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

Happy Cake Pop Days

If you have any children or you are a media student the chances are you have seen the animated film Despicable me? The main character 'Gru' is a villain, but he's pretty rubbish at it. A track by Pharrell titled 'Despicable Me' from film was probably my theme tune yesterday.

Anyone that makes cakes, cupcakes and of course cake pops will be familiar with sugar pearls.  If you have never seen them they are precisely that, a pearl made of sugar.  I've dropped maybe one or two on the floor countless times in the past.  However the other day, I dropped a whole tub full... onto a laminate floor.  It seemed to take about ten minutes for the 'plink plink' sound to stop.  I'll still be finding those at christmas.
Yesterday was worse.  Yesterday, despite being very happy with my work on my 1950's beehive ladies for a customer organising a hen night, I managed to be a complete klutz.  I spilt one tub of red luster powder into the white... had to start that again. I may have uttered a naughty word.
Then I didn't realise I had the red powder on my hands and went to open a white cupboard door and of course covered the door in red powder... had to wipe that off before it stained.  I may have spoken a naughty word.
For the finale a full mug of melted chocolate literally leapt off the counter and threw itself, not only all over me but spilt itself all down the entire set of white drawers and handles.  I admit, I may have slightly shouted a number of rather strong naughty words.
Grrrrr  these things are sent to try us so 'they' say.  I say they're sent to really pee us off!!!
Despite yesterdays minor incidents these were completely un-affected.

Some of the 1950s Ladies Cake Pops with Beehives for 'Hairspray' movie

 Good job last week was more productive and less accident prone.  I had a lovely surprise when I discovered I was on the front page of the local paper 'The Barnsley Chronicle' I had been interviewed by the papers' bridal magazine 'Mosiac' features editor about my wedding favours to be featured in May in the summer edition.  She sent me an email asking if I would like to be featured in the papers' business page too and they would send a photographer the next day.  Delighted I agreed a time.  On friday she emailed me to say had I seen the paper? if not, did I know I was on the front page.  I'm really thrilled to be in print and I can't wait to see the magazine in May.  Lets hope the 'klutz' in me keeps out of the way.

Its on with Easter Cake pops now, which you can see on the website.  I have all sorts of work coming up including being involved in a really romantic story that I wish I could share.  Hopefully after the event the customer will allow me to reveal all.  I'm looking forward to meeting all the people on my cake pop workshop on April 28th.  I'll be covering lots of Dos' and Donts' when cake popping.  I don't think I'll need to say 'don't throw melted chocolate all over yourself, its probably a given!?

Creative Cake Pop Workshop for Mummies who love cake!

To celebrate the first year anniversary of My Honeybunch Cake Pops I am inviting you to a fabulous Cake Pop Workshop.
Wether you have never made Cake Pops before, tried them and had a few stumbles or you've never even heard of them and are wondering what on earth I'm talking about, come and join The Cake Pop Workshop.

This will be the first ever My Honeybunch Cake Pop Workshop and I can promise you are in for more than one treat.  We will be having an emphasis on fun and no matter what your skill set you WILL come away with a whole load of Cake Pops handmade by your own fare hands.  You will learn step by step how to make gorgeous cake pops and learn the do's and dont's of successful cake popping.
You will also come away with fact sheets and tips for you to take away with you so that you can make cake pops whenever you like at home.  Tea, coffee, cold drinks and of course CAKE will also be provided for at break time.

During the workshop you will learn:

• How to process every day cake into cake balls
• How to then make them into Cake Pops
• The correct methods to colour, melt and then dip your pops
• Sugar Paste work inc colouring and storing.
• Types of coatings and decorations.
• How to eat them... not really, that bit I think you can mange your self! Lol

You will be able to learn and make 4 different designs that you can easily and confidently develop at home. You can also take away information on follow up, more advanced workshops in the future to learn how to utilise your new skill.

Where: The Rockingham Centre, Tankersley A6135 (just off Jnct 36 M1)
When: 28th April 2012 @10.00am till 1pm
Cost: £35.00
How to Book:  by email (wareings@hotmail.co.uk)
or contact me via Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/MyHoneybunchcom
or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Honeybunch-cake-pops/196012607101612

Would chicken wear false eyelashes if they could?

People ask me why ask me why I paint on eye lashes on my cake pop animals.  I'm not entirely sure how this started.  When I first started making cake pops and decided to try to sell them into stores and cafes I was really only aiming to sell the pretty floral or sprinkled designs.  I began to start to include a few of my little characters and found that the customers loved them as much as I loved to make them. One of my first customers 'The Walled Garden Cafe' at http://www.wentworthgardencentre.co.uk/ have a farm on site it seemed appropriate to include a few sheep and pigs.  As I first painted on their little faces I just drew a simple dot for eyes, but being of a mischievous nature they soon developed their own characters and the faces became more elaborate.

Goat Cake Pop

 They developed a rather rye grin which was just something that came quite naturally.  Perhaps it represents the way that they amuse me?

The first Sheep Cake Pop

Poodle Cake Pop

Mr & Mrs Ghost Cake Pop

Baby Boys and Baby Girls Cake pops

Not wanting to be a sexist cake popper I was keen (and still am) to develop a female counterpart.  And so the glamour false lash was born.  I'd like to think that in an ideal world and were farm animals equipped with opposable thumbs they would of course apply false lashes on a daily basis... who wouldn't right? (if it weren't so ridiculously fiddly)
The sleeping lashes look is very popular so I wanted to find a way to make my own statement.  A way that my own work would be easily reckognised as a My Honeybunch Cake Pop.

As a kid I loved Penelope Pit stop and Scooby Doo.  Sadly Penelope is no longer around on the box but the new Scooby Doo has a look that I love and drew inspiration from (yes really!)

Daphne

I Love the flick of the eyeliner.

Penelope Pitstop 'Heylp Heylp'

Even Poultry needs eyeliner.

Mrs Chicken Cake Pops

Thanks Giving Turkey Cake pops

I like a bit of good old fashioned 50s' glamour too

Love Bird Cake Pops

How My Honeybunch Cake pops Look all finished and packaged up.

So you get the picture.  I don't think I could make a 'lady' cake pop that had a face without giving her a bit of glamour.... and really, why would I?

Happy Halloween Cake pops

I am loving getting working on the Halloween Cake pops, so much so I thought I would share with you some of the prototypes. Its great that I have regular retail customers that stock seasonal things well in advance, so I get to play.. yay.

I don't like to be sexist so I make a male and female of each goolish monster.

I also inherited a kitten a few weeks ago. I say 'inherited' in fact another mum up at our school found three very tiny kittens that had been dumped down a lane. I had no intention of having a kitten, since we have a cat at home already but, well, just look at him. I couldn't really say no could I? He gazed at me and everyone said 'I think he wants to come with you'

He's full of fun and very loving. He even has his own cake pop designed after him.

Bye for now from Phineas and I.x

Its all go and the weather is not helping.

It's been a crazy week this week as my website launched on tuesday.
I've had plenty of orders which is of course fantastic. I have no idea why the weather has decided to be glorious today which isn't good for making cake pops and sadly, I must report, there has been some fatalities :-(
Mr Goat who was a lovely lemon flavoured pop sadly fell off his stick as he was nicely setting and a princess followed him head first. I love that my job has such random happenings. You couldn't write this stuff.

Everywhere I turn I see cake pop designs and I think my poor husband is about to start shouting 'cake pops' in his sleep, I prattle on that much. Usually when I 'pop' for my own personal stash (yes I do stash some all to myself.. it's a perk of the job!) I make whatever comes into my head from whatever ideas I've dreamt up through the week, but I've had am attack of nostalgia today and spent a wee while scouring the internet looking for images and racking my brain for the names of 70s and 80s kids TV. Who remembers Stop it and Tidy up?? Terry Wogan narrated it. Bet you can't remember what they were all called? I managed about four of them before I had to Google it. Will share the results soon.

Note to self: Get out more.

Not long now

Very, very soon the website will be up and live. If you can read this... it already is!