Step-by-Step Cakes by DK Publishing

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Cake Ball variations

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease

the cake pan and dust with flour. Cream

together the butter and sugar. Beat in the

eggs one at a time, until the mixture is

smooth and creamy. Sift together the flour,

baking powder, and salt and mix into the

cake batter.

2 Pour the batter into the pan and bake for

20–30 minutes, until the surface is springy

to the touch. Turn out to cool on a wire rack.

3 When the cake is cool, process it until it

resembles bread crumbs. Weigh out 2^3 ⁄ 4

cups and place in a bowl. Add the frosting

and the jam and mix thoroughly. Using dry

hands, roll the mix into balls the size of a

walnut. Put the balls on a plate and stick a

skewer into each. Refrigerate for 3 hours or

freeze for 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet

with parchment paper.

Strawberries and Cream Cake Pops

These are a fantastically impressive treat to serve at a children’s party. You could even decorate

a whole birthday cake with them.

Chilling time

3 hrs, or 30 mins freezing

Special equipment

8in (20cm) round cake pan

food processor

25 pieces of bamboo skewer, cut to

approximately 4in (10cm) lengths,

to resemble lollipop sticks

Ingredients

7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus extra

(^3) ⁄ 4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup store-bought buttercream frosting, (or see
vanilla buttercream frosting, page 109)
2 tbsp good quality, smooth strawberry jam
10oz (300g) white chocolate coating bark
MAKES
20–25
20
MINS
25
MINS
4 WEEKS,
UNDIPPED
4 Melt the coating bark in a bowl set
over barely simmering water. Dip the chilled
balls one at a time into the molten
chocolate, turning until completely covered,
right up to the stick.
5 Gently take them out of the chocolate
mixture and allow any excess to drip back
into the bowl before transferring them to
the baking sheets to dry. The pops should
be eaten on the same day.

BAKER’S TIP

To ensure a smooth, round finish to cake pops,

cut an apple in half and place the halves cut

side down on the lined baking sheet. Dip the

cake pops, then stick their bamboo skewers

into the apple. This will help the cake pops dry

without any marks on the surface.

Fruit Cake Balls

I love to serve these cute little cakes at Christmas parties. An easy and delicious way to use up

leftover fruit cake.

Chilling time

3 hrs, or 30 mins freezing

Special equipment

food processor

Ingredients

2 cups leftover Fruit Cake (see recipe, page 72)

6oz (150g) dark chocolate coating bark

2oz (50g) white chocolate coating bark

glacé cherries and candied angelica (optional)

MAKES

15–20

20

MINS

25

MINS

4 WEEKS,

UNDIPPED

Method

1 Pulse the cold fruit cake in a food processor

until thoroughly broken up. Using dry hands,

roll the fruit cake into balls about the size of

a walnut. Put the balls on a plate and

refrigerate them for 3 hours or freeze for

30 minutes until quite firm.

2 Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper. In

a small, microwave-proof bowl, heat the

dark chocolate coating bark in bursts of 30

seconds until it is melted, but not too hot.

Or, melt it in a small heatproof bowl over

a saucepan of barely simmering water.

3 Take the cake balls out of the refrigerator

a few at a time. Dip them, one at a time, into

the molten chocolate mixture, turning them

quickly with 2 forks until covered in

chocolate. Take them out of the chocolate

mixture and allow any excess chocolate

to drip back into the bowl. Transfer them to

the lined baking sheets to dry. Continue the

process until all of the balls are coated. You

will have to work quickly, as the chocolate

can harden very fast, and the cake balls

can disintegrate if left in the warm

chocolate for too long.

4 Melt the white chocolate coating bark as

above. Using a teaspoon, drop a little of the

white chocolate mixture on to the top of the

hardened fruit cake balls, so that it looks as

if they have been drizzled with icing, or

snow. The white chocolate should drip down

the sides a little bit.

5 If you are feeling ambitious, small slivers of

glacé cherries and candied angelica can be

cut to resemble holly leaves and berries and

stuck to the still molten white chocolate.

Leave the cake balls to rest until the white

chocolate is quite hard.

STORE Will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days.