November 2012
Baking 13″ x 9″ cakes with a slab of Betty Crocker frosting was a fun and exciting moment in my childhood days for my sister, Tiffany and I. We were the type of kids that couldn’t wait for the cake to cool before frosting it and as a result of our impatience, the frosting would ooze over the sides of the cake as we carelessly crumbled the top. It became an utter mess, every time. Despite its horrendous appeal, we were always satisfied and eagerly served a slice to everyone who gathered around for the holidays.
As I grew older, I also grew out of the baking fun. I went to college and began working and paying bills just like every one else. I needed something to do. Something to distract me from the everyday routine. I had and still have many interests I will like to some day accomplish. However, it comes with a price and so I needed something else to do. I was informed by a friend to look into Pinterest for inspiration of activities such as DIY, art, fashion etc.. Naturally being a girly-girl that I am, when she said fashion I opened an account. Little did I know I was going to come across a plethora of cakes, cupcakes, cake pops and more “foodporn.” I was immediately inspired and it was at the right time, the holidays was right around the corner.
The one thing I was most intrigued by was cake pops. Never seen such a cute little piece of cake before! I was madly obsessed with these small pieces of cake (good for those with a sweet tooth and want portion control) and can be made into many shapes, sizes and flavors; you name it and you’ll probably find it on Pinterest. Some of the most amazing cake pops I’ve seen to date were of a Chinese dragon, game-boy controllers, and so much more. The intricate detailing was unbelievable! Instantly, I began to wonder, how can someone shape pieces of cake into these amazing tiny figures? I did what most people would do which is to find a tutorial over YouTube. I saw a video twice and I was committed to making a batch of simple cake pops for my family as a Thanksgiving treat.
My initial reaction after my first attempt was, “Big mistake!” It failed and I quickly became frustrated. “Why do the cake balls keep falling off the stick and why does the candy melt keep hardening like paste? And how is it possible that Bakerella can do it with such ease and in less than 2 minutes on what appears to be an unedited video?” These questions ran through my mind as I was running late to meet family for a Thanksgiving lunch. I was determined to make these cake pops and try again but without a clue as to what I did wrong, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. I quickly searched for the same tutorial on and this time, I paid close attention. VIOLA! I discovered what I was doing wrong. The trick was to put a little vegetable oil in the melted candy-melts, do not over-stir to prevent hardening and lastly, freeze the candy coated stick inserted into the cake ball for approximately 10 minutes which acts as a glue. On a race against time, I couldn’t wait for the freezing time so I had to come up with something different. I threw everything out and tried again. This time I made cake balls instead which came out better than the failed attempt of cake pops.
This experience was definitely a lesson learned. Cue in on the small details such as adding oil and to not over stir because this is what’s going to help save time and prevent unnecessary frustration. Also, always keep trying. I must say, as simple as these cake balls look, it wasn’t easy the first time around. I’m proud of my work and use this as a part of my motivation to achieve more.
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