Going along with the theme from last weeks Birthday post I decided to do yet another Birthday beauty with cupcake pops! I have been wanting to make birthday pops ever since I discovered them on
Bakerella. Bakeralla of course does a much prettier and cleaner job then I did but my cupcake pops turned out delicious and I am so proud!
The recipe I used is from from
Martha Stewart and it is as follows:
Tools Needed:
The usual
Baking sheet
Parchment paper or foil
Lollipop sticks ( I could not find lollipop sticks in my grocery store so I used some craft sticks and that worked very well. You can find lollipop sticks at Hobby Lobby, Michael's or (probably) a specialty food store).
Double boiler, crock pot or microwave
Food Processor
Mini flower-shaped cookie cutter
Styrofoam square (found these puppies in the craft and the flower arrangements aisle at Wally World)
Ingredients:
9-by-13 Inch - Chocolate cake (You can use whatever flavor cake you want... I read a recipe which used red velvet cake and it looked wonderfully delicious!)
2 Cups - Cream Cheese Frosting (Again any flavor and conveniently one regular size icing container equals 2 cups!)
1 Package - chocolate coating bark
1 Package - white coating bark or candy melts (white coating bark can be found at your grocery store but you will have to venture to Hobby Lobby, Michael's or (probably) a specialty food store to get the candy melts).
Sprinkles - for garnish
Candy-coated chocolates - such as M and M's or Reese's Pieces, for garnish
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside. Trim about 1/2 inch from the perimeter of the cake. Working in batches, crumble cake into the bowl of a food processor; process until fine crumbs form.
Add the frosting and blend together until well combined. Roll mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (I personal think you can do whatever size you want... within reason. Obviously a baseball size cupcake pop will not stay on the stick)! Transfer cupcake balls to a prepared baking sheet. Transfer to refrigerator until chilled, about 2 hours or to a freezer for about 10 minutes.
I felt like a video was needed here instead of just a photo. Since I am not the best at video recording and because there are several ways to form cupcake pops here is a
link to a video of shaping cupcake pops. Begin to shape balls into cupcakes by rolling balls first into logs. Fit logs into a mini flower-shapedcookie cutter. Push cake mixture into the cutter halfway so that some of the cake mixture extends beyond the top of the cutter. Shape extended cake mixture into a cupcake-shaped top. Push cake from cutter to remove.
Transfer molded cupcakes to freezer until chilled, 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate... if you read last weeks post then you will remember there are several ways to melt chocolate. Here is the
article on ways to melt chocolate... pick your favorite method! I went a new way this week and used the microwave because crock pots are slow and my double boiler is satan.
Remove cupcakes from freezer and dip the bottom of each cupcake into the chocolate; transfer, bottom-side up to back to baking sheet. You can place dipped cupcake pops on to the same baking sheet but it may be easier if you have two prepared baking sheets.
Insert lollipop sticks into dipped cupcake immediately after you dip them! If you allow the dipped cupcake pops to sit to long the sticks may crack the chocolate coating. Let chocolate set, 15 to 20 minuets.
Melt white chocolate or pink candy melts. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the chocolate and place right-side up on prepared baking sheet or stick lollipop sticks into a styrofoam square. Place a candy-coated chocolate in the center of each and top with sprinkles. Let dry completely in refrigerator. And... Enjoy!
As always this baking blog was edited for fantasticalness by
The Lady In Red (who promises to update her new blog with fantastic Movie, Book and TV Show thoughts, reviews and opinions!).
