Fatteningly Fancy

Looks like people are trimming the Fancy from their budgets these days.  I haven't had much work in recent weeks, so my mind has been left to wander and think about things like redecorating Camryn's room when she moves into a big girl bed in a few months, and what kind of birthday party we'll have for her when she turns 2 in August.  The latter was kind of a no-brainer...the girl wakes up in the morning asking for a "bah-bop" (translation:  lollipop), so naturally we'll give her a bah-bop themed birthday party!  

Although the date, place, time, and guest list have yet to be determined, dessert has been decided.  CAKE POPS!  I've never had a cake pop I didn't get weak in the knees eating, and I've been dying to make them myself but never had a valid enough excuse.  Thank you, Camryn!!!  Since I didn't think it would be prudent to have Camryn's party be my first attempt at making these little fellas, I just had to do a test run a few weeks ahead of time so I'd have time to perfect my cute little concoctions.  Here's how it went down (many thanks to my model and assistant, big sister Brynn):

Step 1:  Gather ingredients and hire the help (help was paid in chocolate milk).

Step 2:  Bake cake following directions on box.  Let cake cool.  (I apologize for this and any further gaps in my photojournalism.)

Step 3:  Tear apart cake using a fork until it's nothing but a big bowl of delicious crumbs.

The assistant needed some assistance with this step, and yes, that's iced coffee all over her shirt.

Step 4:  Add frosting to cake crumbs and combine using your hands until it has a play-dohish consistency.

Step 5:  Grab a handful and roll into a ball.

Step 6:  Perform quality control (very important).

Step 7:  Arrange cake balls in a pan or on a cookie sheet.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 8:  Melt candies according to directions on package.

Step 9:  Dip the tip of the lollipop stick in the melted candies before inserting into the flat end of the cake ball.  This will help the cake ball stay on the stick.

Step 10:  Dip cake ball in melted candies, using a spoon to help get it completely covered.  Tap off excess candy coating, dip in toppings (I just happened to have pink and purple sugar in the pantry, so that's what we used), and stand upright to harden.  I forgot to get a block of floral foam to use as a stand when I was out earlier in the day, so I made good use of what I had at home:

Step 11:  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let candy shell harden.  I need to figure out how to thin the candy melts a little for a smoother, more even coating.

Step 12:  Stick a finished cake pop on top of a Tim cake (optional).

Step 13:  Enjoy!

This time around, I used funfetti cake mix, cream cheese frosting, and white candy melts with flecks of bright colors.  Up next, CHOCOLATE!  These pops were not at all as time consuming as I thought they would be to make, and I can imagine I'll only get more efficient the more I make them.  However, if I continue to eat them for breakfast, I will most likely not be making them often.  Better wrap some up and share with the neighbors!