I wanted to switch up my cake pops from their normal shape so I decided to spice it up by making them look like tiny donuts.

Hubs was fairly popular when he brought these into his office the next day.

I’ve been getting enough inquiries into how to make cake pops that I decided it was time for a tutorial.  My very first! 

Cake pops are a major labor of love.  They’re time consuming, tedious and often times frustrating.  But the result is that oh so sweet little dessert that’s sure to impress.  Hopefully these steps will help you make your very own pops.

1. Bake a sheet cake and crumble.  I did this by hand, but it can be done with a food processor.  Unfortunately mine broke.  (This would make a good birthday gift.  Cough cough.)

2. Mix in about 2/3 a can of frosting.  I don’t use the whole jar because then the cake will most likely fall off the stick when dipping.  Don’t be afraid to get your hands in there!

3. Form into balls.  I then let them sit in the freezer for half hour or in the fridge for multiple hours.  This way they are firm and don’t fall of the stick when you dip them.

4. Okay, now the dipping part.  This is where it gets complicated good.  I use Wilton Candy Melts because they’re the most readily available and cheap.  Here’s the key: microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between.

And listen up- I add a dollop of Crisco to the melts before microwaving.  The candy melts can be way too thick, and this really makes the dipping step MUCH easier.

5. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick into the candy melts and then put it about half way into your cake ball and let sit for a couple of minutes.  This is an important step and will help ensure that the cake ball doesn’t fall off the stick while being dipped.

6. Submerge the cake ball all the way down into the melts.  Do not swoosh it around in the melts or it will fall off the stick.  I’ve found the best way to coat it is just rock it back and forth.

7. Remove and tap your wrist to get any excess melts off.  Do not shake or tap the stick directly or the cake will fall off the stick.

8. Decorate as desired and put in a styrofoam block to dry.  I’ve started to use these because they’re cheaper.

9. Enjoy!

If you haven’t already seen Bakerella’s video, it’s a must see.  Best of luck!

Last week in Syracuse not only did I have the challenge of watching a two year old, but I had to make 100 cake pops at the same time. When I normally make cake pops I make about 2 dozen.  So the thought of making nearly 10 dozen was a seriously daunting task.

Now, if you’ve ever made cake pops before you know they are a process.  A long, labor and love filled process.  It’s tedious.  It’s tiring.  Did I say it’s a long process?  Because it is.  I’ve gotten many emails asking how I perfect mine, so hopefully one of these days I can get around to helping you all out.

Here’s how it happened: one of my dog park friends was organizing a party and asked if it was possible to get 100 cake pops.  My first thought was, “ONE HUNDRED???  Do you know how long that will take??”  And then the second was, “But that’s the week I’m in Syracuse…”

So since I would be returning in time for her party I decided to take on the task.  I would make the cake pops in Syracuse and then transport them down with me.  This literally took DAYS and three full sheet cakes to complete, but I dominated those cake pops.

Just a small amount of the cake pops ready to get packaged:

There they are, all 100 of them ready for delivery:

Oh but wait- don’t forget I was watching a two year old this whole time.  Do you know how much a two year old wants to shove all one hundred of those cake pops in her mouth?  SO BAD.

I held out for the first couple of days distracting her with fruit.  There was no way I was going to give this kid additional sugar.  I finally made a toddler-sized cake pop for her and let her go to town. 

I promise, it’s actually a super small cake pop:

I left Syracuse with 100 cake pops, feeling exhausted and accomplished.

This weekend Melissa’s son Colton celebrated his first birthday.  She threw him an amazing party and recruited me to make pops.

I can’t believe how fast time is going- remember when I took Melissa’s pregnancy photos and then Colton’s newborn photos?  So I was in a bit of shock when Colton was running around saying “Hi” to all of the ladies in the room.  He is seriously such a charmer!

Hopefully Melissa will post pictures soon so you can see how adorable her party was!

I spent an exciting Friday night finishing up my cake pops for my cookie exchange.  Yes, I worked multiple nights on making these.  That’s how much of an old lady I am.

I can’t believe it’s already cookie exchange time- this last year has seriously whizzed by.  It’s been a whole year since I stopped working as a nanny.  A year since I made my very first cake pop.  And a year since I mailed our last Christmas card.

Happy holidays, everyone.  I’m so excited for the next year ahead.   Stay tuned because I can’t wait to show you this year’s Christmas card!