Pumpkin Cake Pops

Do you ever wonder what to do with leftover cupcakes or cake?  



Use the leftovers to make cake pops! Remove the majority of icing from the cupcakes and place cupcakes into a large bowl.

Crumble up until dough sticks together when rolled into a ball.  If the crumbs do not stick, add a little more icing. Since this icing was orange, the cake balls became orange too...perfect for Halloween!

Form cake balls into desired pumpkin shapes. (I used the side of a spatula to form ridges in some of the cake balls to make them look more like pumpkins.)  Place in the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes.

Boo!!! 

Dip away and add desired toppings.

To make the stems, I moulded small pieces of Tootsie Roll. I crumbled up an Oreo cookie and used random crumbs to make the mouths and piped the eyes with melted chocolate.

Ever wonder what the inside of a cake pop looks like?  In this case, it is orange, just like the inside of a pumpkin. For a basic cake pop tutorial, click here.

Have a safe and happy Halloween everybody!

p.s. Doesn't my classroom door, decorated by my students look great?!

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

Mmm...Doesn't really look like a mini does it?

But it is! I used my brand new Wilton mini muffin pan to make these mini chocolate cupcakes.  They are the perfect snack. When transferring the batter after it has been mixed together, I recommend pouring the it into a piping bag with a sealed tip.  Next, cut the tip of the piping bag and pipe the batter into each muffin liner or pan. This helps to avoid a big mess. (I didn't have a chance to take any pictures as I was piping, but click here for a visual.)

I used these sprinkles to add a little color to the vanilla frosting.

My mother-in-law was visiting from Montreal so I had an assistant this week...

To adorn these perfect, tiny, little cupcakes.

Thanks Kathy!

Two bites and all gone.

Enjoy!

Apple Cranberry Cake

What a fabulous weekend! Was it really October?  Did anyone else spend time enjoying the gorgeous weather?  I couldn't help but peel the apples for my apple cranberry cake outside while enjoying the sun hitting my back as though it were a warm summer day!  (Hence the grass underneath the bowls.)

I was also a little sad when making this cake since my apples came from the grocery store and not an apple farm. Nevertheless, the courtland apples tasted as yummy as ever, and with an addition of fresh cranberries to my apple cake recipe, doubled, this dessert was delicious!

Remember; do not discard of the apple peel!  The nutrients are good for you and apple chips are yummy!  Link to this post and scroll down to learn how to make apple chips.

Another tip...to prevent apples from browning, use the juice of one lemon and immediately roll peeled apples in the juice.

An apple corer or this kitchen aid apple slicer contraption works well to core and cut up the apples.

Once cut, discard of apple cores.

Or, take a picture, and then discard!

Next, pile up all of the apple pieces into the food processor and let it slice away. Follow the recipe from this post to make this cake. Remember, I doubled the recipe for the dough.

Since I doubled the recipe for the dough, I used a 9 x 13 inch dish to make the cake. Spray it with a cooking spray so the cake will slide out easily.

Spread the first batch of the cake mixture PLUS a quarter if the second batch over the surface of the pan. Next, alternately layer the apples and fresh cranberries. I used about half a bag of cranberries. I placed the cranberries on top of the sliced apples by hand. By placing them, they were evenly distributed throughout the cake. Continue to layer apples and cranberries. Pour remaining cake mixture and spread over fruit. Sprinkle with additional sugar and cinnamon if desired.

Bake at 350 for about 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.

I loved the tartness of the cranberries combined with the sweetness of the sugar and cinnamon coated apples.  Mmmm...The aroma created in the house when this cake was baking made my mouth water. And it will when you make it too! Enjoy.