What the... Starbucks do cake pops.

Yes, you read it right, Starbucks are SELLING CAKE POPS.

After a big *sigh* this morning, I decided that rather than form an opinion that might be not necessarily deserved, I would purchase said cake pops and review. So here you go:

I bought the Rocky Road and er "pink" one (I think it was vanilla). I have to 'fess up to having a cold at the moment so my senses aren't 100% accurate however I gave it my best shot.

Looks-wise, they are somewhat larger than other homemade cake pops. As another blogger points out, they look a little golf-club like but I put that down to them being more mass-produced than anything else. The coating did seem to be all over the sticks so they did look a little messier than they ought to.

Now for the tasting.  The rocky road one tasted a bit like cardboard.  I'm trying not to be harsh but I can't think of any other way of describing it.  The mini marshmallows just didn't really work as a coating and I couldn't identify any real chocolate "shell".  The cakey part just tasted like dried-out uncooked cake dough with chopped nuts in it.  Sorry Starbucks but you've got a lot to live up to - ask Bakerella for advice!
The pink one faired a little better on the outside, the coating seemed to taste quite nice but again, I have absolutely no idea what the cake part was supposed to be - I am guessing it was pre-made dried cake mix with a bit of water?  Now I'm not claiming to be the world's best cake-pop maker however I think Starbucks have gone for style (and £££ generation) over substance which is a real shame.  Yeah they look good in the shop but I felt quite disappointed!

Nevertheless, despite my protestations at how cardboard-like they were, I still managed to scoff both of them and left only crumbs so they can't have been THAT bad.

It is nice to see that Starbucks are ahead of the game on this but I feel quite relieved that the outcome won't be much to worry about.  If you want something sweet to go with your on-the-go coffee then there's nothing wrong with these but I wouldn't go out of my way to get one!  If you want a delicious homemade tasty treat which looks AND tastes great then get in touch with Little Cake Factory and order your cake pops today!

Cake pops III

You may well be asking what happened to cake pops II...  Truth is that they didn't work out quite so well and I am too ashamed of the results to display them on this blog BUT it was all good testing because I think this last batch look pretty neat!

The secret lies in actually following the advice given in the cake pops book "pop bakery" by Claire O'Connell

Cake pops require patience, practice and a steady hand (and a sweet tooth), I hope to add them to my online cupcake store menu very soon!

Gym guilt, cupcake heaven!

Well, I can't promise to shift those pounds but I like to make it easier!  A good friend of mine gave me a wonderful book by Harry Eastwood as a Christmas gift.  "Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache" has provided me with some fantastic post-Christmas inspiration.  The cupcakes (tried and tested) are packed full of taste with less of the fat.  The recipe omits butter and wheat flour and replaces it with ingredients that make you go "mmm"!

So far my DD has consumed a record three-in-a-row and once you pass the toddler-test, you know you're onto something good.  Put these lower-fat cupcakes in a cupcake-calorie line-up and you would be hard-pressed to identify them as the healthier alternative!

Orders are being taken now so if you fancy a not-so-naughty treat, or know someone who would love a guilt-free gift then please contact me at orders@littlecakefactory.co.uk or 01483 535300.

Meanwhile, if someone could invent a device that could prevent me from saying "yes" to so much classified advertising then I'd be grateful.

Back soon,
LCF Girl