My cake ball experiment...

So I tried out cake pops last night and the directions from Miss Bakerella were deceptively simple. I was smart enough to read the comments from people who had tried them and gave it a go. Now, my finished product looked like a 6 yr old made them, but I did it. More importantly, I learned a few things along the way and while I decorated the young master's birthday cake today, I did a little experiment of my own.

I had accidentally cut open a box of lemon cake last night in a flurry of cake baking, and decided that I should run another test round before making some for shorty's class party on Tuesday.

First of all. I have never been a fan of icing. (unless I have PMS in which case homemade chocolate cake w chocolate frosting is ALL I want) Anyway, I baked up a 13x6 sheet cake of lemon cake. I skipped the extra vegetable oil I usually add to cakes for moisture as these things are wet enough without it. Once the cake cooled, I used a fork and scraped lightly at all the cake inside the outer baked edge...it probably would work fine, but I was going for even texture and this oven blows.

Now one hint I had read said she put the cake and the icing in a large zip lock bag to combine them. Sounded brilliant but, turned out it just made a bigger mess and wasted both a bag and precious cake. I used about 2/3 of a can of regular white icing with the cake minus the outside edge and the texture seemed right. I rolled them right way into little balls to chill as we had only a couple of hours to get to the party and I still needed a shower.

Here are my little cake balls waiting to be refrigerated for a while. I showered then mixed up some cookie icing. I used about 2 cups of powered sugar and 2 tbs of milk. I know the almond bark helped hold the cake balls together and on a stick but this icing dries hard and it's not quite as overwhelming as the candy coating IMO. Anyway, I got the first coat of icing on the balls hoping to have time to coat them again before heading to Mason's party and getting some feedback from those in attendance.

This glaze is really quite thin when you first make it so it was super easy to roll the balls around in and I had no problem with the cake coming off in it. Since I didn't have time for them to dry before I left, I had to serve them with just one (still damp)coat but maybe next time I will make this icing in advance so that it goes on thicker and only needs one coat.

This is how I served them, more to find out about the taste since I know most people like more frosting than me and they were a huge hit! I will definitely to these again, decorated etc. with the thicker glaze.

Anyway, I am super excited to find a less rich, still plenty sweet combo that works...and not just for me!

So, if all goes according to plan, check back tomorrow for the pink Valentine peanut butter hugs cookies I am making......the dough is already tinted and waiting for me in the fridge :)