Cupcakes started as a dessert trend but became a sweet staple for many of us, which left room for more trends to hit the dessert market after them. One of these trends was for push pop-style cakes, where cake, frosting and other goodies were layered into a push pop container (the same kind you bought from the ice cream truck as a kid) and eaten by pushing the layers up with the push pop stick. The presentation for these treats is beautiful and in Push-up Pops you’ll find recipes and instructions on how to assemble these at home.
The book covers a wide range of different desserts including cakes, pies, frozen desserts and cookie-based push pops. It starts with a detailed introduction to the techniques needed to assemble these goodies and get the best finished product before jumping into the recipes. For instance, cake batters should be baked in a jelly roll pan so that the layers are very thin, and the rounds for the pops can be cut out simply by pressing your pop mold into the baked cake to get the perfect size and shape. The recipes are clearly written and easy to follow, with lots of delicious sounding flavor combinations. The techniques used in this book might be even more useful than the recipes because the wow factor in these desserts is their unique look. Once you have the basics down, you can layer any combination of cake, cookies, fruit, frosting or fillings in your push pops and come up with your own creations quite easily.
These treats are perfect for serving at a party or bringing to a bake sale. To make these recipes as described in the book, you will need to order some Push Up Pop molds, which can be found from some online cake and pastry stores. They make for an amazing presentation and are a lot of fun to use. If you don’t have the molds or don’t want to get them, not to worry: every dessert can be assembled in dessert glasses instead and eaten with a spoon. Using relatively narrow glasses (which you probably already have) gives you a beautifully layered dessert that you can serve easily and eat with a spoon, even if you don’t have push up molds.
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