Latest Obsession

My latest obsession is cake pops.  When Cara announced she will marry in August (in our back yard!), I immediately began my internet search on 'backyard' weddings.  Though the dinner will be catered, Cara wants a dessert table with favorites provided by family and friends.  Cake pops abound in lavish displays of wedding goodies on Pinterest and I decided to give them a try, though  I've never been a fan of the traditional cake pop.  Being a cake connoisseur, the idea of taking light and fluffy cake, reducing it to crumbs, mixing it with frosting then mushing it all together in a ball seems quite disgusting to me.  And I've had one or two that were made that way ... ick.  But I have seen those cute little appliances produced by Babycakes and, as I have never met a kitchen appliance I didn't like, determined that might be the way to go.  Not readily finding a Babycakes cake pop maker on the shelves of local department stores (though Amazon and Ebay are adequately stocked), I picked up a Nordic Ware cake pop pan at Target. 

Prior to testing out the pan, I read many internet reviews, as well as debates on the methods used to create the perfect cake pop.  Who knew cake pops could be a controversial subject?!?  Fans of the mush & smush method routinely criticized the cake balls that the Nordic Ware pan produced, and there were a few pictures of baking disasters where the pan either refused to release the cake or the overfilled/underfilled pan produced shapes that did not resemble a round ball.  Still, there were a few reassuring reviews that led me to believe that this pan could perhaps produce a decent cake pop.

Anna's birthday provided the perfect opportunity to test out the pan.  The recipe that came with the pan produced a fudgy, brownie like cake and I used Ghirardelli chocolate from the Decorette Shop for the coating.  The technique of dipping the stick in a bit of melted chocolate, inserting it into the cake then freezing the pops before dipping--widely recommended by all internet reviewers--is a definite must.  Not only does it keep the cake on the stick, but the chocolate hardens a bit faster, producing a smoother surface. 

The cake pops were a hit at Anna's party and very yummy.  The cake was very moist and the texture was perfect.  Though I underfilled the first batch a bit, by the second batch I had learned the exact amount of batter needed to make the perfect sphere.  Though many recommended using a pastry bag to fill the pan, my tablespoon cookie scoop worked perfectly.  Clean up was a breeze, just a swipe of the sponge with a bit of dish soap was all that was needed.

By August, I should have this down.  And hopefully I will find a cake pop display rack, although the inside of an orange juice squeezer worked just fine this time around.