Once You Pop You Just Can't Stop!

This Saturday sees the launch of my first ever Cake Pops workshop, an exciting if daunting prospect.

Cake pops are a direct descendent of the much loved cupcake and originate from the home of cupcakes ... The US of A! Popularized by blogger 'Bakerella' (www.bakerella.com), cake pops are fast overtaking the cupcake as the favourite sweet treat of choice served at birthdays, weddings, baby showers and practically any other celebration you could imagine.

What sets them apart from the cupcake and is perhaps the key to their popularity is their size. With an average of 217 calories and 6.9gm of fat compared to 500 calories and 20gm of fat in a cupcake, these bitesized treats give us ladies the much needed hit of sugar we crave while still allowing us to feel like we haven't totally ditched the diet. Added to the fact their handy individual packaging and lack of need for a plate, its not hard to see why even Starbucks are selling them now.

Cake pops can be made from any type of cake mixture which after being cooked and cooled is then crumbled either by hand or (much easier) in a food processor. A mixture of cream cheese and icing sugar is then combined with the cake crumbs to form a soft truffle like texture. The mixture is then moulded into small balls, attached to a lollipop stick and dipped and covered in melted coloured candy melts.

There are a million and one ways to decorate a cake pop and if you go to your local bookshop you will find a whole selection of books, illustrating original and creative decoration techniques for you to try. From frogs and monsters to snowmen and robots, their isn't anything you can't create from these little balls of deliciousness.

A Right Royal Icing!

Welcome to the Sugarplum Cupcakes blog. This page will aim to inform, discuss, comment and even educate on the art of cupcakes. I'll be including the latest news from the world of Sugarplum Cupcakes and giving you my opinions and experiences on all things cupcake!

Last week I had the honour of visiting the queen of cake-makers or should I say, cake-maker to the Queen, Mich Turner MBE. I attended her Hand Piping Masterclass at her studio in London and was put through my paces to decorate some stunning mini cakes using my most feared medium for decoration, 'royal icing'. Mich's tuition was excellent and despite being a little star struck I tried to remember every hint and tip throughout the day.

Like many crafts, I soon realised that half the battle is not in your technique but in your tools. Having only ever used ready mixed before, i'd never had the pleasure of piping with such beautifully opalescent, mallowy icing that holds itself so brilliantly to create the perfect swag and pearl.

Here are a few top tips and cheats for producing fault-less royal icing:

1. Always make fresh royal icing using fresh egg white and icing sugar

2. A brilliant new alternative to cracking actual eggs is a product called '2 Chicks Free Range Fresh Egg White' which you can buy at Waitrose and online at Ocado. It has a shelf life of around a month and is a brilliant time saver.

3. Add fresh lemon juice to the icing to strengthen it. Make sure you use a very fine tea strainer as any bits from the lemon will block up your piping bag just at the wrong moment!

4. Mix icing on a low speed, mixing too fast will aerate the icing giving a false sense of stiffness

5. Always keep unused icing covered with a damp j cloth while you are piping to prevent it drying out.

6. Keep the icing in an airtight container for up to one week. Make sure you stir thoroughly before using.