Cake pops are getting more and more creative. We had these adorable duck cake pops sent in to us by a cake pop first timer.
The Original Pin
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| http://www.instructables.com/id/Cake-Pops/ |
So dang cute. Mallory tells us "made these to help out for the 2nd baby shower my sister had that I wasn't hosting. It was a duck theme, so I had this great idea to do duck cake pops that I found on Pinterest. Having never tried this recipe before, and having absolutely NO skills in the baking department whatsoever, I failed miserably at this attempt."
The Pinstrosity
I wouldn't say that is a miserable fail at all. In fact, for a first timer those are pretty awesome. In fact, those are just awesome just anyway. Malloy will "still swear they look more like Furby's than ducks..
But everyone was sweet and talked about how "cute" and "adorable" they were. They were full of [poop], of course, but it was nice of them to try to make me feel better about how terrifying they looked.
On a positive note, they did taste *exceptional*. So that's all that matters, right?"
(Remember we don't publish any profanity in our posts or in the comments.)
Decorating the cake pops is still the hardest part for me, but I've learned a few things that help to make it not such an ordeal.
- First off, I add a little shortening to my chocolate/candy melts to make it a little more runny and smooth. It helps it to go on the pop better and to sit more smoothly.
- I don't know if Mallory tried the sticks or not, but putting the sucker sticks in the cake balls really makes it a lot easier to dip and decorate the cake balls/pops (unless you're going for more of the cake truffle thing). Dip the stick in the melted coating first before inserting it into the cake ball, and let it set up before dipping the cake pop.
- After dipping the cake pop, I tap the stick on the side of the bowl while turning the cake pop, this helps to get excess coating off and to smooth out the coating as well. If I'm just doing cake balls/truffles, I use a fork to scoop the cake balls out of the coating so that some of the excess coating can escape.
- You definitely want to decorate before the coating sets up so that your add-ons stick to the cake pop/balls.
Hilarious. I, too, have been unable to master the stupid cake pop. Failr everytime!
ReplyDeletehaha...thanks for posting this! I'm happy to share my sweet baking skills with the internet. :)
ReplyDeleteThey still look yummy - better than I could've done! ;)
ReplyDeleteGo to bakerella.com. That's where I learned I don't use shortening because I'm fearful if a waxy taste. Mine always turn out terrific It takes a coue rounds too to figure out what works best for you
ReplyDeleteAs a confectioner, I can give a few tips to help. First even if I plan on not using the sticks for the truffle/cake ball look...I still use the sticks to dip (actually I use fondue forks).
ReplyDeleteSecond I use a tiny amount of vegetable oil vs. shortening. I use a straw & cap it with my finger to get just a small amount. This way I don't add more than I need, accidentally over pour, etc. I use the same straw and have drawn a line on it for accurate measuring each time.
Third, I actually do add my decorations after the main chocolate/candy has set. I have a pair of decorators tweezers, which I use to grab the decoration piece, dip into a shallow dish of the melted candy coating, and then apply. I find this keeps the decorations from melting from the heat, as well as from sinking into the soft candy coating.
Finally, colored edible ink pens are helpful for smaller details vs. adding the decorations when possible.
I've done this, successfully! But not from instructables or pinterest. From the original post at Bakerella. Just wanting to give credit where credit is due. She gives MANY, MANY ideas and tips on how to get them right!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bakerella.com/spring-chickens/
This same exact thing happened to me with those cake batter balls with the rainbow sprinkles everyone pins. The candy coating is way too thick and you just can't do it with a fork.
ReplyDeleteThe instructions that everyone pins aren't remotely helpful.
The problem really is the melting of the chocolate. I get calls from friends and friends of theirs always panicking and asking what they are doing wrong with melting the chocolate.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, if at any time in the melting process you get water into the mixture, its done. There really is no saving it at this point, so just start over. And do not use cheap chocolate chips from the store, get chocolate made for melting if you are going to through the trouble of dipping anything in chocolate.
Second, chocolate needs to be melted on the LOWEST heat. If you have a significant amount or chocolate to melt a double boiler over hot water (not boiling and really not simmering either) will work. This will take a LONG time people, melting chocolate properly will not take you a while so do not expect to be ready to go in 5 minutes.
For smaller batches of chocolate you can use the microwave, if you do it right. Place half of the amount of chocolate you need melted in a bowl and heat for the initial 1 min on medium to get it going. You are really just using the heat of the bowl to melt the chocolate so keep stirring! Only put the bowl back in the microwave when it is no longer hot, but only on half power for a few minutes. Once you have the initial amount mostly melted, start adding in the rest of the chocolate. The melted chocolate will melt the remaining chocolate quicker. Stir stir stir, when you are finished you want chocolate that is just warm to the touch, not hot.
As a rule of thumb, it will always be easier to get dark chocolate and milk chocolate to melt into the right consistency than white chocolate. White chocolate really required the lowest melting tempurature as well in order to achieve the correct consistency.
As far as dipping goes, when i'm not putting the cake balls on sticks, using a fork will work perfectly. Make sure to send the cake ball on one big dunk into the chocolate, turn just enough and pluck it out of the chocolate and onto parchment paper. If there is a bit of a puddle on the bottom, pick the cake ball up when the top has dried and the puddle has not and move it to a new spot on the parchment, instant fix!
I've been making cake balls for a while now and have been talking to other people who try to make them. Everyone is super creative and has an awesome filling, but some just make themselves crazy over melting the chocolate. SO my little tips from my own trials is my gift to everyone out there pulling out their hair over scalded chocolate!
There is a paraffin product (like shaved paraffin) that can be used to thin the chocolate for a smoother look.
ReplyDeleteI made these before for a bible study dessert. I baked a cake as directed, cooled it, mushed it up and then added a spoonful of frosting from a Betty Crocker tub. It didn't need much to get shaped into balls. I put sticks on them and then popped them into the freezer before dipping them in yellow candy coating from the craft store. Mine turned out really well. Here are the pictures! I made apples, robots, and the chicks: http://pinterest.com/pin/69524387967032998/ and http://pinterest.com/pin/69524387967032975/
ReplyDeleteThey actually have a wilton set for making three animal faces on cake pops with the right sprinkles, one of them being that little chick!
ReplyDelete