HOW TO MAKE CAKE POPS

Cake pops are the latest craze in the cake world at the moment and are fun to make and eat. Ideal for both children and adults alike, they are a novel way to serve a family favourite. The variety of flavours you can create are endless as you can experiment making them with every type of cake you can think of.

                                                         CAKE POPS

                      

1 Cake baked in a 33cm x 23cm pan OR ready made cake from shops.
 About 2 cups Icing
1 Pkt Chocolate Melts or Cooking Chocolate
Lollipop Sticks or Toothpicks/Skewers.


1. Break up the cake into fine crumbs. 


2. Take the icing, whatever flavour it is that you like, and mix it in. The exact
    amount needed will depend on the moistness of your cake. The final mixture
   needs to be fairly moist and to easily hold itself together when you shape it
   into a ball, but not so moist that its soggy or gooey.


3. Using a teaspoon,roll the cake into small balls.Place them on  a tray with
   baking paper or grease-proof paper.


4. Once they are all formed, put them in the freezer to harden for about an 
   hour, so as to make them easier to dip. The balls can also be left overnight 
   or kept in an airtight container if you want to make them in advance. 

5. Whilst you're waiting for the cake balls to harden, melt the chocolate
    in the microwave and stir until entirely melted and smooth. 

6. After an hour, remove the cake balls from the freezer. Use a skewer or

   toothpick to poke holes in the balls, then dip the end of lollipop stick into

   the hole you created. The melted chocolate will help hold the stick in the

   cake pop.

7. Once all the balls are on sticks, it's time to dip them. Hold one end of the

    lollipop stick and submerge the cake pop completely in the melted 

    chocolate. Take it out and gently tap it and swirl it upside down to

    remove excess chocolate.

8. Now you can just stick them upside down on baking paper to set but this 

   does give them flat tops (but if you like flat tops, go for it). Alternatively,

   you can stick your cake pops in Styrofoam  or florist foam while they dry.

   Continue dipping them until all of your cake pops are covered with chocolate.

   If the chocolate begins to harden, reheat briefly.

9. You can decorate the cake pops if you wish by dipping in crushed nuts or

    sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet.

                                        

COOKING HINTS FROM VON:-

* You can use any flavour cake for 'cake pops', even muffins or cupcakes. I 
   have even made 'cake pops' using the Choc-Chip Biscuit recipe I have 
   already posted on my blog by making it in a slice tin. 


* You can use any flavour cake for 'cake pops', even muffins or cupcakes. I
   have even made them using the Choc-Chip Biscuit recipe I have previously
   posted on my blog, but instead cooked it in a slice tin. The photos above 
   were made using a French Chocolate Sliver Cake recipe which I will feature
   in an upcoming blog, or sooner by request. This particular recipe is for
   serious chocolate-lovers only and can best be described as simply divine!!


* After I dipped the cake pops in the melted chocolate I put them in the freezer
   for a little bit to speed up the drying process.