Review - Babycakes Cake Pop Maker
Baking By FromScratchSF Updated 13 May 2012 , 1:40am by unctoothlady
Don't ever change...that's part of your charm.
You say charm, my husband says "nut case OCD pain in the a**" but whatever. LOL!
I went to Kohl's tonight and got it on sale for $26.99. I thought it would make smaller pops, but they are just a little bit smaller than the ones I regularly make. I can't wait to try it this weekend.
I got mine too. I used the 15% coupon. I'll be baking a six inch cake tomorrow, then using the left over batter to make tiny pops. Then if that turns out great, brownie pops!
So I read on another thread that someone picked up one of these little machines at Kohles on sale this weekend for $20. So I jumped in my car, drove 3 cities over to the closest Kohles and picked up 2 of them for myself. This machine is out of stock lots of places and I had to have them look "in the back" to see if they had one, it was not on the floor nor in their computer (or online).
Overview: The Babycakes Cake Pop maker looks like a small waffle iron but has 12 round cavities for your cake batter and bakes balls for making cake pops.
The Appeal: I don't like the texture of cake balls, it reminds me of chewed-up cake on a stick. I also was not interested in the bake cake>moosh cake with icing>roll into ball>freeze>put on stick>freeze>dip>rinse>repeat. Too much work. But if a machine baked cake into a ball, that would be something else entirely.
In the box: Pretty cool actually, besides the machine, it comes with sticks, a little fork for "flipping"(which looks like a fork you would use for dribbling chocolate), a plunger for adding fillings to your cake balls, and a plastic tray to set your balls in to cool that doubles as a stand for the finished balls on a stick to dry and set up.
Machine heats up super fast. I want to say 2-3 minutes.
I used my regular scratch yellow buttermilk cake, it's more dense and holds flavoring really well.
Each cavity takes about .8 oz (purple NSF scoop), or about 1 tbsp. of batter. My 1st batch I underfilled and it didn't work out. My 2nd batch I added more batter. Your overflow seeps out of the cavities but the result is a perfectly round ball of cake. It does have a little seam but after dipping I couldn't see it.
Cooking time: 5 minutes, but after removing the balls and checking the cooked balls later in the day I think I am going to bump down to 4 minutes as I thought they were slightly overcooked for my batter. Your results may vary.
Finished ball size: 1.5" ball, which is about the size of the Starbucks cake pop. Weight: varies on your batter, but my finished balls consistently weighs .45 oz, or about the same amount of cake as in my mini cupcakes.
Worth it? I think so, nobody in my area except Starbucks sells cake balls so I think I'd be able to come close to mass producing to sell these using 2 or more of these machines. However I have read here that other people make much larger balls, but I've never seen dimensions/weight posted.
Now I just need to figure out a yummy gourmet coating without having to use disgusting candy melts.
TFR,
Jen
Hi Jen,
don't want to hijack this but I was reading your blog( love it by the way!) and you said you use to make your own buttercream fondant. Is it similar to rolled buttercream?
I don't have time this week, so I hope someone will make some scratch pops and share results. I put liqueur in many of my baked goods. I am anxious to know if they can be brushed with liqueur and still be dipped?
Hi Jen,
don't want to hijack this but I was reading your blog( love it by the way!) and you said you use to make your own buttercream fondant. Is it similar to rolled buttercream?
Hi Charmed!
Thanks! The fondant I was making is Michelle Forester's Fondant (recipe on this site). It's super yum. I don't know if it's the same as rolled buttercream, I've never looked at a recipe for it.
Jen
These look great.. can't find anything like that in Australia. There is one on eBay listed at about $43 + $62 shipping...EEEEK! I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to pick one up from there local store that sells them at about $20-$30 and ship one over to me.. I would transfer the money + shipping fee via paypal prior to you purchasing it if anyone was willing?? I wonder if the shipping fee on eBay listed cake maker is a price hike or the standard to ship from US to Australia?
These look great.. can't find anything like that in Australia. There is one on eBay listed at about $43 + $62 shipping...EEEEK! I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to pick one up from there local store that sells them at about $20-$30 and ship one over to me.. I would transfer the money + shipping fee via paypal prior to you purchasing it if anyone was willing?? I wonder if the shipping fee on eBay listed cake maker is a price hike or the standard to ship from US to Australia?
See if you can get one at their website.
http://thebabycakesshop.com/
Cutiepiecupcake, I have been interested in items on ebay from Australia and the shipping was a bit pricey. The box isn't heavy, but the weight probably is the problem.
I checked the actual company site, however it is indicating that they are out of stock
You are probably right about the weight being the issue with the scp1127... bugger *sigh* back to the rolling board
Thanks for sharing your review...now I need to go pick one up.
I work for Kohl's and I wasn't too sure about buying one when they were on sale for cheap but now that I know that they work really really good I will have to pick one up.
I just got one from kohls today. Last one too!!! I also emailed the company to ask when they will have more in stock. Hope they respond soon! I've nevervreally made any kind of cake pops. Well I did try once and failed miserably. Hopefully these go better. They look better than squished up cake crumbs. Anyways. Since I've never made or sold these how much do they usually run? And do you sell them singular or by the dozen? Thxs all.
UPDATE!!!!
I just got an email back from the company saying that for that for now kohls is the only place you can get it but only at the store not online. BUT! That they will have more for sale on their website in May!!!!! Hope so!!
After reading this I am really thinking about getting one. I have a $10 off coupon sitting on my fridge waiting to get used I was wondering has anyone used the plunger for fillings yet? I think it would be awesome to squirt a little buttercream or jam inside...did it work well?
No Khols nowhere close to me, and the prices are too high on ebay, plus you have to bid, BUMMER.
After reading this I am really thinking about getting one. I have a $10 off coupon sitting on my fridge waiting to get used I was wondering has anyone used the plunger for fillings yet? I think it would be awesome to squirt a little buttercream or jam inside...did it work well?
Will be testing the plunger today - but I don't think it'll work without breaking the intregrity of the ball. You really need a dense cake batter for these to stay on the stick so there's really no place for filling to go, but I might be wrong. I see the plunger working more for a donut hole, or a batter that is light like a pate a choux. Speaking of, I bet this thing could crank out beautiful profiteroles for a croquembouche in record time.
<light bulb just off over my head>
I NEED TO TRY THAT NEXT!!!!! I HATE piping profiteroles!
Jen
Speaking of, I bet this thing could crank out beautiful profiteroles for a croquembouche in record time.
<light bulb just off over my head>
I NEED TO TRY THAT NEXT!!!!! I HATE piping profiteroles!
Jen
Let us know the results!
After reading this I am really thinking about getting one. I have a $10 off coupon sitting on my fridge waiting to get used I was wondering has anyone used the plunger for fillings yet? I think it would be awesome to squirt a little buttercream or jam inside...did it work well?
Will be testing the plunger today - but I don't think it'll work without breaking the intregrity of the ball. You really need a dense cake batter for these to stay on the stick so there's really no place for filling to go, but I might be wrong. I see the plunger working more for a donut hole, or a batter that is light like a pate a choux. Speaking of, I bet this thing could crank out beautiful profiteroles for a croquembouche in record time.
<light bulb just off over my head>
I NEED TO TRY THAT NEXT!!!!! I HATE piping profiteroles!
Jen
thanks!
Thank you imagenthatnj for posting the website for the babycakes in the Cake Pop Roller thread.
Ha! I was just telling my boyfriend that he must get to Kohl's asap, because I posted that link and I'm the only one who doesn't have it!! (Of course he won't go...lol)
I'm stuck at the office usually the whole day long and there are no Kohl's in NY city!
And now that Jen tried it, I know it works!
I'm sending my friend to Yonkers and Jersey tomorrow. Sometimes NYC does NOT have it all. lol
I know! Sad thing is that I live in NJ...but I'm stuck in NY the whole day long!
Maybe I'll roam NJ looking for Kohl's stores this weekend, but I think the whole world is going to be out of these machines before I get my hands on one. *sigh*
I'm definitely going to get one of these. I've been wanting to make cake pops but haven't yet. Our Kohl's doesn't have one right now. This will be an easy way to make the round ones, but will have to figure out how to make other shapes like I've seen here on CC. Am anxious to hear how the filling of them goes...
Are the cake balls made in this going to taste (have the texture) like donut holes/munchkins/TimBits?
i also thought they kind of looked like doughnut holes....i might get them for that...i love the actual cake balls, but then again i love sugary sweet things
I think the texture will depend on your cake recipe, not on the shape. They might look like doughnut holes, but they will not taste like them if your cake is moist.
Jen...what are profiteroles and croquembouche? Never heard of them before.
Profiteroles is the French word for a cream puff. The Croquembouche is a structure made of profiteroles and it's built in a cone shape. It's a typical French type of pastry/cake served at weddings instead of the typical wedding cake we see in the US.
If you search the web you'll find pictures. They're delicious!
Hi Jen,
don't want to hijack this but I was reading your blog( love it by the way!) and you said you use to make your own buttercream fondant. Is it similar to rolled buttercream?
Hi Charmed!
Thanks! The fondant I was making is Michelle Forester's Fondant (recipe on this site). It's super yum. I don't know if it's the same as rolled buttercream, I've never looked at a recipe for it.
Jen
Thanks Jen
ok, so I'm calling around to the kohl's stores in my area to see if they have one and one store said that someone came in and bought all 8 of them that she had on her shelf
ok, so I'm calling around to the kohl's stores in my area to see if they have one and one store said that someone came in and bought all 8 of them that she had on her shelf
Yes, a friend of mine is roaming the Kohl's stores too, and she just told me that she hasn't found any store that has them. They're being sold like crazy. She said that one of the people told her that it was a special edition Babycakes machine and that they didn't get that many. Don't know what the story is.
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