A little while ago I received an email from Janine @ Sugar Kissed asking if I would like to join in a cake pop collaboration post she was pulling together with a 'Spring has Sprung' inspiration.
I love the whole bloggers getting together thing and I knew the others involved were a lovely bunch and it seemed I had time so of course I wanted in and said yes.
But y'know I didn't read the email properly and I had time to do it before the due date (that's today).....but a couple of weeks ago when I was supposed to send through the photo's and the link - yeah that was totally undoable.
Well I was only a couple of days late and Janine still seems to be talking to me :) That all kinda worked out ok.
Anyhoo my idea was Butterfly Kisses cake pops.
Yup I know I have already made butterfly cake pops. But seeings as I love butterflies and my kids love butterflies and come on pretty much everyone loves butterflies I decided to make them again.
EDIT UPDATE
I now have a quick Youtube video on how to make the cute chick bird cake pops CLICK on the picture link below:
Plus they are different, this time I decided to shape the actual cake pop into butterfly shapes and hand paint the butterflies. Then I made them into a bit of a spring bouquet with chick and flowers filler pops (the chicks are based on the sweet birdie pops from my cookbook).
I was going to make the butterflies out of white chocolate modelling paste but due to my poor time organisation skills in this instance I just used fondant which I had on hand.
I've popped together a tutorial on how I made them below but before you have a look check out what everyone else came up with and make sure to 'pop' on over and have a look at their blogs :)
I have used the blue butterflies in my example, of course you can make different colors just like I have in the pictures.
Spring has Sprung Butterfly Kisses Cake Pop by Linda V @ Bubble and Sweet
Ingredients and Equipment
Cake pop mixture chilled - (make cake pop mixture by crumbing a cake with frosting until it is moist enough to hold it's shape)
Butterfly cutters (Link to the ones I used:
Fox Run Flower and Butterfly 11 Piece Cookie Cutter Set
)
Lollipop sticks
Butterfly plunger cutters (link to the type I used:
Set of 3pcs Veined Butterfly Plunger Cutter cake decorating fondant plunger embossing tool
)
Fondant (light blue)
candy melts (light blue)
edible dusting powder (dark blue) and or food color/edible markers for painting the butterflies
clean brushes (used for food only)
Make the fondant butterflies the day before decorating to allow time to set.
Roll out fondant on a workbench dusted with a small amount of cornflour and using butterfly cutters cut out the shapes you wish to use. I tried to make sure they were not too fiddly as you will be using the same cutter to shape cake pop mixture soon which is fiddly.
Emboss the cut fondant butterfly shapes by pressing a butterfly embosser onto the fondant before it is set. I used butterfly plunger cutter to emboss with. To emboss the detail lay the fondant butterfly on a flat surface, place the embosser above the fondant shape, press down on the plunger button and then push the plunger onto the butterfly shape.
.
In real life I then fold the butterflies and pop them into cardboard
folded with parchment paper to make a V in the center to dry so the
wings look like they are flying. For the purpose of the photo's I have
added the details while the butterflies are flat
Paint the details on the butterflies. I started by adding some edible dusting powder, you can use some blue food color watered down with some rose spirits if you don't have dusting powder. Then I painted some white edible food color by hand using a very fine brush. If you like you can use an edible marker instead of hand painting for this detail.
Following day - Shape the cake pop mixture into butterflies by pressing cake pop mixture into the butterfly cutters. To do this line a baking tray with parchment paper, place the cutter onto the lined tray and press as much cake pop mixture as you can into the cutter. Gently ease the cake pop mixture out of the cutter.
Use a lollipop stick make a hole in the bottom of the shape.
Repeat until all mixture is used and then place the tray into the fridge to chill.
Melt the candy melts, I add copha or paramount crystals to my candy melts at about a ratio of 7 parts candy melt to 1 part copha/ paramount crystals. When melted your mixture should be
very fluid (but not so much that it is watery). The mixture should be
like thick cream.
I melt my chocolate in the microwave on medium low for short bursts of 60 to 90 seconds.
Grab a bunch of lollipop sticks. Holding one end of the stick dip the
other end into the melted chocolate/candy coating and insert it into the butterfly shape so the stick is sitting in the bottom side of
the cloud and the stick is parallel to the tray. Repeat for
remaining butterflies.
Place the tray back into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes or until the sticks are secure.
Make sure the chocolate/candy coating is still melted, if needed remelt
in the microwave. Holding the end of the stick dip the whole butterfly pop into the melted chocolate/candy coating. Lift it up and allow
as much of the candy/chocolate mixture to fall off as possible. tap
gently on the side of the bowl if necessary. Place upright in a
stryofoam block. Before the candy melts have completely set gently press on a fondant butterfly and hold a few seconds until it is set securely.
Alternately you can wait for the butterfly pops to set completely and then lay them on a tray to work on.
Using a toothpick take some of the melted candy coating and stick a butterfly onto the front of each pop.
I prefer the first method the second method is a little easier to do but the butterflies are not quite as secure :)
Store pops in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook '
Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes,
candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is
available at most online book stores:
Link to Amazon:
Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)
and I've joined in the fun and included my link over @
Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.
