Cakeb0t on Facebook!

By Cakeb0t Leave a Comment

Hi Cake Makers!! We’re working on some exciting things at the Cakeb0t Factory, to bring you more content and answers to your questions! Thanks for your emails! I am learning more just by answering your questions! ^_^ The picture on the right is a sneak peak of some mods we’ve made to Cakeb0t! Haha! Cakeb0t is 3D!!

Cakeb0t is on Facebook!

While we work on our next video, be sure to join the Cakeb0t Facebook Page!! On the page, you can find a picture gallery of all the pictures used in our videos! There will also be timely postings of our blog and videos appropriate to any upcoming holidays. What is really exciting is that cake makers are sharing their links, and PICTURES of their creations! Our Facebook page is a great way to keep up with Cakeb0t and other Cakeb0t readers/cake makers. So join TODAY!!

PS Don’t forget to join the mailing list. Some freebies are on the way for those of you on our mailing list! And as always, we are on Twitter!

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris

By Cakeb0t 2 Comments

A friend of mine recently gave me this book. I just HAVE to recommend it to all my Cakeb0t readers! Also, if your mother enjoys a good laugh, and would like a few new recipes, this might be a great gift to give on Mother’s Day!

I laughed out loud when I read this book. Amy Sedaris provides a hilarious guide on how to be a great hostess - domesticity at its finest! She provides real information, real recipes, and advice for situations you wouldn’t normally find in any book:

How to kindly get rid of an unexpected guest
Getting a guest to do some house work in exchange for dinner
Party guest combinations to avoid: astrologer and astronomer

Although the book is funny, it is still a great go-to book! All of the home survival tips, and all of the recipes are REAL. And good! The book is seizure-inducingly colorful, filled with an array of entertaining illustrations and photos (cheeseburgers with faces!), comparable to the kitschiest of scrapbooks.

I absolutely LOVE this book. It is a cookbook, a survival guide, and great coffee table book/conversation piece. And the hardcover comes with a pinup poster of Amy! >_^

Hardcover:

Paperback:

How to Make Cake Pops!

By Cakeb0t 121 Comments

I’ve been so sick lately! T_T Allergy season is a killer. How can a beautiful flower be so deadly?? However, this has forced me to take some time off and finish this How to Make Cake Pops Video!

Update: Take a peek at our new eBook, How To Make Cake Pops by Cakeb0t!

Learning How to Make Cake Pops

I love Bakerella’s cake pops! She has so many fun pops, I decided to give it a try. It was fun, but not as easy as I thought! It was so rewarding and yummy, though. Check out Cakeb0t’s cake pop tips, along with a few more decorating ideas listed below the video. Enjoy! <3Binky V

Click on the image below for cake pop supplies at the Cakeb0t Amazon shop!

Cake Pops Supplies

Cakeb0t Cake Pop Tips:

Cake pops are simple, but not as easy as they look. If you are just learning how to make cake pops, you might expect to find some cake balls falling off of the stick, and some uneven spots in your chocolate coating. Here is a list of Cakeb0t tips I’ve computed to help you out!

All 2 cups of frosting may not be necessary, depending on the cake and flavor. Just make sure you get a doughy consistency you can roll without being too sticky.
Let the dough rest for a good while before you start rolling to prevent sticking. (Really good for when you’ve used too much frosting.)
Grease up your hands with butter or shortening, or wear food handling gloves to roll the balls.
Make sure you dip the lollipop stick in enough chocolate and really get it stuck in the ball.
Once the sticks are in the balls, refrigerate or even freeze them until they are hard and cold. This helps keep them from falling off once you dip in the warm chocolate!
Most candy melts can have a pretty high viscosity when melted. Keep it pretty warm so the consistency is its runniest, and easy to work with. This is especially helpful when you’re first learning how to make cake pops.
Be quick, neat, and thorough when you dip in the chocolate. Cover the entire cake ball.
Double dipping can cause the chocolate to be too heavy, and crack.
Spin and lightly tap off excess chocolate

More Cake Pop decorating ideas!

Bakerella loves using edible ink pens to draw on faces, etc. Bakerella has TONS of cake pop decorating ideas.
Try sprinkling on or dipping into some sprinkles after dipping. Or stick on small candy.
When you stick them in the styrofoam, try making nice and neat rows, or try a rounder arrangement for a nice bouquet effect.

Recipes: Bakerella recommends using just 1 box cake and 1 container of frosting! EASY!
Here are some recipes if you want to try it from scratch: Simple Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate Cake

The how to make cake pops video was shot using a Kodak Zi8. I looove it! If you need a good portable HD video camera, help support Cakeb0t by clicking on the link to buy from our Amazon shop. ^_^

Now you know how to make cake pops! Keep practicing and let me know how it goes in the comments.

DIY Vanilla Extract

By Cakeb0t 3 Comments

Hi Cakeb0t readers! ^_^

I’m working hard on a new video! I love my new MacBook Pro! In the meantime, let me tell you about a ridiculously simple thing I never thought to look up: making your own vanilla extract! This brilliant idea came from a vanilla extract post from Our Forking Blog. (I love that blog!) Then I did more research, and I found out there are more ways to make vanilla extract! Here’s what I’m going to try:

DIY Vanilla Extract - Give them as gifts, too!

Steps:
1. Split 4 vanilla beans with an end-to-end slice down the middle
2. Stick them in a bottle
3. Fill bottle with vodka
4. Let sit until the liquid is darkened (about 6 mos) and shake every once in a while!

Note: You may get some grains in the extract, which may require a filter before you use it in a light colored buttercream. You can also split only some of the beans like Our Forking Blog did, for less grains.

Say WHAT?? How simple is that?? A very thoughtful cousin of mine gave me a couple tubes of Rodelle Vanilla Beans when I graduated Pastry School. Then she sent over a couple more tubes for my wedding! I have so many beans lying around! I’ve used them here and there, but who knew for almost a year now, I could’ve had vanilla extract brewing in the kitchen! T_T

Click here for Rodelle Vanilla Beans! I love them!

<3<3

PS I told my husband about my exciting discovery, and unphased, he said, “Oh, you didn’t know that?”. ARGH! >_<

Cupcake Camp NYC

By Cakeb0t 6 Comments

I was late to Cupcake Camp NYC because (DUH) I forgot to print out my tickets! >_< After a not so quick printing session at Staples, I got to “Happy Ending” (I know, right?) about a half hour late (7:30) to find a line that went around the block! I was SO disappointed, because there were no cupcakes by the time I got inside! BUT, it was free, and I was late. I can’t really complain, but I think the people on line would’ve appreciated an announcement that the cupcakes were gone. (From what I heard, all those delicious cupcakes were gone by around 8:30!) T_T I saw people leaving with BOXES of cupcakes. No fair! and… can I have one? Haha.

But enough of my sob story!

I still walked around inside to snap some pictures, and it looked like everyone was having a good time, and everyone I talked to was SUPER friendly. People that bake, in my experience, are always so super nice! Guess it’s the innate hospitality!

Nichelle of Cupcakes Take the Cake and Audrey of Everything Cupcakes!

A happy ending to this story is that Everything Cupcakes’ Audrey Criss won BEST IN SHOW! GOOOOO NJ! She baked about 60 regular size cupcakes and 120 minis of Red Velvet, Sweety Pie (Sweet Potato), and Tiramisu. She said all of her cupcakes were gone in about 15 minutes; devoured before she had time to arrange them to her liking on her table! Her winning cupcake was her Sweety Pie Cupcake with Whipped Cream Cheese frosting. Mouthwatering, huh? Also in Best in Design was awarded to Anny from Anny Cakes with her Asian designed green tea cupcakes!

Please check the gallery below for more pictures!

Thanks to producer Mary Ann Porch and the volunteers who organized Cupcake Camp! For more information on Cupcake Camp, and how Cupcake Camp 2010 went down, click here: cupcakecampnyc.blogspot.com.

Don’t forget! You can help next year and VOLUNTEER, or of course, bring your cupcakes and feeeeed me. I mean everyone. ^_^

[nggallery id=1]