Fun with Cupcakes and Cake Pops

What a wonderful time of year! Spring signifies a rebirth after a long, dark, and cold winter. The weather is warming up, the grass is beginning to green, and the trees are getting ready to bud. It’s also the time when kids are excited to take to the soccer, lacrosse or baseball fields, and many brides are looking forward to their upcoming bridal shower. 


Cupcakes and cake pops are fun for any occasion and any age! While children tend to like more traditional cake flavors, like chocolate and vanilla, they love something as simple as brightly colored frosting and sprinkles (or you can go all out and decorate). The adult palate is more adventurous, opening up a world of flavor i.e. carrot cake, lemon, banana, tiramisu, red velvet, and more. Cupcakes can also be filled or stuffed for a double taste sensation! 

Tips for Baking the Best Cupcakes

The perfect cupcake doesn’t just have great flavor, but is also moist and fluffy and these tips will help to ensure that:

  • Read the Recipe

    Always read the recipe all the way through and get out all of your ingredients and equipment before beginning. 

  • Check Product Dates

    Be sure to check expiration dates on baking powder and baking soda, which are both leaveners and act to help baked goods rise. They lose that ability once expired, and that will result in a disappointing finished product.

  • Allow Ingredients to Come to Room Temperature

    Take butter, eggs, and any other refrigerated ingredients out at least an hour before you get started. The butter will combine more readily with the sugar, creating a fluffy batter and the eggs will whip up into more voluminous foams. 

  • Use Caution with Substitutes

    Remember baking is a science! Sugar doesn't just provide sweetness, but is also responsible for producing a certain texture and moisture, so reducing it could be problematic. Some substitutions could also result in the baking soda or powder not activating, while others (like different flours or oils) could cause different results.

  • Measure Carefully

    Lightly, spoon dry ingredients like flour and cocoa into dry mastering cups, then level off using the flat side of a knife (but firmly pack down brown sugar). To properly measure liquids, place liquid measuring cups on the counter, and bend down to read the markings at eye level to ensure the liquid is level with the measurement line.

  • Mix with a Light Hand

    The key to moist and fluffy cupcakes is not overmixing. You want to create air bubbles in the batter that will expand when in the oven and overmixing will collapse these bubbles, resulting in a heavy cake. Use a low speed to mix ingredients just until blended. 

  • Don’t Over-Bake

    Set a timer for the shortest recommended time in the recipe. Check to see if cupcakes still look visibly liquid in the center. If they do, check on them again in a couple of minutes. Cupcakes should spring back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. 

  • Allow to Cool

    Follow recipe instructions for cooling. Thoroughly cool before frosting.

Lemon Burst

Cupcakes

What better flavor than lemon to tantalize taste buds, and this cupcake will do just that! It’s a perfect addition on a party dessert tray or for a shower!

Tips for Making Cake Pops

Easily portable, cake pops are the perfect bite-size treat for any event or celebration, and can be made with any flavor cake or frosting. Check out these 10 tips below:


  1. Make it easy! While you can make the cake and frosting from scratch, there’s no need since a box cake mix and canned frosting work well for cake pops.
  2. Use a slightly stale cake since a drier cake combines more easily with frosting, and holds together better than one freshly baked.
  3. Crumble cake into tiny pieces using your hands or a stand mixer.
  4. Add approximately 3 tbsp frosting to the crumbled cake if cake is moist, and ⅓ cup if cake is dry. Work frosting into the crumbled cake until well combined. Add more frosting if needed until the desired truffle-like texture is achieved.
  5. Keep them small! Roll cake/frosting mixture into balls approximately 1 tbsp in size, and place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If they are too large, you will lose them when dipping.
  6. Use candy melts to coat cake pops, and follow package instructions for heating and stirring so candy doesn't scorch.
  7. Dip one end of a cake pop stick, approximately ½”, into melted candy, and then push the stick into a cake ball about halfway. Repeat until all cake pops have sticks. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to set up.
  8. Get dipping! If unable to stir candy melts, reheat just until able to do so. Dip the entire ball, including where the stick meets the cake pop, into the melts, working quickly. Slowly lift out of the melts, and twirl the stick to allow the excess to drip off. Use the side of the bowl to scrape the excess where the coating meets the cake pop.
  9. While the coating is still wet, decorate with any sprinkles, etc.
  10. Place finished pops in a styrofoam block (or upright in glasses without touching) to dry, then enjoy!

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