Cake pops are small desserts made by mixing crumbled cake with icing, shaping it into balls, and decorating it with candy coating, sprinkles, and other decorations. They can be made in various shapes and flavors and are popular at parties and weddings. Other desserts like brownies and cookies can also be made in pop form.
Cake pops are small desserts on a crumbly cake stick mixed with icing that is shaped, baked, and decorated. Basic cake pops typically come in the form of candy-coated balls, but sophisticated bakers can create complex shapes with more elaborate decorations. The pops are usually covered in diluted icing or melted candy coating and can be decorated with all kinds of candies and sprinkles. In addition to cakes, cookies, biscuits, brownies and grains of rice can also be baked on a stick as a pop.
A basic cake pop recipe starts with making cake balls. A boxed cake mix is made according to directions and chilled and crumbled in a bowl. The crumbs are then mixed with icing until moist and pliable. Once hand-shaped into balls, the pops should be refrigerated for several hours on a baking sheet. When firm, the balls can be pierced with a biscuit stick dipped in melted candy coating and decorated.
Bakers can make their own icings and cakes rather than relying on commercial products and mixes. The melted candy coating can be replaced with diluted icing or other decorations such as powdered or colored sugar. Instead of going through the process of making cake balls, donut holes can also be used.
Beyond just the cake ball, pops can be shaped and decorated in myriad ways limited only by the imagination and skills of the baker. Snowmen, robots and animals are just some of the possibilities. Cake pops can be made to look like cupcakes or even boxes of popcorn. Decorations range from sprinkles to embellishments made with moldable candy or gumdrops.
More sophisticated shapes may require the use of a mold or cookie cutter. Some molds include an indentation that allows the baker to bake the pop with the stick already in place. Cookie cutters are used to cut shapes from pre-baked cakes in a baking or jelly pan. A plastic dowel rod is a cylindrical tool that shapes a cake pop mixture into a rounded shape similar to a candle or crayon.
In the United States, cake pops gained national prominence after being featured on various blogs, websites, and shows by personalities such as Martha Stewart. The international chain Starbucks began offering cake pops in 2011. These small desserts are commonly served at weddings, birthday parties, and other celebrations. The pop appeal is rooted in the dessert’s portability, whimsy, and fewer calories than a big slice of cake.
Besides cake pops, other desserts can be baked on a stick in pop form. Molds are available for baking dome-shaped brownies that are easier to decorate with candy coating than the traditional square. Cookies are opened by baking cookies with sticks inserted and decorating once cool. The sticks can also be inserted into chilled and cut up bite-sized pieces of rice cereal which can then be decorated with candy coating or icing.
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