We love a good barbecue or grill session for Memorial Day. Nothing finishes chicken, hamburgers and corn on the cob better than a great dessert. But after awhile, we get tired of the predictable apple pie and ice cream. So we’ve decided that this Memorial day, we’re making cake pops! They’re easier than they seem . . . in short you make a cake (you can use a mix to make your life easy- no one will know the difference) and let it cool. Then crumble the cake, mix with icing and form into balls. Insert sticks and freeze. Take them out of the freezer and decorate. Easy as pie. Or easier, in our opinion. And definitely more fun.
If you don’t like the idea of cake pops, you can always make traditional cupcakes and decorate. We’ve combed the web and found our favorite recipes for both, plus a surprise at the end. The photos are below. If you see one you like, click on the picture and you’ll be taken to the site where we found the recipe.
Happy Memorial Day!
1. Red, White and Blue Cake Pops- these are candy coated and decorated with sprinkles. They take a little time but are pretty easy to make.
2. Cake pops filled with red, white and blue batter- these are delicious and so festive! Originally meant for the 4th of July, we think they’ll be perfect for Memorial Day.
3. Oreo pops- Nothing is better than an Oreo. Except, perhaps, and Oreo on a stick with icing! For something different, try making these this weekend. Bonus: they’re easy.
4. Watermelon cake pops- These are just too cute. And what a fun way to play a little trick on your kids or grand kids!
5. Strawberry shortcake cake pops– Nothing says summer like strawberry shortcake. And what’s even better? You guessed it . . . strawberry shortcake cake pops.
6. Cupcakes in a jar- This is such a cute idea, especially if you have a bunch of Mason jars laying around. Plus we love the cream cheese icing; it’s perfect if you want something a little less sweet than the cake pops above.
7. Ice cream cone cupcakes- Nothing says the start of summer like an ice cream cone. Nothing is more creative than an ice ream cone cupcake. For a really sweet party you can serve these alongside regular ice cream cones and you will be everyone’s favorite host/hostess.
8. Sparkler cupcakes- we love everything about sparklers. You can decorate any cupcake with sparklers- to keep it simple you can just ice with white or blue icing. Or you can make red velvet cupcakes and ice with white icing, then top with a sparkler. If you’re feeling really ambitious you can try the recipe below.
9. Red velvet cupcakes- Speaking of red velvet cupcakes (see above if you missed that conversation), you can simply whip up a batch of these for something simple and patriotic. Top with fresh blueberries and you have all the colors of the flag. The following recipe is from Paula Dean- the queen of southern decadence.
10. Patriotic rose cake- OK, it’s not a cupcake or a cake pop. But it’s so beautiful and patriotic we had to make it our grand finale. It’s a little tricky but the link also contains a video tutorial. Have fun!