So I went to get my morning coffee and there were three cake pops for sale! I asked the manager and he said they just started selling them - starting at $1.50 each and get cheaper the more you buy! They had 3 different kinds. One was pink with little sprinkles (looks like their birthday cake donut), one was a rocky road type topping, and the third was white chocolate with a coffee bean on top.

I am really surprised that they are selling these but I guess they are trying different ways to add to their bottom line.

Godiva is selling them too.

I saw that they also had red velvet whoopie pies.
I got the Rocky Road one because I have never tasted cake pops before. If that's what they taste like I don't get why they are so popular right now.
It was blah and the texture kinda grossed me out. I've been wanting to make a batch so maybe somebody out there who has experience with cake pops will try one of theirs and compare and tell me if that is in fact what they're supposed to be like???

i just made my first batch of cake pops for valentine's day and they were a huge hit with family and coworkers. they taste moist and yummy and are fun to make. if you visit bakerella's website you can get tons of cute ideas to make fun cake pops. i'd recommend them for kid's events, baby showers, or any other event. i think they're one of my new favorite things to make because you can decorate each one differently and make them look special by putting them in lollipop wrappers with ribbon tied around them.

Do you follow her recipe?
I've seen so many different versions from everyone on here with frosting and creamer I'm not really sure which way to go. Unfortunately I don't have too many people to try the different ones out on and I'm really not much of a sweets eater.
I used to decorate a lot of cakes years ago (pre fondant) and I would absolutely love to get back into it...it's my zen!
I guess I just need to get in the kitchen and start trying out the different ones anyway and get it figured out

Yes, I saw them in the Starbucks around the corner from me here in Madrid. They were selling them for 2.00 (which is what I sell them at). They were slightly bigger than mine. Also had pinkypurple sugar on one, and rocky road on another (only saw 2 types). Another day when I am not wearing my chefs coat I might buy one to see what they are like!

jUST SAW IT TODAY TOO, I BOUGHT A BIRTHDAY CAKE ONE FOR MY SON TO SEE IF THEY WERE LIKE MINE, BUT IT WASN'T. NOT SURE ABOUT THE REST OF YOU, BUT i MIX CAKE WITH BINDERS SUCH AS BUTTERCREAM, FUGDE, PEANUT BUTTER ETC BEFORE i DIP THEM IN CHOCOLATE. tHEESE WERE JUST SMALL ROUND CAKES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE.- SORRY BOUT CAPS- iM NOT YELLING JUST NOTICED TOO LATE THAT CAPS WAS ON AND I DIDNT WANT TO RE-TYPE. mINE ARE A LITTLE BIGGER & i SELL FOR $2 EA

I just make them with whatever cake I have left over from the last one I leveled and carved! I have used ganache, buttercream, peanut butter, Nutella, Bailey's and whipping cream (before whipping) as binders, singly or in combination. I add chopped nuts, coconut, mini-chocolate chips and/or chopped dried fruit if I have any of that stuff hanging around and sometimes I add a few drops of flavoring like vanilla, almond extract, orange or lemon extract, rosewater, etc. I don't put a whole lot of binder in with the cake because my cakes are usually pretty moist as it is. I add a couple of teaspoons of vegetable shortening to the candy melts I'm using for the coating, which makes the shell a little crisper. I haven't sold any yet - the family somehow manages to make them disappear before I get around to it.

This is for their 40th anniversary:

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/423471/gary-mills/2011-03-09/deals-starbucks-buy-drink-get-petite-free

The only way I can eat a cake pop is if its made with NO binders...just mushed up cake...because then, under the chocolate, it seems to sort of "fluff" back to where it tastes pretty much like regular cake.

If your cake is already moist it works...if dry, then not. But I don't like the binders, it turns the cake grainy, sorta.

I'll have to try the Starbucks one, I often do consults there...

[quote="Kitagrl"]The only way I can eat a cake pop is if its made with NO binders...just mushed up cake...because then, under the chocolate, it seems to sort of "fluff" back to where it tastes pretty much like regular cake.

If your cake is already moist it works...if dry, then not. But I don't like the binders, it turns the cake grainy, sorta.

We also always used only compressed, kneaded cake to make cakeballs at the bakery and it is much better. Less sweet, which is what our customers liked about them...but very rich. But we did not use really moist cake...it would be too soft. We would crumble fresh cake, spread it out on a sheet pan and actually air dry it first before squishing. Not stale dry, but enough so you could feel it. Then we would squish and knead again and again until it came together like cookie dough. The cake ball is still moist--there's no dryness to it if you squish it enough...but letting the cake in it dry a little first gives it a good texture for rolling and keeping its shape.
It's less oily too.

I'm going to try that, carmijok. I don't like it with a lot of binder, either.

[quote="carmijok"]

Oh that sounds good! I would like that. I tried making them once with the buttercream or creamer or whatever and it was awful stuff.

You know I must have made a million cake balls at the bakery I worked for...but I wasn't the one that dipped them. I have an awful time with that so I've never made them at home. However with all the buzz about cake pops, it would appear to be an easier process so I'm going to have to try that now.
Oh...little advice about portioning. Use a meatballer. It gives a perfect consistent amount and it's easy to roll smooth since it's already in a ball.

I caved in today and went and bought the Rocky Road Cake Pop from the Starbucks round the corner (in the name of market research, ha). The worst cake pop I ever had (I might be biased, I've only ever had my own). Someone mentioned Starbucks didn't use any "binder" in it...the one I had was so mushy it was totally gross. It was supposed to be chocolate inside...it didn't taste of anything except tasteless mush. And the dark "chocolate" coating on the outside hadn't ever met a cocoa bean. Wilton candy melts taste nicer.
It could just be the way they make them in Spain, but surely Starbucks sends the same recipes worldwide? I mean, the coffee tastes the same in Madrid as in Seattle...you'd think their baked stuff would as well. So disappointing, especially since cake pops are a fairly new thing here - it would be awful for people to try one of theirs and think they are "supposed" to be like that, and then not buy from me in case they are just as bad!

I don't get it - mushy cake on a stick dipped in "coating"? Ug, I don't like cake pops.

But I'll have to try the Starbucks ones, because if Starbucks starts selling them, people here are gonna start asking about them (I don't know anyone else that sells them here), which means I gotta learn how to make them, and hopefully make them better.

Sigh.

You couldn't make them any worse, honestly!

i was shocked too when i saw them this week.
i did try the 'birthday cake pop' its the pink one.
i dont like the pink chocolate coating on it.
there is no frosting.
i also tried the mini-red velvet whoppie pies. much better than their red velvet cupcakes. ive never had anything so dry!
the whoppie pies i enjoyed because it does taste like a true red velvet cake. not just a chocolate cake colored red.
one starbucks i went too had the cake pops in a 3-hole cake pop stand which looked nice.
the other starbucks had them just laying down on a try. didnt look to appealing.

Yes my stepmom works for Starbuck's and told me about this last week. They are birthday cake, rocky road, and tiramisu. She said that she was all excited about the tiramisu, but when she tried it, she was not at all impressed.

I also use "binders" in mine, because I like supermoist cakes, and this makes them even better to me. But I do agree that if you add too much, the cake can become grainy. I don't usually make them pops...I do them truffle style and place them in cute mini cupcake wrappers after decorating.

I live in Starbucks so after hearing about the cake pops appt on CC I couldn't wait to try them. They were the grossest thing I've ever tasted. Like sugary mush. I only had one, the birthday cake, and it made my stomach hurt.

So it's all over Twitter last night that Starbucks is giving away cake pops with drink purchase today thru Saturday - so I hobbled my pregnant butt past my local coffee place to go the extra 3 blocks to the Starbucks, because if I can try it without paying for it then great - GRRRRR promotion doesn't start till 2pm.

So, if you want to try them today hit your Starbucks between 2-5 for a free cake pop with drink purchase.

Yes, my stepmom said today through Saturday from 2-5 is the promotional period. When I went before class the other night the barrista recommended the red velvet whoopie pie. She said she didn't like the cake pops, either.

They are giving them away with a drink purchase, so I got my coffee 1 free one and bought an additional one (the birthday cake kind) to give to my kids. THEY WERE AWFUL!!!! My 2 and 5 year old kids wouldnt even eat them. I tried a tiny taste and honestly it was like cake smashed with crisco. It was pretty nasty. I dont think they will be around much longer if they dont change the way they are making them. YUCK YUCK YUCK!!!!

I went and tried the rocky road one the other day. I was super interested because I sell them and they are a top seller...and ya know I was curious I have to say honestly that I didn't like it that much. I try to be as unbiased as possible-and I just felt it was a little bland and lacking a fresh flavor...but thats probably because they are mass made and shipped out.
Plus I use ganache in mine so I'm used to a more truffle like cake filling.

I have only been making cake pops for a few weeks now and am considering making this a business. I was told that Starbucks was making them. I went to try out the competition and was actually thrilled that they were so terrible. They were ugly and lopsided. The Tiramisu was the most awful thing that I have ever tried. I hope that Starbucks doesn't give all of America the notion that that is what a cake pop tastes like and stop the ball rolling for the rest of us.

I tried them as well as was absolutely disgusted. The only cake pop I've ever had that truly blew me away were Lollibakes. My cousin lives in LA and brought them home with her when she was visiting. OMG, they were unbelievable. I have no idea how she does it, but they didn't not taste like regular cake pops. Has anyone else had them or know her secret? I want to find out!!

Starbucks doesn't make them in house, i think they use a cake pop company in new york...but i could be wrong. i tried them too and thought they were gross but the barista said they had been selling them like crazy but she didn't like them bc it tasted like uncooked cake. i thought the rocky road was the grossest thing i ever tried