Cake Pop Tutorial

Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix 70g/2.5oz  of plain cream cheese with 140g/5oz of icing sugar with a wooden spoon.

Making Cake Balls

Start by making or buying a plain unfrosted chocolate sponge cake (a 7 inch round ‘all in one’ is fine)

This is the messy bit... Crumble the sponge cake into crumbs by hand or using a processor into a bowl. Feel free to get your CSI gloves out for this bit.

Steadily mix the cream cheese frosting into the cake crumbs with a large spoon using the back of the spoon to press the ingredients together, trying not to spread it all over the work surface or your face.

When your mixture is beginning to come together and resemble a ‘dough’ spoon out equal sized amounts (about the size of a walnut shell or 30g/1oz by weight) and roll into balls using your hands. Apply a gentle pressure.

Line a plate or baking tray with cling film and place the cake balls onto it and leave to set in the fridge overnight, retire to bed and dream of eating your delicious cake pops. (The cling film prevents sticking)

Dipping

Once you have awoken and have a good uninterrupted hour to spare, you can take the cake balls out of the fridge and stand to one side.

Tip half the bag of the melts in the kit into a microwave proof bowl and pop in a microwave.

Melt the candy at 30 second intervals on a medium setting. 

Stir after each 30 seconds. Being careful not to overheat or put too much of it into your mouth.... remember, you need some left for dipping! You need the melts to be only just melted, have a good stir each time as the heat of the melted candy will help to melt the remaining lumps.

When your candy is melted you might need to add a little vegetable oil to make the consistency runny enough. You are looking for the consistency of thick double cream. 

Dip the stick into the melt about 1cm in and then push carefully into the cake ball about 1.5cm in. 

Leave to set back on the cling film whilst you repeat the process with the rest of the cake balls.

When set, dip the cake pop into the melts, submerging entirely. Do not twist the stick. If you need to get more coverage, you can rock it back and forth gently or tip the bowl to one side.

Lift out the cake pop and hold at an angle, cake pop down, until the excess drips off. You can also use your other hand and gentle tap the wrist of the hand hold the cake pop.

Cover with any sprinkles etc and leave to dry in a polystyrene block or made stand.

When your cake pop is done place into one of the bags and twist a tie around it. 

OR.... forgo the wrapping, instead collapse on the kitchen floor and apply to face. 

Note: Swearing and frustration is common when cake popping. They have a mind of their own and have suicidal tendencies. Stick with it, I promise its worth the effort and the possibilities are endless and feel free to ask me any questions.

Tips & Problem Solving

My Cake pops cracked?

This is very common and difficult to solve. The most common reason is that the difference in temperature between the hot melts and the cold cake balls is too great. Try to let the cake balls come up closer to room temp before dipping and the melt cool slightly before using.

My Cake pops are leaking oil?

This is due to the cake ball expanding and finding any holes to force liquid through. The temperature of the melts heat the ingredients in the cake briefly forcing the fats to liquify a little. Make sure you pop any bubbles with a toothpick on your cake pop as you leave it to drip.

My melts are lumpy

Over heated melts! Leave them to cool and add a little oil and it should be fine to use