CAKE POPS VS. BAKE POP - THE SMACKDOWN

Last week I mentioned my foray into the world of the infomercial -- namely buying the Bake Pop pans for making Cake Pops.  The results were good, but to me not nearly as delicious as the Cake Pops I'd had at a friend's party.  In a fit of Consumer Reports-like mania, I decided to whip up a batch of real Cake Pops and compare the results.

I used the standard Cake Pop technique of crumbling a baked cake and combining it with canned frosting, followed by rolling the mixture into balls.  After they spent a few hours in the fridge, I dipped the balls in the same Wilton Candy Melts as before.  (I get no points for my decorating abilities on either type, but I was trying for taste, not appearance.)

And the verdict?  Which was superior -- the Cake Pops or the infomercial Bake Pop?  Well, it depends on who you ask.  The Inmates and I all found the Cake Pops far superior.  They had a wonderfully flavorful, moist center.  Others, such as The Vulcan, found them much too sweet and preferred the cake-only center of the Bake Pops.  In fairness I have to say The Inmates and I are sugar-addicted.  We're tempted to sprinkle sugar on top of our Froot Loops.

I guess the winner depends on your personal preferences.  I will say, however, that the process of making the real Cake Pops was not nearly as painful and time-consuming as I expected.  It takes the better part of a day, from start to finish, but most of that time is spend waiting for cake to cool or for cake balls in the fridge to get firm.  The actual hands-on time is not much more than with the Bake Pop pans and the clean up was much easier (although it may have helped that Foghorn didn't assist me the second time).

My conclusion?  If you prefer a less-sweet Cake Pop, the Bake Pop pans are a nice option.  If you're strictly looking for something to save you time and effort, the pans don't really make much of a difference.  And if you consider high fructose corn syrup to be a fifth food group, go with the traditional Cake Pops.


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