Sunday, August 10, 2008

Hope these put a smile on your face

Just look how cute they are…

Smiley Face Pops

And yet so vicious!

Ouch… that hurts!

And without regret!

Tasty

(Ouch! Painful, but delicious.)

Now, if you're a little less mainstream, here's an alternative one that rocks:

Nirvana Pop

Anyway, hope you're smiling and …

Smile!

Want to make your own smiley face cake pops?

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can frosting (16 oz.)
Wax paper
Yellow candy melts (1 lb. pkg.)
Lollipop sticks
Edible ink pens

  1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
  2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.)
  3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
  4. Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)
  5. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)
  6. Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.
  7. Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don't tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.
  8. Place in a styrofoam block to dry.
  9. Once dry, draw faces with an edible ink pen and allow ink to dry!

Note: I think cake pops are a little more difficult to make than the cupcake pops because of trying to get the candy coating smooth. So, If you haven't made them before, check out this post for red velvet cake balls and this one for cupcake pops.

127 comments:

T said...

These are ADORABLE! Love them, great work :)

Delaina said...

Love it!

Angie P said...

too cute! My kids will love it when I try this one out!

Tanya said...

Oh, these are SUPER cute! I can't wait to make them. You rock!

landa said...

OMG These are so awesome. I need to do this for my kids one day.

puglyfeet said...

Smiling ear to ear, Bakerella. The second pic is my favorite. =)

spearle said...

I like the one with the big teeth the best! Question: have you ever used homemade icing in place of canned frosting? do you think it'd do alright?

Stella said...

I think these are SO CUTE!

i cannot tell you how many times I've tried to make the cupcake pops and the cake pops and they are just not working! I don't know what to do! :(

Kim said...

For some reason this looks easier then the cupcakes..maybe its the deceiving smiley face:P
Thanks for sharing..I am going to try these for a back to school treat!

ashley marie said...

I love your great, crafty food/treat ideas! I was flipping through my Family Fun magazine and saw a treat that seemed RIGHT up your alley. The website is
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/printrecipe?id=50565

If you need to sign up on their mailing list to see it, sign up and then search for 'mini caramel apples.' They are so cute!

Stephanie said...

WAY TOO CUTE!!! I love them! My favorite is the half-eaten one with the shocked look on his face. Macabre, but adorable!

Sarah said...

Ha! Those are awesome! Definitely made me smile. :)

maybe strawberry said...

i love them! these cake balls are cute!

Amber said...

Those are so cute! You are very talented!!

Bridgett said...

Aww, how sweet those are! I know my little ones would love to have such a treat like these waiting for them after coming home from school.

Saucy said...

Where do you get these pens??

cookemila said...

me encantan tartalette..es como una tira de comics..pero ademas se comen...te superas....felicidades
xoxo.Adorable

Robyn said...

I can't wait to try these too! Just great stuff here! Love'em!
hugs,
Robyn

morgana said...

No doubt, I have a smile on my face... :-)

All of them are adorable, cute, funny... I wanted to make something like this and now I know how to make it. ;-)

You're the best. Billions of smiles and kisses for you. And, as you are one of my best influences, take a look on my blog, there is a little green fairy for you (from the bottom of my heart).

Snooky doodle said...

ha these are so so cute. You re really a creative person. These will be great for children . Have to try them. Pity eating them though. :-)

jenny said...

Hi!

Love,love the new idea ;-)
Can you help me with two questions?
1) I can't find the can of frosting here in Australia, so what recipe can I use instead?

2) I'm planning to sell cupcake pops at a school fete, so I want to know if they(with creamcheese) can keep at room temperature or even outdoors for a long time?

thanks a million!

Anonymous said...

Sooo cute!

I was actually thinking of making the oreo truffles in to smiley faces for the start of school.

arundati said...

these are super cute....

MB said...

so CUTE!!!!!!

ingegerd said...

i love it!!Yiu are so good at this!!!=)have a nice day!!

zarpandit_gokche said...

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii :)

it's very nice! great work!

Clumbsy Cookie said...

I sure I'm smiling! Too cute, specially the eaten one!

MsC said...

These are fantastic. What a great monday post!

Angela said...

How fun!
The ones that "rock" would be great for Halloween!

Angela

hf52771 said...

Girlfriend, you are my HERO! I LOVE these little buggers and your pictures really made me smile...or, grin evilly.... From someone who bites the ears off her kids chocolate Easter bunnies, these rock!
~Heather

Patricia Scarpin said...

Oh, these are so cute! I have to start making some of your recipes, they're amazing!

Cakespy said...

These are fantastic! I love your slightly deviant sense of humor with the crushed one :-) Speaking of smiley faces did I ever tell you I once met Franklin Loufrani, the man credited with the creation of the smiley face? (and I believe the one who sued wal-mart!)

candesintx said...

How fun! Love the play by play! YumE

Amylouwho said...

I love this! It reminds me of the calvin and hobbes where the snowmen crowd are gathered around a fallen snowman with looks of terror on their faces.

Sticky Cakes said...

Once again I bow down to you...wouldn't these be cute in a classroom? To bad I retired...

kira said...

Those are so cute! You are so creative! =)

Stacy said...

Bakerella strikes again...too cute, and yes, I think we are all smiling! Please keep making us smile :))))

chantal said...

bakerella....you make my mouth water!!!

AmandaMichelleSmith said...

Very nice! I can't wait to make more. I need to get an edible marker!!! :]

HoneyB said...

You never cease to amaze me! LOL. Great idea!

Team Simmons said...

I just made pops last night and instead of frosting, I used cream cheese. It's what I use for Oreo Balls and it's delicous. They are pink with white non-perils. Your suggestion a while ago. Thanks!

Shephalli said...

How Cute!!

suezette said...

My daughter couldn't stop giggling at the pictures!

Jess and Jen said...

Have you ever used chocolate cake and chocolate frosting for these...just wondering if it was good. I think I might try it! I made the cupcake ones for a party once and they were a huge hit! I love your great ideas!

Ming said...

Those are A.MA.ZING! So cute I almost feel bad for wanting to bite their little heads off!

Lori said...

These are tooooooo CUTE!

Lori

Josephine Milkweed said...

Hi Bakerella:
You draw so nicely with the edible writers, I wonder if the ones you use are as floppy-tipped as the Wilton ones? I've tried the Wilton ones and it feels like trying to paint with a brush that needs to be re-dipped in the paint. Any thoughts? Although I have a feeling that *you* could still make them look fantastic somehow...btw I bought 'Hello, Cupcake' for a friend's birthday this weekend. Thanks for the recommendation. Put mine on my Christmas list....

Trixy Tran said...

These are extremely cute, I've gotta make them!

Kim said...

These are so cute I just couldn't resist leaving a comment. I've enjoyed reading your blog and seeing what fun baking things you're up to!

Thanks for always sharing such great ideas!

Rebecca said...

OMG!!! YOU ROCK!!! I just saw your cute cupcakes that you did on Martha, and I bow down!!!! You are amazing!!! Love love love your blog!!!

xoxo,
Rebecca

Anonymous said...

Really riding the cake pop wave. Do something new.

*~*Pilgrim*~* said...

I am in the process of making some of these tonight! I just have to draw the smiley faces on them.

These are so cute-- you are very very talented!

eula said...

omg you never cease to amaze. another stunning creation! so cute!

Natalie... said...

Aw these are so cute! I have got to try these out sometime.

Robin said...

They did put a huge smile on my face. thanks, it was a great way to start a work day.

cakegirl20 said...

Another great idea from Bakerella! Thanks so much for the smiles!

Pookie B said...

The Nirvana one rocks!

HDMac said...

Those are darling!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

giz said...

I love the one in the front with the little tuft - cool dude smiley face :). The sacrificial one could be a cousin to Mr. Bill. I could have so much fun with these. Just let the imagination run wild.

Cheryl said...

What fun! Okay, maybe not for the one that was eaten. Too cute! I love how the one in the first pic looks like he's got a curl in front. They remind me a little of Charlie Brown. You are super!

Jenn said...

these are so awesome! love your tasty treats and your blog!

Danyele said...

in love with the smiles!!!! thx!

and, you inspired me to make my very first non-traditional cake. i made a unicorn cake for my #2 kiddo's bday this week. it's not perfect, but ii did it!!!

Lynds said...

Too funny! My kids got a kick out of that. Thanks for the laugh!

sugarlens said...

Your stuff will never cease to amaze me!

Bakerella said...

I am behind responding, but thanks for all the sweet comments. The smiley faces were fun. I couldn't keep myself from laughing as I drew the faces on, so I'm glad you all enjoyed them, too.

spearle - yes, I have used homemade icing and it works fine. I used this one:

Cream Cheese Buttercream frosting

1 stick butter (softened)
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add sugar and vanilla until creamy. Easy!


stella - It might help you to watch the martha stewart video if you haven't seen it already. Go to her site and search cupcake pops.

saucy - I bought black ones at a cake supply store, but you can get them here:

http://www.amazon.com/Americolor-34Gourmet-Writer-Decorating-Colors/dp/B0012DMI1S?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1218420627&sr=8-14

morgana - I always love your comments. Thanks for keeping me smiling.

jenny - are you able to find any canned ready-made frosting. You can use any flavor that goes with the cake you are making. You can also use homemade. I have used this one.

And they are fine at room temp for several days, or outside as long as it's not hot. They can melt or fall off the sticks if they get too hot.

cakespy - What?! are you kidding. I'm thinking there are more surprises to you.

jess and jen - I sure have and they are really good, too.

josephine milkweed - I think the Americolor Gourmet Writing Pens are the best. I've tried Betty Crocker brand and they were just no where near as good.

http://www.amazon.com/Americolor-34Gourmet-Writer-Decorating-Colors/dp/B0012DMI1S?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1218420627&sr=8-14

pookie b - YAAYYY! I'm so glad someone recognized it. I think you're the only one, though.

danyele - that's awesome. It's fun to step out of the cake comfort zone, isn't it?

Jenn said...

I have tried making cakeballs quite a few times. They're always delicious, but not so great to look at. lol. Do you add anything to your candy melts? I just can't seem to get mine thin enough to dip no matter how long I melt it. Am I not melting it long enough? I just don't want to scorch it. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

Bakerella said...

jenn - Are you doing the pops or the balls? What brand of candy melts are you using?

For the candy melts, I melt in the microwave in 30 sec intervals, stirring in between until melted. Then I dip the balls, one at a time in to the candy coating with a spoon. Cover the top of the ball if your bowl isn't deep enough. Then lift out and tap off excess chocolate by tappin spoon against the side of the bowl. Then, let ball slide off spoon onto wax paper. If it's still, too thick, you can add a drop of veg oil to the chocolate or use something called paramount crystals.

Hope that helps.

Jenn said...

Thanks for your reply Bakerella! This particular time, I was making pops, but I've tried just the cake balls as well. I use the Wilton candy melts. I will give it a drop of veggie oil next time! I hadn't thought of that. I'm determined to make some "pretty" cake balls! lol. Thanks again for taking the time to respond. :)

Jaina said...

Omg those are so cute! I love the bright cheery colors.

Bakerella said...

jenn - for the pops, I insert the stick first and then dip the entire ball in the candy coating very carefully. Make sure chocolate surrounds the stick at the base to help secure the ball. Then gently tap off excess while you twirl the cake pop.

Also, I haven't used Wilton melts, but a lot of others have and I am thinking they might be a little more difficult to work with. I need to try them out and see.

jaina - thanks!

Vivianto said...

Love them!

b|e creative stationery said...

Yumo!

Sarah said...

Oooh, those cake balls! I've made 3 batches already! Love the smileys!


I have a gift for you at my blog: http://yummysmells.blogspot.com/2008/08/unimpressed.html

Bakerella said...

vivianto - thanks!

b|e creative stationery - Yesss!

Sarah - they are addictive!

Jeanine said...

Those did have me smiling, I love them!

Chinouk said...

How can I look at this without getting hungry? =)

www.chinouk.net

Pat said...

I made these the other day and although they tasted amazing I had a bit of trouble with the candy melts melting thin enough to dip the pops into and achieve that smooth surface you get. Any tips?

They were a big hit anyway bit!

Bakerella said...

Jeanine - Good. thanks.

Chinouk - It's hard for me too.

Pat - I swirl, and tap the extra off. And when I do, it smooths out the chocolate. You can also add a few paramount crystals to thin it out some. Or a drop or two of oil.

Anonymous said...

I made chocolate cake ball pops w/blue white chocolate and blue sugar sprinkles for my son's birthday at school and these were a big HIT! Kids couldn't figure out how cake got inside :-) Thanks so much!

Bakerella said...

Anonymous - that's cute. Wish I could have seen their expressions.

Bassie said...

I'm in love with your cake pops! These I've gotta try!

Adora Faye Starwind said...

My son loved these. When he showed them to his grandma he kept making all the smily faces. They are so cute! He can't wait till we make them. Thanks!

Bakerella said...

bassie - thanks

adora - I love to hear things like that. Glad your son liked them.

mimi168888 said...

I totally love the pops... and I made some tonight...
check it out at http://peachypapaya.blogspot.com/ not as pretty cause the chocolate was not as smooth...
Gotta try again with drops of veg oil in the melt.

But my kids loves them... and so do I.... :)

Bakerella said...

I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed them.

chats said...

I made these with three kids 9,7,4. It was super easy and they had a blast from start to finish. I did discover that using a double broiler made the dipping easier. The final product ended up being smoother.

Laura said...

I LOVE your ideas. Thanks for sharing. I will be making these in the next 5minutes... Hope they turn out as cute as yours.

Bakerella said...

chats - that makes me smile.

Laura - I hope they do, too.

Renee said...

I think lots of people are making these because when I clicked the link for the markers, yellow candy coating showed up as "customers also bought this"!!

Just thought you should know!

Bakerella said...

That's funny. Thanks for the heads up.

aszaham said...

Wow ... Your picture a large number of

Emily Griesmyer said...

how long can you store these and how?

Bakerella said...

They can last up to a week.
Just store them in an airtight container on the counter.

Jessica said...

Hi there Bakerella. I just found your blog and it's wonderful! I couldn't resist making my own cake-pops and now I'm giving away bouquets of them as xmas gifts!. I just made a tut for them and I wanted to give you the link: http://home.exetel.com.au/wiir3d/bouquet_tut/bouquet_tutorial.html

Thanks for the gorgeous recipe. :)

Bakerella said...

Great idea for gifts and nice bouquet tutorial.

Robyn said...

I love these! They are so incredibly adorable and I can't wait to try them!

Bakerella said...

Thanks Robyn!

Lyday Family said...

How do you get the Cake Pops so round? I'm trying to get them to look "pretty"..but no such luck. they taste delicious though!!

Thanks!

Bakerella said...

You need your chocolate to be on the liquid side. Not too thick. Then, dip them in the coating in one dunk. Lift back out and then turn and tap until the entire ball is covered and the excess falls off. Hope that helps.

Aubrey said...

The pens I got did not write on them very well, what kind do you use, and where can I get them?? Thanks

Bakerella said...

Aubrey - in this post is a link to the edible ink pens I use. The brand is Americolor.

Anonymous said...

Hey!
I want to make your lovely pops, but I was wondering how many oz. one stick butter is..

Bakerella said...

1 stick of butter is 1/2 cup or 4 oz.

Cassie said...

Just tried to make these, and as i remember from making pops around the holidays... I do not like the way the melts taste! Do you have any suggestions for an alternative? Maybe bakers chocolate? I do not want it to thick!

SOOOO glad I found your blog... don't know what I would do with out it! You totally ROCK!!!!

have any inspiration blogs for cooking? don't know what I am making for dinner tonight....hehe!

Bakerella said...

Cassie - you can try regular baking chocolate. I haven't yet, but if you do - add a bit of shortening to help thin it out.

Cooking…
www.thepioneerwomancooks.com
www.smittenkitchen.com

look on my links page… i have a few on there.

Grace said...

I want to thank you for your excellent recipe and idea, I made them for my daughters university graduation, without a face because I did not have a marker, but they were a great hit, everybody loved them, and was a new idea in my country,(Guatemala) thank you again, for beint so speacial.

Bakerella said...

Thanks for sharing all the way from Guatemala, Grace!

bimby said...

Really, very nice.
I'll try to make them.
Thanks

Anonymous said...

bakerella! these are you so cute, im going to make some for easter. weeee
i was planning on making a lemon cake (just picked up some meyer lemons), do you think a a pound cake will work better or a fluffier cake like texture for the cake pops?
Thank you much! =)

Anonymous said...

Bakerella, I love your pops! I've made the oreo balls for years, but I love the creative things you do with them and want to try making cake pops. I was wondering, does food coloring in white chocolate work as well as candy melts? I've never worked with candy melts and am a bit hesitant about the taste. Thanks!

sandie said...

I love the chicks and bunnies!!! How do you carry them in the car to other places?

Bakerella said...

bimby - yay

Anonymous - either should be fine. start out with 1/2 can of frosting and mix. then add more as needed.

Anonymous - as long as you use candy coloring, it should work fine for both.

sandie - a styrofoam block does the trick.

V or Nessa said...

These are sooo amazing and adorable I had to make them for my daughters bday easter theme, her birthday is today...however on my first batch, everything was going wrong...I think I put to much cream cheese icing ( I used Duncan Hines creamy homestyle cream cheese frosting with the moist deluxe chocolate devils food cake ) it was kind of gooey but rolled very well, then I put them in the freezer since I had a short time to make them. I also used plastic stick (should I use paper? ) and they kept falling off when I would dip them, which was also a disaster, I think the chocolate was too thick, I'll try thinning it with oil (as read in one of your response). But he's my problem...my second batch I forgot in the freezer! Are they still good?
txs so much.

Bakerella said...

V or Nessa - Yes, the paper sticks are better. And I think you can still use them, just let them defrost to the point of just being chilled and firm. If they are too cold, it will make them difficult to dip. The chocolate will start to harden too quickly.

Karina said...

We made our second attempt last night...and thankfully the results were much better. You make it all look so easy...although the more you do, the better you get. I will never look at a sprinkle deco the same again (hummm...what can I make out of a blue snowflake...a foot...a crazy eye - ha ha). Anyway - I'm still having trouble with the candy melt cracking after they have set. I used Wilton and Bark coating and had the same problem. Do you ever have that problem?

Bakerella said...

I know exactly what you mean. I am always looking at candy differently now.

Next time you do them, don't leave them in the freezer too long.

Gina said...

I love them. I made them with Strawberry cake mix and they exploded. Once the got hard the chocolate split and the fell off the stick. Any suggestions.
Thanks

Tracy said...

Those are adorable!

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I did couple of the lollipop cakes (with the happy face on...:D) but i found that after the chocolate dried, it crack..split open (the coated chocolate..)
Is there's any trick to prevent that?
your reply greatly appreciate it...

I love all your creations...looks fun!!

Bakerella said...

IF they do that again, try re-dipping them. I think it has something to do with freezing them too long and cake expanding.

atti said...

How thin should the candy melts be. I felt that they were too thick when I tried...

clockwork said...

These are wildly adorable!

Bakerella said...

thin enough to dip and remove easily without it getting stuck. Shortening can help thin it out.

violarulz said...

Bakerella, have you ever tried using gel food coloring with the white bark melty stuff? I'm too cheap too lazy to go buy the colored melting chips....

Bakerella said...

You can color chocolate, but you have to use special candy color.

Mary A said...

My cake pops dough is not cakey it is more the consistency of cream center. I used 2 cups homemade frosting, what is the consistency suppose to be?

Bakerella said...

To make them less moist, just add less frosting next time until the texture is moist enough to mold and still hold its shape.