Cake Pops (14 page)

Make these lion cake pops using peanut butter morsels and they’ll be the “mane” attraction.

48 uncoated
Basic Cake Balls

48 ounces (3 pounds) peanut butter or butterscotch candy coating

Deep, microwave-safe plastic bowl

48 paper lollipop sticks

Styrofoam block

24 brown M&M’s

Sharp knife

11-ounce peanut butter or butterscotch morsels

Toothpicks

96 miniature white confetti sprinkles

Black edible-ink pen

Have the cake balls chilled and in the refrigerator.

Melt the candy coating in a microwave-safe plastic bowl, following the instructions on the package. The coating should be about 3 inches deep for easier dipping. (I usually work with about 16 ounces of coating at a time.)

When you are ready to dip, remove a few cake balls at a time from the refrigerator, keeping the rest chilled.

One at a time, dip about ½ inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and insert the stick straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more than halfway through. Dip the cake pop into the melted coating, and tap off any excess coating, as described in
Dipping Methods
.

Place in the Styrofoam block to dry and repeat with the remaining cake pops.

Cut the M&M’s in half with a sharp knife and set aside.

Dip the bottom of a peanut butter morsel into the leftover melted candy coating and attach it to the cake pop. Continue all the way around the head, using about a dozen morsels, to create the mane. Let the pops dry in the Styrofoam block.

When the pops are dry, use a toothpick to dot a small amount of melted candy coating in position for the nose, and attach an M&M half. Use the same technique to attach 2 miniature white confetti sprinkles for the eyes. Repeat with the remaining cake pops and let dry.

Draw on the mouths and pupils for the eyes with a black edible-ink pen.

Place in the Styrofoam block to dry.

Use a black edible-ink pen to transform orange cake pops into terrific-looking tigers.

48 uncoated
Basic Cake Balls

48 ounces (3 pounds) orange candy coating

Deep, microwave-safe plastic bowl

48 paper lollipop sticks

Styrofoam block

48 orange candy necklace pieces

Sharp knife

Toothpicks

48 miniature black heart sprinkles (from Poker Shapes)

96 miniature white confetti sprinkles

White candy writer

Black edible-ink pen

Have the cake balls chilled and in the refrigerator.

Melt the orange candy coating in a microwave-safe plastic bowl, following the instructions on the package. The coating should be about 3 inches deep for easier dipping. (I usually work with about 16 ounces of coating at a time.)

When you are ready to dip, remove a few cake balls at a time from the refrigerator, keeping the rest chilled.

One at a time, dip about ½ inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and insert the stick straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more than halfway through. Dip the cake pop into the melted coating, and tap off any excess coating, as described in
Dipping Methods
.

Place in the Styrofoam block to dry.

Cut the orange candy necklace pieces in half, using a sharp knife.

Dip the cut side of 2 candy necklace pieces into the leftover melted coating, and attach them to a cake pop for the ears. Hold them in place until the coating sets like glue. Repeat for the remaining cake pops.

Let dry in the Styrofoam block.

When the pops are dry, use a toothpick to dot a small amount of melted candy coating in position for the nose, and attach a miniature black heart sprinkle. Use the same technique to attach 2 miniature white confetti sprinkles in position for the eyes.

Use a white candy writer to pipe two small circle patches on either side of the tiger’s nose, and let dry.

Draw on the tiger stripes and pupils for the eyes with a black edible-ink pen.

Let dry completely.

These bears are made using chocolate candy coating, but you can make them in any color you want. Pink or blue bears would make cute baby shower treats.

48 uncoated
Basic Cake Balls

48 ounces (3 pounds) chocolate candy coating

Deep, microwave-safe bowl

48 paper lollipop sticks

Styrofoam block

48 dark brown or black M&M’s

Sharp knife

Toothpicks

48 miniature black heart sprinkles (from Poker Shapes)

96 miniature white confetti sprinkles

Black edible-ink pen

Have the cake balls chilled and in the refrigerator.

Melt the candy coating in a microwave-safe plastic bowl, following the instructions on the package. The coating should be about 3 inches deep for easier dipping. (I usually work with about 16 ounces of coating at a time.)

When you are ready to dip, remove a few cake balls at a time from the refrigerator, keeping the rest chilled.

One at a time, dip about ½ inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and insert the stick straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more than halfway through. Dip the cake pop into the melted coating, and tap off any excess coating, as described in
Dipping Methods
.

Place in the Styrofoam block to dry and repeat with the remaining cake pops.

Cut the M&M’s in half with a sharp knife and set side.

Dip the flat side of 2 M&M’s pieces into the melted coating and attach them to the cake pop for ears. Hold them in place until the coating sets like glue. Repeat for the remaining cake pops.

Let dry in Styrofoam block.

When the pops are dry, use a toothpick to dot a small amount of melted candy coating in position for the nose, and attach a miniature black heart sprinkle. Use the same technique to attach 2 miniature white confetti sprinkles in position for the eyes.

Draw on the mouths and pupils for the eyes with a black edible-ink pen.

Place in the Styrofoam block to dry.

• If you don’t have a microwave-safe bowl large enough for 3½ pounds of candy coating, you can work in batches, melting more coating as you need it. Keep in mind that it may be difficult to match the shade of gray from one batch to another.
  

Candy coating comes in a rainbow of colors. You can also tint your own easily. For gray, add a few drops of black candy coloring to melted white candy coating.

48 uncoated
Basic Cake Balls

64 ounces (4 pounds) white candy coating

2 deep, microwave-safe plastic bowls

Black candy coloring (not food coloring)

48 paper lollipop sticks

Styrofoam block

2 large squeeze bottles

Wax paper

Round metal cookie cutter

Toothpicks

48 dark chocolate–coated espresso beans

Black edible-ink pen

Have the cake balls chilled and in the refrigerator.

Melt 56 ounces (3 ½ pounds) white candy coating in a microwave-safe plastic bowl, following the instructions on the package. The coating should be about 3 inches deep for easier dipping.

Add several drops of black candy coloring to the melted white coating and stir, adding more, a drop at a time, if necessary until you achieve the desired shade of gray.

When you are ready to dip, remove a few cake balls at a time from the refrigerator, keeping the rest chilled.

One at a time, dip about ½ inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and insert the stick straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more than halfway through. Dip the cake pop into the melted coating, and tap off any excess coating, as described in
Dipping Methods
.

Let the pops dry in the Styrofoam block.

Now work on the ears. Pour the unused gray candy coating into a large squeeze bottle. You can reheat it if necessary.

For each koala bear cake pop, pipe two 1¼-inch round discs on wax paper for the ears. Let dry completely.

Use any cookie cutter with a slightly rounded edge to cut away a curved shape from the ear. The curved cut should be similar in shape to the side of the cake pop, so you can attach the two without a gap.

To attach the ears, use a toothpick to apply a small amount of melted gray candy coating on the side of the ear where the cut was made. Attach each ear to the pop, flat-side forward, and place the pop back in the Styrofoam block to dry. The coating will dry and work like glue. Repeat until all the cake pops have gray ears.

Melt the remaining 8 ounces of white candy coating and pour it into a large squeeze bottle. Carefully pipe round white circular shapes on the flat surface of the attached gray ears while holding the lollipop stick, making sure a gray border is exposed around the edges, and let dry. If the white coating drips, it is too hot. Let the coating sit for a minute to thicken, and continue.

For the face, use a toothpick to apply a small amount of melted gray coating to the front of the pop in position for the nose, and attach an espresso bean. Hold it in place for a few seconds, until the candy coating sets like glue.

Draw eyes and a mouth with an edible-ink pen and let dry completely in the Styrofoam block.