look forward to.

Also if you have not already, please join me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. I would love to hear from you with any comments, suggestions, or ideas you may have.

P.S. Please share this post with others if you enjoyed it and found it helpful. We love when you pass on goodness to others.

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

March 25, 2014/8 Comments/by Bethany

Cake Pops, Recipes

Pot O’ Gold Cake Pops

Who does not love cake pops? Not only are they absolutely delicious but a lot of fun to make. I love thinking of new ideas for different holidays and events. The possibilities are endless. Once you begin making cake pops, you will never look at candy the same but will always think of a new and creative way to incorporate that sweet candy aisle into your next baking experience with cake pops.

Along with cake pops, no one can deny the fact that we all love gold. But finding gold at the end of a rainbow would just be too good, like a dream come true. Well you are not dreaming right now. You do not need to pinch yourself to find out if you are dreaming or not (unless you are not wearing green. Lol.). You can now have your very own pot of gold at the end of a beautiful and colorful rainbow. No need to search any further.

Ingredients and supplies:

Your favorite cake recipe or boxed cake mix- I made chocolate cake pops but of course any flavor is scrumptious.

The ingredients needed to bake your cake

Icing- Because I baked a chocolate cake, I used chocolate icing. Choose an icing that pairs well with your type of cake, ex: cream cheese icing with red velvet cake, vanilla icing with vanilla cake.

Cake pop sticks- also known as lollipop sticks. I found St. Patrick’s cake pops that had green shamrocks on them at Michaels. The shamrocks just add a little something than an ordinary white stick.

Melting milk chocolate or black or brown candy melts

Yellow sugar sprinkles

Airheads Xtremes candy- resembles a rainbow

Black edible marker- optional

Cake pop stand- or anything that will hold the cake pops up while chocolate hardens

Now let the baking and decorating begin!

First you will need cake! Duh! Lol! Bake your cake according to directions in recipe or cake box mix. I have found that cake box mix works well even though it isn’t entirely homemade. I bake my cake in a 9 inch x 13 inch pain. If I divide the cake in four equal parts, each section will normally yield about 11-12 cake pops depending on the size of each one. This will it easier when needing to figure out how much cake to prepare and what you can freeze to use later.

Don’t waste your extra cake if you are only needing a small amount of cake pops. I always wrap mine in saran wrap tightly first and then wrap in aluminum foil. Don’t forget to write the type of cake and the date on the outside for future baking.

Now that you know how much cake you will need, it is time for the slightly dirty but fun part. Crumble your cake into fine crumbs similar to potting soil. I find the easiest way to crumble the cake is to take two small pieces of the cake and rub them together to basically “sand” them down into fine pieces.

Once your cake is crumbled, it is now time to add your icing. For about ¼ of a 13×9 inch cake, 1-2 large tablespoons of icing will be enough. Always start with less first and mix together with your cake crumbles. If you find you are needing more icing, you can always add but can’t take away. As your icing is incorporated, the cake will begin to mold together and become wet looking. Be sure to not add too much icing making it too wet and not being able to roll out easily. Not adding enough icing will cause your cake pop to crumble apart and not hold its shape. The more you make them the more you will find the perfect consistency.

Next, begin rolling out your cake pops into about one inch in diameter. I usually just use a tablespoon to scoop up my cake and roll the cake in my hang until I form a nice round ball. In this case though, I wanted the cake ball to have the appearance of a pot and not as round as normal. Press one side of your cake ball to make it more flat like a pot.

The flat side will be used for the top of the pot. Using a cookie dough scooper may work easier for you, but I found a spoon is just as easy and allows me to control the amount of cake better.

Your cake pops will need to be chilled some in order to hold their shape best when dipping in chocolate. I place mine on a pan and put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes while I am melting my chocolate or candy melts. If you want to prepare your cake pops before you are actually going to dip them in your chocolate, then place in refrigerator for several hours. Do not freeze them for too long or they can cause your chocolate to crack once it has hardened on the cake pop.

Begin melting your chocolate or candy melts according to package directions. Depending on how many cake pops you are making will depend on how much chocolate to melt. It does take experience with making cake pops to learn the exact amount you will need. Always melt your chocolate at slower intervals being sure to stir between each time to avoid scorching your chocolate. Patience is the key here. Once completely melted, your chocolate should run down and flow easily off your spoon without clumping. Smooth chocolate makes for a smooth finish on your cake pop.

Now take your cake pops out of the freezer and you are ready to begin dipping them in chocolate. You will first want to dip your cake pop stick into your chocolate about ½ inch down from the top and then insert into the round end of the cake pop about half way. The extra dipping of the stick prior to insertion will assist with bonding the stick to the cake pop.

Place the cake pop into the chocolate being sure to coat the cake pop entirely. Gently tap your cake pop to remove any excess chocolate.

Dip your cake pop while it is wet into the yellow sugar sprinkles to coat just the top of the cake pop. The yellow sugar will appear as shiny gold on the top of the pot once chocolate has hardened. Pressing the cake pop around the edge in the sprinkles will give the appearance of a rim similar to the rim of a pot.

Place your cake pop into the stand to allow chocolate to harden. Continue with same process with remaining cake pops.

Once chocolate has hardened, it is time to add the rainbow. The most important and cutest part of this treat. You will need to melt only a small amount of chocolate to attach the rainbow candy slices. You may find that you can attach the rainbow candy after dipping in yellow sugar sprinkles if chocolate has not hardened at all. Usually I like to add at the end in order to ensure the rainbow candy will be attached. I cut my rainbow candy into about 4-6 inch strips depending on the size of the cake pop.

Add a small amount of chocolate to each end of the rainbow strip and then attach one end of strip to cake pop and immediately attaching the other end of the strip to the opposite side of the cake pop forming a rainbow. Hold the strip in place for several seconds to assist with attaching it while the chocolate hardens. Allow to stand to ensure rainbow is in place.

This step is optional but adds a little extra to the appearance of a pot. If you use milk chocolate or brown candy melts, take a black edible marker and draw the bottom half of an oval shape on two opposite sides of the cake pop to give the appearance of the handles on a pot. I use the AmeriColor Gourmet Writers that I bought at Joann. They seem to work the best.

Your cake pops are now complete and ready to enjoy. I believe these would be the biggest hit of your child’s class for their snack or for a classroom party. No one can resist a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Enjoy your creation and share it with others. But most importantly, do not forget to enjoy the little things in life- even if it is a golden cake pop!

March 17, 2014/by Bethany