That's member only not linkable...here's the cut/paste string with emails removed:
(note this reads from the bottom up)
Re: So I slunk back into Cake Ball World yesterday. See photo
Maria: Oh my, these are fantastic tips! I was just reading this blog post last night Cake pop tips and wondering how hard it would be to make some. Can you make ahead/keep them at room temp after they are done just like most cakes? Are they time consuming to make?
--- >
> Hints:
> 1. DON'T use carrot cake. I used the Duncan Hines Deluxe mix and the raisins and carrot shreds kept poking out, ruining the smooth outer shape.
> 2. Most instructions tell you to buy one cake mix and one 16 oz can of icing. Some instructions tell you to only use 12 oz. out of that. I think 12 oz is still too much moisture to add. I'd start with 9 oz and test one or two balls first for firmness, then add more if necessary. Maybe Florida has too much humidity, but 12 oz was too moist.
> 3. Both candy coatings that I've used (Merkens and Wiltons) are both too thick. I wasted almost $10 on pure cocoa butter to thin it down before a woman in the cake decorating store told me just to use plain old vegetable oil. Drizzle in until the melted chocolate DOES NOT MOUND. Dipping will be so much faster and easier.
> 4. If you don't care about a perfectly round shape, set the dipped balls down stick side facing up on a Silpat and put in frig to chill.
> 5. If you want a perfectly round shape, have a styrofoam block ready with holes prepoked so you don't have to push down hard with the stick. Be sure to swirl the excess chocolate off before standing the stick up to chill in the frig.
> 6. If you're going to add jimmies or sprinkles, add immediately after dipping. Since the undipped balls will be cold (coming either out of the frig or the freezer), the coating will harden almost immediately. Your time is very limited to add fru-fru.
> 6. Those little 3" favor bags are TOO SMALL. The ones in the photo are 4x6", bought in a cake decorating store. Plus ribbon makes a difference in the finishing look.
> 7. The chocolate coating melts best in heavy microwaveable bowls. I have 4 with lids and wish I had more. The chocolate can just stay in the bowl and reharden, then used later.
>
> I actually thought of you yesterday when I was doing this. I added a few yellow candy disks to white candy disks and it made a lovely Pale Baby Yellow color, perfect for a baby shower.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> --- "mariadnoca" wrote:
> >
> > They are cute! Do tell how it went, just last night I was reading some blogs and considering trying to make some of these! What tips do you have from your second venture?
> >
> > >
> > > Too crytic?
> > >
> > > 1. The only other time in my life I made cake balls, it was an exercise of utter frustration. Plus many, many swear words. Ergo, my "slunking back into Cake Ball World" comment.
> > > 2. An image of my cake balls are in our Photos link in a folder called "CrayolaCakeBalls"
> > > 3. This ties in with the "Little Red School House" GBH I made for a fundraiser here at work called "A Gift for Teaching."
> > > 4. Donations have been very slow, so yesterday I made cake balls as an extra incentive. I had bought 48 boxes of Crayola crayons as a donation and made the cake ball display box look like a Crayola crayon box and tinted the white chocolate coating to match the crayon colors.
> > >
> > > Is that clearer?
> > >
"michael_az_phx wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Help me a little with this. Did I miss something?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > >
> > > > Michael in Phx
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > at CrayolaCakeballs
> > > > >
> > > > > Donations are still down for "A Gift For Teaching" so I figured a little sugar-buzz was needed.
> > > > >
> > > > > Below the display is a 48-carton box of Crayolas I donated and a 25 qty of composition notebooks.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
