Monday, February 22, 2016

Cake Pop 101


I'm not sure why, but I've been on a baking spree for the past few weeks (although I can't say that anyone has been complaining, haha). I guess I decided that becoming the next Mrs. Van De Kamp and having homemade baked goods around the house 24/7 was a good idea. However, there was nothing like the growing tube around my belly to put a damper on my baking adventures.



While I was on the baking spree, I asked S if he had any requests. The poor guy actually went on Pinterest to find something for me to make. So when he requested that I make cake pops, I couldn't exactly say no. I've made cake pops many times in the past, but since making them is such an elaborate task, I usually save them for special occasions.

While it isn't the easiest dessert to conquer, it can be done and if you run into problems while making them, I'm here to help.


Cake Pop 101

1. My cake pops have cracks in them.

If you are seeing cracks in the candy coating covering a cake ball, it may be because the candy coating is too warm and the cake ball is too cold. Leave the cake ball out of the fridge for a few minutes and try again. Another solution is to use creative decorating methods to cover the cracks. The sprinkle swirls in the pictures above are really good at hiding cracks and imperfections!


2. My cake pops are falling off the sticks.

This is a really tricky problem to deal with because it involves many components. First, the cake ball must be really well formed, with no cracks and a good close texture. Then, it needs to be chilled in the fridge for a few hours to become firm. Only take a few out of the fridge at a time or they will come to room temperature and fall apart. Dip 1/2" of one end of the stick into melted candy melts or chocolate and insert it halfway through the cake ball. Let it set or leave it in the fridge for a few minutes. Then, dip the cake pop into a cup full of melted candy coating and out. Don't roll the pop around to try and cover it. Gently tap the stick to get any excess off or wipe the bottom of the pop on the rim of the cup.


3. My candy coating or chocolate is thick and lumpy.

There could be two problems. There may be water in it, so the chocolate seized. Or the chocolate may be overheated or burnt. To solve this, add a few room temperature candy melts/chocolate pieces and stir until melted. If you want to thin out the candy melts, you can stir in a little shortening or vegetable oil.


4. Air bubbles or grease running down the cake pops.

If the candy melts are overheated, this may happen. Air bubbles will allow the oil from the cake to come out and leave greasy streaks on the coating. Use a small amount of frosting to form the cake balls. The more frosting you use, the more grease there will be in the cake balls. Try to pop any air bubbles that form right away with a toothpick before the coating hardens. If that doesn't work, you can just wipe any grease and use creative decorating techniques to hide it.

If you have anymore questions about problems that come up when you try making cake pops, send me an email or leave a comment below and I will try to get to it. Good luck in the kitchen!

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