Monday, 24 June 2013

how to make mini cake pops



I have always wanted to have a go at making cake pops but I never got round to it. But when I found out that the class I work with were making them, it gave me a perfect excuse to give them a trial run!

As the class will be making them to sell for charity, I thought it would be nice for them to try one. I wanted to share them with you because they look so cute and, according to the staff and children, they are delicious. They are perfect for parties and just when you want a little treat.

One of the pupils said that the cake pop, in the picture on the right, looks like a Christmas pudding!

So here is the recipe for the cake pop in the right picture;

Ingredients - makes 24
450g/1lb vanilla or almond flavoured sponge
85g/3oz mascarpone cheese
70g/2.5oz icing sugar
half a tsp vanilla or almond extract
24 small coloured sweets and sugar sprinkles, to decorate

Topping
225g/8oz milk chocolate, roughly chopped
24 lolly sticks
150g/5.5oz fondant icing sugar
4 tsp cold water

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Crumble the sponge cake into a mixing bowl. Add the mascarpone cheese, icing sugar and vanilla and mix together until you have a thick paste.

2. Roll a 25g/1oz piece of the paste into a ball. Shape the remaining cake pops in the same way. Place on the baking tray and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to firm up.

3. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and heat until melted. Remove from the heat. Push a lolly stick into each cake pop. Dip a cake pop into the chocolate, turning it until coated. Lift it from the bowl, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then place it in a cup or tumbler. I put sugar in the cups to stand them in. Repeat with the remaining cake pops. Chill or leave in a cool place until the chocolate has set.

4. Put the fondant icing sugar in a mixing bowl and beat in the water until smooth. Spoon a little onto a cake pop, easing it slightly down the sides with a teaspoon. (I used ready made fondant icing for the ones in the picture.) Before the icing sets, put a small sweet in the centre of each cake pop.

This is the recipe for the cake pop in the left picture;

Ingredients - makes 26 - 28

300g/10.5oz plain chocolate, roughly chopped
25g/1oz unsalted butter, softened
50g/1 3/4oz smarties (M&Ms US)
450g/1lb milk chocolate
50g/1 3/4oz mini marshmallows, roughly chopped
26-28 lolly sticks
chocolate sprinkles, to decorate

1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Put the plain chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and heat until melted. Stir in the butter. Leave until the mixture is cool but not beginning to set.

2. Put the sweets in a polythene bag and tap firmly with a rolling pin until they are broken into pieces. Finely chop 150g/5.5oz of the milk chocolate, then stir it into the melted plain chocolate with the sweets and marshmallows until thoroughly mixed.

3. As soon as the mixture is firm enough to hold its shape, roll 20g/3/4oz of it into a ball. Shape the remaining cake pops in the same way. Place them on the baking tray and chill for 30-60 minutes, until firm but not brittle. Push a lolly stick into each cake pop, then chill for 10 minutes.

4. Roughly chop the remaining milk chocolate and melt as above, then remove from the heat. Dip a cake pop into the chocolate, turning it until coated. Lift it from the bowl, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and place it in a cup or tumbler. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. Repeat with the remaining cake pops. Chill or leave in a cool place until the chocolate has set.

Believe me, once you start eating one, you will definitely want another!

Enjoy!

14 comments:

  1. Ahhh...they are too so pretty. You did a fantastic job!
    Cortne

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    1. Thanks Cortne, I was really pleased with the way they turned out. :-)

  2. These look so cute! I will take 2 please.

    Reply
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    1. Thanks Leslie, if there had been any spares you would have been welcome! :-)

  3. These look delicious! Maybe I'll have to try it with my class next year :) xx

    Reply
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    1. They taste even better than they look! Some parts were a bit tricky for the children so I am going to make it a little more child friendly for them! :-)xx

    2. Oooh you'll have to let me know what you do! xx

    3. Will do, Sarah xx

  4. these look delicious! =)

    Reply
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    1. They went down well with the school children! There wasn't any left! :-)

  5. Mmmmmm. I love cake pops! Please send some my way!

    Reply
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    1. I had never tried them before, so this was a new taste sensation! :-)

  6. Okay I seriously needed this lesson last weekend... I paid WAY too much for some custom cake pops for the baby shower I threw, and now I see they're actually not that hard to make!

    Sarah @ Life As Always

    Reply
    Replies
    1. Next time you have a party!! I will definitely be making them for my friends birthday. :-)