Let's Make Some Cake Pops!

This is my tutorial on how to make cake pops.  Mmmm...  They are finicky little beasts that will cause you tons of frustration to make, but they are soooo worth it!  If you make them or have made them before, leave me a comment on how they turned out.


Step 1:
Bake a 9x13-in box of cake mix (any flavor) according to the package directions.  Wash your hands, then crumble the cake into a mixing bowl.  The crumbles should be somewhat fine - smaller than a pea.  Think "Grape Nuts."

**TIP**  When mixing the ingredients, sift the dry cake mix so there are no lumps, and lightly beat the eggs before adding to the mix.  You won't have to use the electric mixer in your batter for more than about 30 seconds (including scraping down the bowl).  That will give you a fluffy batter that is free of those chewy little bits.   

  

Step 2:

Add approximately 1/2 - 2/3 of a container of store-bought frosting (any flavor that compliments the cake; red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting are perfect for Valentine's Day).  It's easier to add more frosting to the mix than it is to take away frosting if you added too much.  The amount you used will be determined by the brand of cake mix you used and how you baked your cake.  A moist cake will use less frosting and a cake that is dry will use more. 

 

 

Step 3:

Combine the crumbled cake and frosting.  Some people like to use their hands, but that really grosses me out.  A spoon works just fine.  You should have a play-doh-like consistency that is moist enough to hold together to form a ball, but not too moist where it won't stay hold its shape.

 

Step 4: 

To get cake balls that are all the same size and shape, use a small cookie scoop.  I got mine from Walmart for around $7.  When scooping the dough, scrape the dough along the edge of the bowl to remove any excess. 

 

Step 5:

Drop the scooped dough onto a plate.  Work in groups of 10 cake balls per plate.  In one cake mix, I can get almost exactly five dozen cake balls.  That seems like a lot, but don't give in to the temptation to only scoop out the exact number you want to make.  Some of the cake balls won't turn out, so you'll need those extras.  

 

Step 6:

Wash your hands again.  Roll the scooped cake ball between the palms of your hands until they form a smooth ball shape.  This should only take a few seconds per piece.  You'll notice your hands getting coated with dough.  Working in groups of 10 also gives you a chance to wash your hands frequently.

 

Step 7:

Insert a lollipop stick just over half way through each cake ball.  I like to use 4" sticks when making individual pops, and 4" and 6" sticks when making bouquets.  Michael's has the best price on lollipop sticks, especially if you use a 40% off coupon.  After all of the sticks are inserted, refrigerate the cake pops for about 30 minutes, or until cold and somewhat firm.  You could also put them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, but make sure they aren't getting frozen.   

 

Step 8:

While the cake balls are refrigerating, you can prepare your coating.  I prefer to use Wilton Candy Melts, but the brand that is pictured is all that was available at the time.  I have use chocolate chips, but the chocolate burns easier in the microwave and white chocolate chips seem to seize and become a hard clump.  Walmart has the best price on candy melts, especially if you buy them just at the end of a holiday.  Red and pink candy melts usually go on clearance right after Valentine's Day.

 

Step 9:

Prepare your candy coating for melting by filling half of a mug with the wafers.  I prefer to use a mug for dipping because it is tall and narrow.  If you use a bowl, you'll have to use more candy melts to make the coating deep enough to dip the cake ball.  Microwave the candy melts in the mug for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each 30 seconds.  After the first 30 seconds, the candy won't be melted, but stir anyway...you don't want it to burn.  You'll probably only need to put the mug through three rounds of melting in the microwave.  You'll notice that as the candy melted, there isn't as much in the mug.  Stir in more wafers until the mug is half full.  The newly added wafers will melt and help cool everything down.  Stir a few times if it needs extra cooling.  If the candy is too stiff, put it in the microwave for another 10 seconds or so.

 

Step 10:

Prepare your work space: use a piece of foam to hold the drying / finished cake pops.  Use a lollipop stick to poke holes in the foam, being careful to space out the holes so the cake pops don't touch.  Lay a piece of wax paper down to rest your stirring spoons.  It's okay that the candy dries and hardens on the spoon.  You'll need to reheat and add more candy wafers a few times, and what's on the spoon will melt when you stir.   

Take one plate out of the refrigerator or freezer.  Working with one piece at a time, remove the lollipop sticks and dip about 1/2" of one end into the melted candy.  Immediately put the candy-coated end of the stick back in the cake pop - in the same hole you took it from.  This will help "glue" the stick to the cake pop so it doesn't come off when dipping.  By the time you get back to the first cake pop, the "glue" should be set enough to work with. 

Step 11:
Time to dip!  Working with one cake pop at a time, dip the cake end in the melted coating.  Go slow!  The coating tends to act like a vacuum to the submerged cake pop.  If you pull too hard or fast, the cake ball will come off of the stick.  Push the cake pop down far enough for the coating to completely cover it.  You might need to tip the mug if the coating isn't deep enough.  Be sure to have the coating touch the stick - there needs to be a candy "seal" all around the cake ball.

 

Step 12:
Slowly pull the cake pop out and gently tap the stick on the side of the mug while turning the pop.  Tap GENTLY.  I've had several cake tops fall off during this process.  The tops will also fall off easier if you pushed your lollipop stick too far (or all the way through) or not far enough.  It's a delicious mistake, but not one you want to repeat too many times.  The purpose of tapping off the excess coating is to give the pop a nice, round look.  It will also dry faster, allowing you to work quickly through the batch.  (Speaking of drying, chilling the cake balls before dipping quickens the drying process.)  Keep tapping and turning until you are satisfied with the thickness of the shell.  If you didn't remove enough of the excess, the coating will drip when it's set up in the foam holder.  Mine haven't ever dripped all the way, just enough to look like stalactites.  Maybe a cool look for a cave-themed event??  

**TIP**  The pink, red, and white candy melts tend to be thicker when melted, whereas the chocolate melts are thinner.  Candy melts aren't real chocolate - they are candy and the chocolate varieties are candy flavored like chocolate.

**TIP**  Look all around the pop while you are tapping off the excess.  If you see any little bubbles, pop them before they grow into problems.  You can dip the tip of your finger or a toothpick in the melted coating to reseal the popped bubble.  If you let the coating harden, the bubble will pop on its own.  As the candy coating dries, it contracts, and at the same time, as the cake pop warms up, it expands.  The contracting coating will squeeze the cake ball, and if there are any holes (check around the stick, too), oil from the cake will start to seep out.  Trying to cover a seeping hole won't work because the coating won't stick to the oil.  This is gross looking, but they still taste great.  The only way to avoid this problem is to reach perfect temperatures for the chilled cake ball and melted chocolate.  Since this is almost impossible to do for the entire batch, you'll be glad you make extra cake balls.  This is by far the most frustrating part in the entire process.

 

Step 13:
In this picture, you can see the side swoosh from tapping and turning the cake pop to remove the excess coating.  I think it looks artsy-fartsy.  Set your cake pops in the foam to complete drying - they don't take more than a minute or two to dry.

Step 14:
You can get fancy and use a piping bag and tip (Wilton Round Tip # 1 would work best), or you can just use a sandwich baggie.  A little candy coating goes a long way when it comes to decorating.  Put a few spoonfuls of melted candy coating in the corner of the bag, then snip off a tiny part of the corner.  Just like when adding frosting to the crumbled cake, it's easier to snip off more than it is to put it back.  Hold the piping bag in one hand and the cake pop in the other.  Turn the cake pop as you go.  As you can see in the picture below, I snipped too much of the corner of the pink decorating bag, so the pink line is way too thick.  I could have avoided that by reheating the pink coating for a few seconds.  I also could have avoided the child-like decorating by being a better artist, of which I am not.  They taste good.  Period.

Step 15:
If you plan to make these to eat at home, there really isn't a need to package them.  They seem to grow legs and walk away at my house.  If my kids know that I made cake pops, they cry for them for every snack and meal.  I guess it's a compliment.  :)  It's probably best to store them in the refrigerator (line a sealable container with paper towel - do not stack them together or they might crack), but it doesn't hurt anything if they are out, either. 

If you're making these as a gift, packaging is key.  Dress them up by individually wrapping in treat bags (got mine from Michael's with a 40% off coupon) and wrapping with a colored twist tie or ribbon.  Cut the ribbon 8" long so you have enough to make a bow.  Below are two ways I've packaged my cake pops.  

The first way is individual and upside down.  I used silver mini muffin liners (keep the white paper lining with it) and a silver twist tie.  The muffin liner will keep the cake pop upright.  The only problem I have with this approach is that it looks like you took the easy way out and let the pop dry in the muffin liner.  It'll be a nice surprise for the recipient when they unwrap it to find a smooth cake pop instead of one with jagged edges.

The second way is to assemble a bouquet.  Wrap each pop in a treat bag and tie with a twist tie or ribbon.  After selecting your container, hot glue a piece of foam to the bottom.  The foam should almost completely fill the container.  Make sure your container is big enough that it won't tip over - the cake pops will make it top-heavy.  Using a bare lollipop stick, poke holes in the foam where the cake pops will be placed.  Don't try to do this with a finished pop.  Sometimes the foam is difficult to poke through, and the stress could crack the cake top.  Use the 8" lollipop sticks for the middle cake pops, and fill the outside with the 4" pops.  Done!
 

I hope this post was helpful.  Good luck!  :)

Week 3 Weight-Loss Results

Week Three is over and I lost one pound, which is .46% of my body weight.  That's a total of 11 pounds lost, or 4.87% of my original body weight! 

I thought for sure I was going to either maintain or gain weight this week.  If that happened, I would have to pay $1 for maintaining or $1 for each pound gained.  The trouble for this week was that I wanted to eat everything!  I kept telling myself that it was okay because Aunt Flow is coming soon for a visit, but I shouldn't use that as an excuse to eat.  

For the rest of this blog, you should be imagining any episode of "Shark Week," specifically when the sharks are feeding.  I wanted to put my face over the shark's face, but I'm technically challenged.  :)

The eating frenzy started last week Tuesday...my birthday.  My dad and step-mom sent us several gift cards for Christmas, and we've been saving them for a rainy day.  I had to work until 7pm, so Tim got a babysitter lined up for the kids.  When I came home from work, we celebrated my birthday with the kids (they helped Tim bake a little cake for me and one for each of them, too), then Tim and I we were off to eat dinner at Olive Garden.  I ordered my favorite meal: Chicken Gnocchi soup (sometimes Zuppa Toscana), salad, and breadsticks.  I had two bowls of soup, a big bowl of salad, and two breadsticks with a pat of butter for each of them.  Yikes!  I lost all self-control that night.  We ate so much and so late in the evening that we just felt sick afterwards.  I tried to be good for the rest of the week at work, but I wasn't really trying.
  
We also had our church youth group over on Sunday for a Super Bowl party.  Everybody brought something for the pot luck.  There were chili cheese hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, crock pot enchiladas, barbeque meatballs, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, taco dip, crackers, chips, cookies, dirt cake with Reese's peanut butter cups, pickles, olives, candy, chocolates, cookies, cupcakes, a veggie tray, and a little fruit.  The kitchen table, countertops, and stove were full of food...a fat girl's dream party!!  :)

I recall sitting at the table in front of the food literally shoveling it into my mouth.  Okay, not literally, but literally!!  It all tasted so good.  My weight-loss intentions had been tossed out the window.  The worst part was that when I was eating the rich, calorie-laden food, I didn't stop, even when I was full.  Do you ever feel like you can feel your fat cells getting fatter?  That moment and I met again.  We've been long-time friends, I just thought I defriended him at the start of this journey.

After the party, I cut up some celery, radishes, and cucumbers to eat at work the next day.  That was ALL I was going to allow myself to eat...and lots of water.  My stomach had another idea.  A co-worker brought in a big crock pot of chili with all the toppings, including baked potatoes, and a chocolate cake.  Granted, the cake was sugar-free, but that really doesn't help all that much.  I fell in love with the chili as soon as I smelled it.  Must...have...a...bowl...NOW!  I forced myself to wait until 11am to eat my first bowl.  I was "good" and only had a small potato with chili over the top, a sprinkling of cheese, and a smattering of oyster crackers.  "I'll weigh in a day later this week," I reasoned, "just to give myself extra time to work this off."  A few hours later, the chili was still smelling wonderful and although I tried to end our relationship, the chili won me over.  I had to have another bowl.  It had beans, so it was healthy, right?  Right.  Okay, good.  You're with me.  My second bowl had another baked potato covered with butter, then chili, then topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and more oyster crackers.  I ate that bowl of chili so fast that my co-workers were complaining of a draft!  Next in line to get schooled was the cake.  I sent it to detention...in muh belleh.  Mmmm...chocolate cake.

I weighed in with my wallet ready.  I was SHOCKED when I saw that I lost a pound.  I'll take it!  Each passing week is revealing my need to get my rear in gear.  I've been asking God to help me make wise choices so I can at least lose some weight each week.  I feel like I'm trapped in this body and it's utterly disgusting.  I can't keep up with my kids and I get winded going up and down the stairs to do the laundry.  That makes me so sad.  My company has a fitness room.  Instead of pigging out, I need to think: MUST.  WORK.  OUT!  

Next week, my hope is that I win our mid-point challenge by being the person to lose the most percentage of weight.  If I do, I'll celebrate, but not with food!  :)  (P.S.  I like my hair in these pics!)

Week 2 Weight-Loss Results

Week 2 brought amazing results for me.  I was able to lose 100 pounds.  I also grew my hair out and discovered the fountain of youth.  What a great week!  Check out my picture!

 
Okay, I guess I probably didn't fool anyone.  Darn.  Even though this isn't how I look, I still lost four pounds, which is 1.82% of my body weight.  That's a total of 10 pounds lost in two weeks, which is 4.42%!  Yeah!

 

Being down four pounds was a nice surprise this morning when I weighed in.  I weigh myself each morning when I arrive at work, and this whole week I've been misreading my scale.  I've been using the non-digital scale, so it's difficult to see exactly where the pin lands.  I thought I either stayed at the same weight or lost only a half pound.  Either way, it was good motivation to keep making good food choices and to not overeat.

I think the shirts I wear also make a difference in how I look, and ultimately how I feel.  Last week's shirt seemed to cover more of my curves.  Shirts like that make me feel more confident.  I need more of them.

I look so tired in these pictures.  As much as it might seem like I love getting these pictures taken, I don't.  I know I'll get more energy as I lose more weight.  I wish it could happen overnight.

My fat seems to be feeling different.  It's difficult to describe, but I feel like it's becoming more loose, like it's not as compact.  I have two pairs of jeans...one is size 20 from Maurices that is huge.  I hate wearing them because they practically fall off.  You'll know when I wear these jeans because I'm constantly adjusting them.  The other pair is a size 18 from Old Navy.  I like them, but buttoning them makes my lower belly fat even more pronounced (yuck!), and I also get a muffin top.  I love muffins.  That's how I got myself in this mess.

My hope is to lose 50 pounds to start.  I would love to be back to what I weighed in high school, which was 135.  135!!!!  I shouldn't compare anything to my high school days...it was so long ago.  I turned 34 years old today.  Not sure how I feel about that yet.

My husband is taking me out to eat tonight, and I fully plan on gorging myself like a gluttonous pig until I feel sick.  I can hardly wait!!  :)  Chow, people.  Oops, I mean ciao! 

  

Week 1 Weight-Loss Results

The first week of my weight-loss challenge is over, and I'm proud to announce that I've lost six pounds, which is 2.65% of my body weight!  Way to go, me!  I want to celebrate with a big, greasy dinner.

I couldn't really think of anything specific to say about this past week, so I'll leave you with a few thoughts that just ran through my head:

Why the heck is my face so red?  It's been like this all day.

Ja-ja-ja-jelly belllllyyyyy!  I want boobs again.

I want to join a fitness center, but just for the tanning.  Don't judge.

The girl that took my picture said, "I like your peacock shirt."

I think I have one of those bodies where the middle gets fat like a beer barrel, but the arms and legs stay skinny.  I think that's called "skinny fat".  I am skinny fat, except basically more fat with chicken ankles.  I better stop.

I never mentioned that I'm 5'9".  I used to be 5'10".

One of my favorite movies is "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" with Lily Tomlin.  I also want her giant rocking chair.

I'll be 34 in a week!

I like my new haircut and wish you could see the peek-a-boo violet highlights in these pics.  Next time I'm getting either purple, blue, or pink.  "Go big or go home," as I always say.  Never.

The lady that did my hair is like a crack dealer.  She gave me my first cut and color free and now I'm addicted.  I see how you are!

Someone on Facebook just mentioned wanting M&M's, and now I want them.  Sigh.  But I'm "watching what I eat."  I'll watch it all the way to the bank is what I'll do!

I just ate a BLT for lunch and my gums feel all cut up.  But it was totally worth it.

I like cooking bacon in the oven on a cookie sheet.  

BACON!  Good God...it all points back to bacon.  :D


Hopefully I will continue to eat healthier so I can lose weight at next week's weigh-in, too.  On the agenda...drink water and check out the company's fitness room. 

Time to Face the Fat, er, I Mean Music

This blog was written candidly and on my own terms, while realizing some people reading this struggle with their own weight issues.  This post wasn't intended to make fun of anyone or dismiss real medical problems.  I'm the fattest I've ever been and it's time to be completely honest with myself. 

I'm hooked on shows about fat people.  It's like watching Hoarders.  You're more comfortable with the mess you live in when you can compare it to the hoard that someone else is living in.  Seeing someone's 600-lb life makes me think I'm okay because I'm nowhere near that size.  When I look in the mirror, I have nothing to compare myself to.  I don't notice the weight going on and I don't notice the subtle changes my body is making over time.  I imagine myself to look the way I did in high school.  But when I see myself next to someone smaller or in shape, I'm absolutely horrified.  Ignorance is bliss, but I've been an idiot.  This whole time I've convinced myself that I look like Dr. Jekyll, but the truth is, I've knowingly let Mr. Hyde take over.  I've known for many years that I need to get my weight under control, but if I don't acknowledge that anything is wrong, then it's not, right?

Becoming one of those people I watch on TV could be easy - I love food!  I'm overweight because I love to eat.  I love the taste and textures of food and I'm okay with eating when I'm not hungry.  One of my weaknesses is salt.  My husband has always joked that he's going to give me a salt lick for my birthday.  

On a shopping trip with a girlfriend a few years ago, the topic of weight surfaced.  She was hesitant to try on anything that was semi-tight because it would reveal her extra weight.  She quickly added that she knew she wasn't fooling anyone...clothes don't make a fat person look skinny and you can't hide how big you are.  That conversation is something I haven't forgotten.  I'm reminded of it daily when I pick out clothes to try to hide myself.

So...I'm on a new, yet familiar journey to lose the extra weight and get my body back.  I'm participating in a "Chub Club" at work and will be weighing in each week.  My starting weight is, gasp...226 pounds!  I had my third baby in October 2012 and people tell me that it's okay to be heavier because I just had another baby.  The truth is, I've had plenty of time to drop the extra weight, but instead, I've been gaining.  I can't believe it.  Wait, yes I can.  I think about my weight every time I'm eating and shoveling more food in well after I'm full.  I swear some days I can actually feel my fat cells getting bigger.  It's time to deal with this issue head on.

Here are the pictures of me from this morning's weigh-in.

I can't believe I included that last picture.  That's just downright gross.  But I suppose that's what people see when I sit down.  I can't see it from that angle, so I pretend it's not there.

I want to add that I'm STARVING right now.  My stomach is growling.  And no, I'm not starving myself.  My gluttonous stomach just wants more!  I've been a food beast.  This is how I imagine myself to be treating food lately.

I'll be weighing in each week and blogging my results.  I'd love to lose at least 50 pounds and get back to the weight I was at before I had three kids.  I'm done having kids and am ready to look good again.  It helps that we're on a very strict budget right now (finally going to make headway on some debt, I'll blog about that, too), so eating out isn't an option.  My prediction is that I'll lose seven pounds the first week.  Cross your fingers for me!