Friday, May 13, 2011

Cake Pop Kids

I first got into the cake pop thing after landing on Bakerella's blog and buying her book for Kendall. Kendall was too busy with school--classes, prom, final exams, getting her driver's license, etc. to barely open it, but I figured it could be a fun little hobby for her.  She loved the cake pops I made, and when she finally wrapped up her A.P.European History exam, she decided it was time to play!  She made her first batch on Wednesday, and they were so wildly received at school that she and her friend, Kelsey, excitedly made some more, this time for A.P. classmates.


That little bottle in her hand is worth its weight in gold, btw!


A little messy (she's learning). 
I suggested she decorate before putting them in the cute little paper cups,
 but what do I know?! :)



You know you've been making cake pops when...


Cake pops, cake balls, goof balls...It's all good!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Baby Shower Cake Pops

In case you haven't noticed, I've got a new hobby--making cake pops. 
Inspired by Bakerella's book, Cake Pops, I've been having a lot of fun! 
Recently, I googled "Baby Shower Cake Pops" and found a super-cute baby cake pop photo 
(which I can no longer find, of course). 
My colleague, Tina, is about to "pop," so what better treat to bring to her baby shower 
at school tomorrow!  I had so much fun making these!



I used Bakerella's Basic Cake Pops recipe and used the following ingredients to finish my them off:

Dark Chocolate Cake
Milk Chocolate Frosting
Wilton white/vanilla candy melts
Dark Chocolate Candy Coating purchased at my local cake decorating store
a black "candy marker"
cupcake liners
tiny fabric ribbon
a Styrofoam base on which to display the cake pops
cotton candy for the "bed" of my display

Obviously, I went with white candy melts for some of these. I have to admit; they're not my favorite, 
but I didn't know where to find "white" chocolate on short notice. 
I also used dark chocolate candy coating, because that's my favorite, 
and I love the results...soooo cute! 
(It's hard to see in the photos, but they are adorable in normal lighting.

Sadly, I had one "crack baby."


And this one is the first one I made (and my favorite)...


It was a messy job at times, but the process was fun and not hard at all (just lots of steps).


How could it not be fun, with these little cuties staring at you all night?



For what it's worth, they are easy to make; it's just time-consuming. You can easily make the dough and roll the pops ahead of time.  You can also keep them in the fridge (air-tight container or foil covered) for days;
I've eaten week-old pops that are still fantastic.

So, don't you wish you were pregnant?
(Me neither.)
But I'm pretty sure Tina's gonna be glad she is!

Note: Making these took me five hours (I told you it's a hobby!) If I make them again, it will probably go a little quicker.  If I were to sell these cake pops, I wouldn't make them for less than $100, considering the labor and materials. (That's about $2.40 each.) So, yeah; it's not something I'd do every day, but I'm really glad I made them, because I know they'll be a hit tomorrow at the shower!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Sweet 16th Cupcake Wars Birthday Bash!

This post is simply some videos from the "Cupcake Wars" birthday party we threw for my daughter's birthday. It's for us, certainly, to refer back to when reminiscing, but also for anyone looking for fun ideas for such a party.

First, the surprise (Kendall knew she was having a party but had no idea what kind):


Then, the intro....



After baking, the girls presented the inspiration for their cupcakes...


And a little bit of the judging....Our "Simon," Mr.4444!


We also enjoyed pizza (that we baked while the cupcakes were being decorated)!
In fact, after two hours, I had to ask the girls to wrap up the baking/decorating, 
because we still had to eat and do the presentations.
As it was, the party lasted four fun hours!






The only thing I forgot to do was put all of the cupcakes together and put candles in them for a "cake."
I did that later, at home, and it was okay, but everyone was sick of cupcakes by then, of course.

All in all, the party was a huge success and one no one will soon forget.  
I highly recommend having a "Cupcake Wars" birthday party! :)