Friday, November 30, 2012

Christmas Pudding Chocolate Cake Pops and A Cake Pop Maker Giveaway


Christmas Pudding Chocolate Cake Pops

Hello Beach Dwellers
Today we are talking cake pops.  Let me tell you there's an easy way to make cake pops and a hard way.  And you guessed it, I found out the hard way of course.  You may remember these ones I made for my the Beach House Brat's birthday party.  There were only 6 little girls present. I was going to make two each, but I struggled to make it to 7.  Making the pops was fine, but I struggled to keep them on the stick and had problems with the chocolate running off because it was too hot.  They looked OK and were very yummy, but I had to rest them on their bottoms, because gravity was against me and they kept sliding down the stick.  The ribbons saved the day, making them look very pretty, but the effort to wow factor ratio was high and I did wonder whether I'd ever bother again.


Roll forward several months and it was kind of like having a baby.  I forgot everything and jumped right back in.

I received this cake pop maker from Kambrook, and lets just say, you may be seeing a whole lot more cake pops on this here old blog.  This machine and the hot tips in the Kambrook instruction booklet, like 'adding a little vegetable oil to the chocolate melts', really helped to make the cake pop experience much more pleasant indeed.



The Kambrook booklet also provides lots of cake pop recipes which are simple.  The pops take about 5-6 minutes to cook.  The cake pop sticks provided, (24) are washable and reusable.  The pops turn out perfectly and any residue easily breaks off.  The pan is non stick and just needs a thorough wipe over between batches, so the next batch does not stick.


The pops are best covered in chocolate melts, with a good teaspoon of vegetable oil mixed in. This will make the chocolate easier to work with as it cools. Before you start, make sure the chocolate is not too hot, other wise it will just slide off the pop.  

Prick your cake once it has completely cooled on a wire rack, with the sticks provided.  

Hold the pop over the chocolate bowl and use a spoon to drizzle it with chocolate, gently shake off any excess chocolate and place in the stand to dry.

Dipping the balls into the bowl is a no no, as it may lead to them falling into the chocolate and a God awful mess.


Whilst they are drying, make your plum pudding decorations.  I used red smarties and jelly babies roughly cut to the shape of a leaf.


Allow the first coat of chocolate to completely dry. Meanwhile fill a clip lock plastic bag with melted white chocolate (again the melts are the best).  Squeeze the chocolate into one corner of the bag. Snip the tinniest corner from the bag and pipe a good dose of chocolate onto the top centre of your pop. It should run down the sides by itself.  Place the lollies on top, which will assist in making the white chocolate run down the sides for effect as well.


This was a shot I took when I made chocolate crackle plum puddings last holiday season.


As you can see, a generous amount of white chocolate is fine.


And the cake pop recipe I used from the Kambrook book.

Chocolate Espresso Cake Pops
Makes 24
3/4 cup plain flour sifted
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
50 ml/ 1.5 fl oz milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
50 mls/ 1.5fl oz freshly brewed espresso ( I used strong instant coffee)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the decorations
200g/7oz milk choclate melts, melted according to the directions on the pack and cooled slightly
100g/4oz white choclate melts, melted according to the directions on the pack and cooled slightly
24 red smaties or other red circular lolly
Green jelly babies cut to a small triangle to form leaves

1. Preheat cake pop maker in the closed position, until the light illuminates

2. In a bowl mix all ingredients with a whisk until combined.

3 Add a heaped teaspoon of the batter to each cake pop well and close the lid for 5-6 minutes

4. Remove using heatproof tongs and place onto cake rack to cool completely, before decorating as described as above.

As there are 12 wells it's important to thoroughly wipe out the cake pop maker between batches to avoid sticking.  I used baby wipes.  Be careful not to burn yourself


Now for the best bit, I am giving away a  Kambrook cake pop maker to an Australian reader of Desire Empire. 

All you need to do to enter this giveaway, is follow Desire Empire on one or more of the following platforms:
Google Friends Connect (over in my side bar)
Instagram @desireempire

Leave a  separate comment for each follow, even if you have for some time.

Sharing this to each of your social media platforms will constitute another entry.  Leave me a separate comment for each share.  

And good luck

For all my other Christmas baking and craft projects go here.
This competition is now closed.  The winner is
Rebecca Senyard
Giveaway Terms and Conditions
This competition is open to entrants living in Australia only.
This competition is open from now until 7 December 2012 12pm Australian EST.
The winner will be announced on this blog, Face Book and Twitter and I will contact you, as long as you have left a valid means.  You have 5 days to respond, otherwise the prize will be redrawn.
I was not paid to write this post, but I received a cake pop maker to review.  Clearly I liked it.


128 comments :

  1. mmmm i'm making cake pops in a couple of weeks (old fashioned way and first timer), now i'm nervous!

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  2. This feels like comment spam, but here goes..... I've been a facebook follower for ages.

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  3. I hope I'm doing this right - seems wrong to leave you so many comments...

    I follow you on instagram - that's how I knew this awesome giveaway was coming up.

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  4. And finally, I'm following you on Pinterest - imagine the endless cake pop recipes I'd be able to find on pinterest - mind boggling!

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  5. Last one - I've shared it with my facebook friends.

    Happy Friday and thanks for such a cool comp!

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  6. This is AMAZING!!!

    I made cake pop reindeers for christmas last year and it was nearly the death of me! I have not ventured into the cake pop world again! But with THIS, I definitely would!

    I am a follower on GFC x

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  7. I love cake pops! Making some "plum pudding" ones this weekend. Thanks for the tips!

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  8. What a great idea! I loathe real Xmas pudding as does my sister, so I am going to make these or the chocolate crackle thingies. By the way, I'm an instagramer @jeanninelg and follow you there :-)

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  9. These are sooooooooo gorgeous Carolyn ;O)
    Tania xx

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  10. ooh another giveaway..your cakes look great.
    thanks so much for the hello fresh prize!! it was so nice to have a box of fresh food delivered to my door & saved me shopping for a few days. :))
    i'll share on fbook.
    x

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  11. Those cakepops look delicious and very festive!

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  12. I'M A FACEBOOK FOLLOWER, AND WOULD LOVE ONE OF THESE KAMROOK CAKE POP MAKER'S TO USE WITH MY BOYS!!

    LOOKS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!

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  13. Mouth watering - great giveaway and just in time for Christmas too! I follow on facebook.
    Tony A (Email: birdcaget@hotmail.com)

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  14. It's times like these I wish you could taste what is on your computer screen. Ok, I confess, I wish that ALL the time.

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  15. Arent I following you everywhere! Ahhhhh I've tried and was banned from making them by my BFF cause she wanted to put her head in the oven. This looks much easier and the tips are bloody essential if you ask me!!! Love your photography too xx

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  16. They look awesome! I've never liked the original cake pops (cake mixed with cream and rolled into balls) because they were just a bit too sweet for my liking. Glad Kambrook came up with a way to have cake on its own in the pops :) Need to get myself one of these!

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  17. I like cake pops but not for me to bake. These look delicious.

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  18. I so want one of these. Have followed on GFC

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  19. I so want one of these. Have followed on Faacebook

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  20. I so want one of these. Have followed on Twitter

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  21. I so want one of these. Have followed on Google+

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  22. I so want one of these. Have followed on Pinterest

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  23. What a great little machine :) perfect for my little one and I to cook together. I'm following on Facebook

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  24. last but not least I'm following in Instagram!

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  25. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  26. Following on twitter and tweeted
    https://twitter.com/wishitliveit/status/274373996097728512

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  27. I covet your gorgeous pudding pops! I follow you on Facebook

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  28. I follow you on Pinterest

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  29. I follow your blog!

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  30. And I have just started following you on Twitter! Feeling like quite the stalker! Thanks Carolyn :)

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  31. I always I feel like I put on weight just reading your blog! It always makes me salivate, it's terrible for my diet! Anyway, I've been meaning to try making these things for a year now, but never got around to it because it looked too hard. But this machine looks like the cheat's solution. And I'm completely taken with those dear little Christmas puds. So cute. That's something the kids could eat on Chrissy Day without having to tackle the whole fruit cake thing. Great idea. So yes please put me in the running. I already like and follow you on all those things.

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  32. I lie, I wasn't following you on Pinterest, but that seems weird, I'm sure I follow people and it drops off because I have had to refollow quite a few people lately that I was following before. Anyway, I'm here.

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  33. How brilliant thank you.

    GFC: Mary Preston

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  34. FB: Mary Preston

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  35. facebook and twitter and subscribed

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  36. I would have never known about this Popcake maker , if it wasnt for your blog, thankyou .

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  37. I follow on Facebook! I attempted cake pops once before, complete disaster! This machine looks great.
    jerichoss@bigpond.com

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  38. Hi Carolyn! Oh how yum! I have a love of cake pops.

    I'm having a, "It's a Social Hop like Crazy" party. I'd love for you to hop on over, grab a button and link up your blog.
    http://mydailyphotojourney.blogspot.com/2012/11/social-hop-like-crazy-party.html

    Have a crazy beautiful weekend!

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  39. thanks for a chance:)
    following gfc kha1234

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  40. Great giveaway - It would be great to cook something that actually turns out! Just in time for Christmas too!

    Sandra D (ncls_john@yahoo.com.au)

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  41. Facebook follower - Sandra D (ncls_john@yahoo.com.au)

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  42. Hi i follow you on google .I love these they will definatley be made in my house this year.-thanks love dee

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  43. I like you on facebook, thanks for the ideas

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  44. Have been reading your blog for a while now, and have just liked you on facebook. My daughter would love me to win this!! She loves cake pops.

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  45. These look amazing! I'd love for you to share this or any of your great ideas at the link party going on now (and every Saturday - Tuesday)at 'Or so she says ...' www.oneshetwoshe.com

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  46. Hi there, now, of course I am wishing I had picked one up at the Bloggers Brunch.. but I had a terrible fear of cake pops. This is a very clear explanation of how to do them. Count me into the comp. Follow on Facebook.

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  47. tweeted https://twitter.com/jasmine_07/status/275192403550420992

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  48. I have had the same trouble making cake pops with the balls falling off the sticks, chocolate and sprinkles dripping on the sticks and table. Kambrook seems to have clicked onto this new trend and would so love to win this and use it because I won't be attempting to make cake pops again unless I use Kambrook!!!

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  49. I follow you on twitter as @ThePlumbette

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  50. I like on facebook!! jane.knight@y7mail.com

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  51. I love, love, LOVE these cake pops. How do you like the cake pop maker? Is it just cake inside the make you use and no frosting too? If so, do not not break up when dipping? And I love the fact that you used a Smartie on top too. I'm in the UK and we have Smarties here too. It was kinda hard to explain that Smarties are like M&M's but flatter and more crunchier than M&M's when someone asked what Smarties were, hehe.

    If you don't mind, I'd love if you would stop by and share these and any other dessert creations on Sugar & Slice Sunday weekly link party.

    -Lisa.
    Sweet 2 Eat Baking

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  52. hi Carolyn - these look fantastic. I would love to win this. what fun. I follow your blog and will leave comments on what else I follow below
    cheers FIona

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  53. Shared on Twitter
    https://twitter.com/SarahArmstron14/status/275347588285341697

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  54. My kids want one of these so badly - they look like lots of fun!

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  55. follower on Instagram @desireempire - AngBoy74

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  56. Following on Google +
    angieboylan12@gmail.com

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  57. Follower on Pinterest - AngBoy74

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  58. Lusting after one of these! I already follow you on facebook

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  59. And now following you on Google +

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  60. Following via pinterest

    Thankyou for the chance to win, these look gorgeous!

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  61. i have followed on Google Friends Connect

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  62. i shared on twitter
    https://twitter.com/jjam8094/status/276402929634791424

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  63. i have shared on facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/JODYLORETTA/posts/566475453369569

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  64. They look fantastic! I'm following via GFC as Jasmine1485.

    kate1485 at hotmail dot com

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  65. MMM, I love that you made plum puddings - I would love to add these to my ever expanding list of christmas treats. According to our lunch menu, we are just eating desserts, LOL My guests are sure to be impressed

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  66. Following on Google Friends Connect

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  67. Hi Carolyn, These look too pretty to eat! Thank you for linking to the Open House party and check out this weeks to see your pops featured. Happy Holidays. Hugs, Sherry

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