I adore Bakerella. I spend more time than I should admit admiring the beautiful photos on her website. When my friend Deanne suggested we get together and try our hand at making Cake Pops, I quickly agreed. Really, how hard could it be? Bakerella has amazing step-by-step instructions, the ingredients are all easy plus Deanne and I are both experienced bakers. This would be a breeze.It wasn’t. We failed miserably. A total of three Cake Pops were created before we accepted defeat and started making Cake Balls, which Deanne re-named Cake Truffles because neither of us could say Cake Balls without giggling like we were in junior high. The Cake Truffles turned out much better than Cake Pops but still were not what I had pictured. 
Here are the instructions we used. For a cake mix, I substituted a Betty Crocker gluten-free mix. We used a can of Duncan Hines cream cheese frosting that I won at the What’s New Cupcake workshop and Wilton Candy Melts in yellow, white with confetti and chocolate. These turned out tasty, not even a hint of gluten-free weird flavor. We had a great time making them, they just didn’t turn out Bakerella-pretty. I think if we had frozen the balls longer (hehehe, balls….), they might have stayed on the Cake Pop sticks better. Or maybe if we could round up Bakerella for one of our Sunday afternoon Cake Pop gatherings for a little intensive instruction, we’d have better luck. I do think I’ll try this again at some point. I’m in love with her Spring Chickens and even if it is August before I figure out how to do it, I am going to conquer a Spring-themed Cake Pop.
This week’s sweet marked the first time I have baked with a Sweet Friend. Usually I bake by myself or with a little input from my hubby, but have never had a Sweet Friend join me in the kitchen. I’ve been missing out on lots of fun! Deanne was a great baking companion and didn’t make a mess anywhere near the size of what I make when baking alone–and she brought her own apron, adorned with cupcakes.
I met Deanne through a car club. Her husband drove the same type of car I drove, Deanne drove the same type of car my husband drove. We had lots of other fun stuff in common, too…like collecting cookbooks, sharing our homes with pre-owned dogs, traveling, shopping at Trader Joe’s, eating out and knitting. Well, sort of knitting on my end. Deanne knits really beautiful things with complex patterns and the most amazing socks I’ve ever seen. I make dishcloths with no pattern. But technically we both knit.
Over the past few months, Deanne has shared quite a few gluten-free recipes with me. They have been reducing carbs at her house and many gluten-free flours are lower in carbs than traditional wheat flours. Deanne isn’t just handy when it comes to gluten-free recipes, she is a great resource for all things cooking. It was because of Deanne that last week’s Gooey Butter Cake happened. She found a recipe that fit my requirements, that it not contain a mix or yeast. I’m thankful to have such a friend!
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