Many Ways to Cake: Sheet Cake & Cake Pops

Cake is a very versatile treat. With many companies mass-producing cake mixes, you can easily make a tasty creation in your kitchen without any baking knowledge or foresight. Just grab the few ingredients, preheat that oven, and bake!

Cake mixes also come in many flavors, brands, colors, and types. Some cake mixes are simply white, yellow, or chocolate cake. Others can be rainbow-colored or marbled cake. Some even have branded cereal, candy, or other sweets to add to and on top of the cake! In this series, we will be looking at a few ways to use a simple cake mix. We will look at two of those ways in this blog post and another super fun option tomorrow. So grab your cake mix and get out the mixing bowls because these will be sweet treats that you don't want to miss!

Option 1: The simple sheet cake!

While many cake mixes have different options for pan size, we will be looking at the everyday 13 x 9 pan today. This handy size is in almost every kitchen across the country. It is one of the most common sizes of cake for any occasion. A sheet cake is simply a cake that has been baked in a rectangular pan and usually is left in that pan for serving. Now, some stores will make the cake and pop it out on a decorative plate or sheet of cardboard. But, for this, you will only need a pan, a cake mix, and the listed ingredients on the cake mix.

First, you will need to preheat your oven to the specified temperature for a nonstick 13 x 9 pan on your cake mix box. Some boxes have a table of options, while others simply list a temperature in the directions. Second, you should locate and grease your 13 x 9 cake pan to be ready to go when your batter is finished. By greasing, I mean spraying with a nonstick cooking spray or using a little butter to cover the inside of the pan. This will help the cake come out in perfect square pieces and not stick when cutting the cake. Third, you will want to simply make the cake batter with whatever ingredients and directions the cake mix explains. After mixing up your batter, pour the batter into the pan and bake at the specified time for a nonstick 13 x 9 pan. Once the cake is finished baking, let it cool, and then top with whatever frostings or candies you like!

Option 2: The Cake Pop

Cake pops have become a staple in many bakeries and even Starbucks Coffee shops in the nation. Their colorful chocolate shell and flavor variety make them top sellers and in high demand. However, most people don't know that cake pops are relatively straightforward! For this tasty creation, you will need a cake that has been made using whatever method you prefer. See the option above to create an easy sheet cake that you can use in this treat! After your cake has been made, you will want to crush it. Wash your hands and become a kid again! Reach into the cake and pull it apart until the entire cake is broken up. Then, place your torn-up cake into a bowl.

You will then want to take a frosting (a store-bought container is perfectly fine) that you like and empty the entire contents of the container into the cake pieces. Then, mix the frosting and cake until well combined. You should then be able to take a bit of cake mixture into your hand and roll it into a ball. With a sheet cake, you should easily be able to make around 30 cake balls. You will also need to find some treat sticks at your local craft store or online. You will then stick this stick into each hand-rolled cake ball. So the cake doesn't fall apart, you should then freeze your cake balls for around an hour. While they are freezing, take any kind of chocolate that you like and melt it in the microwave. Make sure you stop frequently and stir the chocolate; otherwise, it will burn.

Once your chocolate is melted and the cake balls are solid, take your cake balls and dip them into your chocolate. I would recommend placing a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet to set the pops upright and keep chocolate from getting all over your counter! Then, once the chocolate has hardened, you can enjoy your delicious cake pops!