I think cake pops are cute and fun, so I was looking forward to reviewing this new cookbook, 175 Best Babycakes® Cake Pops Recipes (softcover) by Kathy Moore and Roxanne Wyss. Moore and Wyss are expert food consultants who develop recipes and test products like the Babycakes® Cake Pop Maker, which is designed to make cake pop-making quick and easy. The recipes in this book were especially created to be used with this cake pop maker, and there are all kinds of fun flavors you can make! The cake pops featured on the cover give you an idea of the many ways you can decorate cake pops. There are more ideas and some colorful photos inside to inspire you, too, along with helpful cake pop-making and decorating instructions. This book shows you how to do basic and not-so-basic things like coating the cake pops, decorating with sprinkles, adding decorative swirls and spirals, triple-dipping or marbleizing the pops, and making simple faces. Some of the yummy-sounding recipes include Caramel Cake Pops, Cream-Filled Chocolate Cake Pops, Chocolate Truffle Cake Pops, Root Beer Cake Pops, Almond Cream Cake Pops, and Classic Red Velvet Cake Pops.

The Babycakes® Cake Pop Maker not only makes cake pops–you can also bake doughnuts (or what many of us call donut holes), mini Ebelskivers, and cute little round biscuit and muffin bites! These would be great for brunch, showers, or parties. There are even recipes for savory nibbles you can serve as appetizers. So you can make lots of yummy things with this handy appliance!

If you’re not familiar with the Babycakes® Cake Pop Maker, here’s what it looks like…

It bakes 12 cake pops at a time in just 4 to 6 minutes, so it would be especially great for using in the summer months–you wouldn’t have to use your oven and heat up the kitchen. I don’t have this cake pop maker myself yet, but looking at all these recipes and ideas makes me want to try it out! If I had a cake pop maker, I’d probably try the Chocolate Malt Cake Pops first. So I thought I’d share that recipe with you. If you don’t have a cake pop maker, you might be able to make cupcakes with this recipe…I don’t know that for sure, but I don’t see why you couldn’t!

CHOCOLATE MALT CAKE POPS from 175 Best Babycakes® Cake Pop Recipes

Makes 26 to 28 cake pops

• 2/3 cup (150 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) chocolate malted milk powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 3 ounces (90 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) packed brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (30 mL) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons (30 mL) sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons (30 mL) milk
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped chocolate malt candies
• Nonstick baking spray

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, chocolate malted milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Place semisweet chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave on High in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Set aside to cool for 2 minutes.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat brown sugar and granulated sugar into melted chocolate mixture. Add egg and beat well. Add egg yolk and beat well. Beat in vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in one-third of the flour mixture. Beat in sour cream, then another one-third of the flour mixture, then milk. Beat in the remaining flour mixture. Stir in chopped candies.
4. Spray cake pop wells with nonstick baking spray. Fill each well with about 1 Tablespoon (15 mL) batter. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer cake pops to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter.
5. If desired, attach sticks to cake pops.

TO DECORATE: Dip cake pops in melted chocolate candy melts, then immediately sprinkle with additional finely chopped chocolate malt candies. If not attaching sticks to cake pops, use the fork tool (or fork) to dip the cake pops, then place them on a wire rack over a sheet of foil or waxed paper to set.

Excerpted from 175 Best Cake Pops Recipes by Kathy Moore and Roxanne Wyss © 2012 Robert Rose Inc.www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Have you made cake pops before? What’s your favorite flavor?