BAKE SALE! KEY LIME CAKE POPS!

WE HAD ANOTHER BAKE SALE LAST NIGHT TO BENEFIT A REALLY GREAT CAUSE:

MY SISTER RECENTLY GIFTED ME TWO NEW BAKING COOKBOOKS, ONE OF WHICH WAS "BAKERELLA'S CAKE POPS!"

I WAS EXCITED TO SEE WHAT I COULD DO WITH AN OLD FAVORITE RECIPE TO GIVE IT A NEW TWIST, AND A NEW LOOK.

I READ THROUGH THE BEGINNING SECTION, AND IT GIVES YOU SOME GREAT TIPS FOR THE PROCESS. THANK GOODNESS, BECAUSE IT WAS A BIT OF AN UNDERTAKING.

FIRST THINGS FIRST, I HAD TO BAKE THE CAKE IN A 13 X 9 INCH PAN AND GIVE IT TIME TO COOL COMPLETELY. I MADE THE CAKE USING A BOX CAKE, BUT SUPPLEMENTED THE WATER FOR A CUP OF BUTTERMILK AND ADDED AN EXTRA EGG. YUM!


AFTER THE CAKE WAS BAKED AND COOLING, WE HAD TO GO AND GET SOME SUPPLIES. DAKOTA IS AN EXCELLENT CO-PILOT.

THE SUPPLY LIST WAS...EXTENSIVE? I NEEDED TO GET LOLLIPOP STICKS, SOME STYROFOAM BLOCKS TO HOLD THE POPS UP AND SOME RIBBON. OF COURSE I COULDN'T RESIST GETTING SOME METAL BUCKETY THINGS AND SOME SHREDDED CRAFT PAPER TO COMPLETE THE SPRINGY LOOK. OH, I ALSO HAD TO GET SOME CANDY MELTS TO COAT THE POPS WITH.

THANK GOODNESS MICHEAL'S HAS EVERYTHING ALL IN ONE PLACE! ALSO, I SAW IN US WEEKLY, THAT IT'S COOL AGAIN TO SHOP THERE. PHEW.


I MADE ONE OF MY FAVORITE FROSTING RECIPES:
THE NEXT STEPS OF THE PROCESS WERE PRETTY LABOR INTENSIVE, SO I DIDN'T TAKE MANY PICTURES OF THE PROCESS. HERE'S THE SHORT VERSION:

CRUMBLE THE CAKE INTO A BOWL, ADD IN THE FROSTING UNTIL THE CAKE TO FROSTING RATIO WOULD ALLOW YOU TO PICK UP THE MIXTURE IN YOUR HANDS WITHOUT IT STICKING TOO BADLY. MY FIRST TRY, I HAD TO ADD MORE CAKE CRUMBLES BECAUSE IT WAS TOO STICKY AND TOO HEAVY FEELING. FORM THE CAKE MIXTURE INTO BALLS SMALLER THEN A GOLF BALL. PLACE ON A BAKING SHEET AND PUT IN THE FRIDGE TO COOL.

I CRUSHED THE GRAHAM CRACKERS IN A BOWL AND ADDED IN CLEAR SPRINKLES FOR A LITTLE SPARKLE. THEN, I MELTED THE CANDY IN A BOWL AND PREPPED MY STYROFOAM BLOCKS BY PRE-STICKING THE LOLLIPOP STICKS IN THEM (ANOTHER GOOD TIP FROM THE BOOK).

TAKE THE LOLLI STICK AND DIP IT INTO THE CANDY BEFORE STICKING IT INTO THE CAKE BALL. THIS HELPS IT STICK TOGETHER. ROLL THE CAKE BALL IN THE CANDY, COATING IT COMPLETELY. YOU WILL NEED TO HOLD IT OVER THE BOWL AND KEEP TURNING IT AS THE CANDY COATING SETTLES AND THE EXCESS DRIPS OFF. YOU CAN ALSO TAP THE STICK ON THE SIDE OF THE BOWL TO HURRY UP THE PROCESS. THEN, I SPRINKLED BY GRAHAM MIX OVER TOP AND STUCK IT IN THE STYROFOAM TO COOL. HERE IS MY FIRST ONE:

THEY WERE DELICIOUS, BUT MAN WERE THEY TIME CONSUMING! THE DOGS WERE FORCED TO ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES.

I WAS RUNNING LATE FOR THE BAKE SALE, SO I SNAPPED OFF SOME PICTURES AND RAN OUT THE DOOR. HERE THEY ARE IN ALL THEIR GLORY!!!




I'M HOPING THEY GET EASIER AS I PRACTICE. I ONLY USED 1/2 OF THE CAKE AND IT PRODUCED 2 DOZEN CAKE POPS. I SHOULD FINISH THE JOB TODAY...

BUT MAYBE I'LL JUST RELAX INSTEAD.