02 Jun 2011 ‘Sweet little bites’ of cake on a stick

American confectioners are thinking outside the box when it comes to cake. Hence the latest trend in portable pastry: shift aside cupcakes, here come cakes on a stick, also called Cake Pops and Lollibakes…

“Cake pops are like a little cake accessory — sweet little bites,” said Jessie Oleson, creator of online “Dessert Detective Agency” cakespy.com. “They are also a great palette for creative decorators, so they are as much a delight to behold with the eyes as they are to eat.”

The tasty, visually appealing invention is known by a number of names: Cake Pops, Lollibakes … but whatever you call them, says a report on www.courier-jounal.com, “they have liberated cake and made it as edible on the go as doughnuts, cupcakes and brownies. We all need an easier way to eat cake.”

The frosted fun pops are available in the Louisville, Kentucky, area at shops including Starbucks and Cake Flour. DIY bakers can also buy their own cake-pop-making tools at Kohl’s and other stores. Industrious bakers have created an online cake-pop cottage industry.

“They are a very popular item for home-based businesses or custom-order bakeries,” said Oleson, author of the book “CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life,” coming out in October. “They also seem to be a very popular item for online mail-order bakeries.”

Starbucks started carrying the pops this year for its 40th anniversary, and offers rocky road, tiramisu and pink-frosted birthday-cake pops. In an online interview, a spokesman for Starbucks Petites pastries said, “This has been an emerging trend popping up in specialty bake shops, on blogs such as Bakerella.com and even touted by Martha Stewart. … It’s whimsical, fun and delicious cake on a stick. What’s not to like?” Bakerella.com just published the book “Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks and Recipes for More than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats.”

The fork- and napkin-free treats have become especially popular as party snacks and gifts.

“They’re fun. They have all the cuteness of cupcakes, but on a stick. You can make various coloured ones for weddings or parties and do designs like leopard print, and also make characters and animals easily,” said Rachel Kramer Bussell, co-editor of “Cupcakes Take the Cake” at http://cupcakestakethecake. blogspot.com.

“I don’t think they’re in competition with cupcakes,” she said, “but they are extra impressive. If you make cake pops, you show you’ve really gone the extra mile and created something special.”

The perfect cake-to-frosting ratio also gives them their own unique flavour. “You get to take a satisfying bite out of them and also get that texture of candy coating and cake forming a contrast,” Bussell said.