Eggstrordinary Cake Pops

Every year, I like to make chocolate Easter eggs to give as gifts and this year is no different.  However, instead of a cream filled egg, I chose to make mine cake. According to Wikipedia, the egg "is a pagan symbol of the rebirth of Earth," which I find interesting because yesterday we celebrated Earth Day!  It was later adopted by Christians to symbolize the rebirth of Jesus.

As Christmas and the 4th of July were my mother's holidays to have family over and Memorial Day was Grandma Huekels' day, Easter always meant we would pile into the car and go to Grandma Tierney's house for dinner.  I loved seeing my cousins and sitting around their large dining table, listening to conversations and feeling secure in this tradition our family shared.  That changed when I was eleven and my grandmother passed away, but my mother stepped and started a new tradition.

I've enjoyed making cake pops for awhile and find that they ship better than my cupcakes to family and friends for special occasions.

Who can pass up that little bunny!

I decided to make these chocolate/chocolate--the cake is chocolate and the frosting is chocolate, but I wanted them colorful, so I chose melting chocolate in colors to resembled dyed eggs instead of my usual choice of bittersweet chocolate. (You can find melting chocolate and the 6" Lollipop Sticks at Michael's).  I wouldn't recommend hiding these eggs, but rather make them the centerpiece of your Spring table to celebrate nature's rebirth!

Chocolate Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk


Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12" x 17" (or 13" x 18") sheet pan with a nonstick baking spray and set aside.


In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and mix until combined.


Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and use a wire whisk to blend.  Alternate adding dry ingredients with the buttermilk--starting and ending with dry ingredients.


Spread the batter onto the preparing baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven 20 to 22 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch--DON'T OVER BAKE!
Let the cake cool completely before crumbling it into the frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 T Vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 to 3 T milk, if needed

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until combined.  Add the vanilla and cocoa powder and mix until combined, adding milk to create a creamier frosting.

Crumble the cake and while the mixer is running drop into the bowl.  Continue until all the cake as been mixed into the frosting.

  Use a 2 Tablespoon scoop to measure out cake dough.  Roll in your hands, forming into an egg-shape.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Continue until all the dough is used.  Place baking sheet into the refrigerator and let eggs chill for 1 to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler over medium-low heat, place the colored melting chocolate.  When chocolate has melted, turn the burner off.  Remove your eggs from the refrigerator and dip a lollipop stick into the chocolate and push into the bottom end of the egg-shape.

Once you have about a dozen done, start dipping the eggs into the chocolate.

Let the excess drip off and then, use a piece of Oasis to stand your colored eggs into while they dry.
I used four different colors to do my eggs--you'll get about 6 dozen eggs from this batch!

To save the chocolate, scrape onto a wax-paper lined plate to cool until hardened.  Place in a 1-quart freezer bag and seal.  You can re-heat this melting chocolate over and over again.

Not everyone may like hard boiled eggs, but I guarantee these chocolate covered eggs won't get passed up.  Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Sweet Daughter

Today is our daughter, Erin's birthday and like my sister, she's miles away, but that didn't stop me from calling her at 3:30 a.m. (PST) this morning to sing "happy birthday" like my Dad did for me (even when I was married and had children!)  Erin told me this evening that Maddie said happy birthday, but  hasn't quite got down the singing part yet.

So, I thought about this dessert I had last week at a Vera Bradley event--a Cake Pop.  Basically, it's cake mixed with icing and covered with chocolate.  An ingenious idea and I'm thinking this will ship better than cupcakes!

The trick is to bake up your favorite cake in a sheet pan, let it cool and then crumble it into the icing.  Mix up  the cake and icing and form into balls.  After they chill you dip them in melted chocolate; it's that easy and just think of the combinations you can come up with.

Red Velvet Cookie Pops
Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Use a 12" x 17" sheet pan.  Brush with melted butter, then line with parchment paper and brush with butter again.

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 oz (2 T) red food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
3 T cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 T white vinegar
In the bowl of the KitchenAid, using the whisk attachment, beat butter until fluffy.  Turn the mixer on low and gradually add the sugar, whisking until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and red food coloring and mix well.  Change to the paddle attachment.  
Sift the dry ingredients.  Measure the buttermilk and add the white vinegar to it.  Add one-third of the dry ingredients and half the buttermilk mixture, beat well.  Repeat, ending with adding the last one-third of the dry ingredients.  Beat to combine.  Pour into the prepared baking sheet and spread with an off-set spatula.

Bake in the preheated 350Fdegree oven for 5 minutes, then, lower the temperature to 325Fdegrees and bake another 15-18 minutes, just until the center springs back when touched (or use a toothpick to test for doneness-should come out clean).  Don't over bake.  Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan.

Meanwhile prepare the frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
6 oz cream cheese
6 T unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. pecan flavoring

In the bowl of the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter thoroughly.  Add the extract and pecan flavoring (if using).  Add the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Crumble the cooled cake and add, small amounts at a time, into the prepared frosting.

When all the cake has been added, the batter should resemble the consistency of cookie dough.

Use a two-tablespoon-sized scoop to measure up the dough.  Roll it into a ball and place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment.

Refrigerate the cake balls for at least 2 hours to chill thoroughly.  This recipe made 4 1/2 dozen balls.

While chilling, melt 3 cups of semi-sweet, bittersweet, or white chocolate over a double boiler.  Erin doesn't like white chocolate, so I mixed the semi-sweet and bittersweet.
Start by dipping a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate, then stick it into the cake ball.

Next, dip the cake ball into the melted chocolate and cover completely.  Shake the excess chocolate off and, then, turn it right-side-up.  I used a block of "oasis" (you can find it at a floral craft store, i.e. Michael's, Ben Franklin, etc.) to stick the cake pop in to set.

When they're completely set (you can refrigerate them to speed up the setting), wrap or place in a small gift bag and tie with ribbon.

It's just like eating a "cake truffle" and fun for adults, as well as, kids.  I hope that FedEx truck makes it to New Jersey tomorrow.  Enjoy!