I have known Kristy Barkley for 15 years. We’ve worked together at two businesses and she has always stood out as a hard worker destined for great things. It’s no surprise that her company, Faye’s Cake’s Pops, is gaining a reputation for beautiful cake pops which also taste great, a combination seldomly found in this niche dessert market.
I asked Kristy to write today about how she got started, how to make a cake pop (not an easy task!), and why hers stand out so much. This is inspiring for anyone starting a business, as well as anyone looking for an innovative way to enjoy cake!
Kristy Barkley:
How Faye’s Pops Started
Faye’s Cake Pops was actually started to make my husband happy! I had officially “retired” from a 9-5 job after our 4th child arrived in 2011. To keep myself busy, I started playing with the new cake pop trend. The first month or so was pretty disastrous, but the kids loved eating them no matter what they tasted like! I have never remained still for long, and I found that baking was very calming to me. This, in and of itself, surprised everyone, because when I met my husband I was working 80 hour weeks with the Nashville Predators, and not only did I not bake, I didn’t cook dinner or even grocery shop! But low and behold, I grew to love baking.
Although the cake pops were not beautiful, they tasted amazing. I started making them each weekend to take out on our boat for friends and family to enjoy. Around the same time, a few different companies dropped their cake pops off at Mere Bulles, where I work once in a while, and they were pretty…but dry and flavorless. I realized that I might be onto something, because mine were moist and delicious!
Before long, I started to get requests each Monday or Tuesday from friends wanting cake pops for this or that. I was so proud that I just kept making them. However, my husband soon informed me that we would go broke if I kept making cake pops for everyone for free! Thus, Faye’s Cake Pops was born! Faye is my middle name and is used by the people closest to me. I created a Facebook page and an Etsy account for no other reason than to have a set price out there. This way if a friend wanted cake pops, they wouldn’t be offended when I told them the cost.
I was fortunate that the Mere Bulles Food Truck wanted to sell Faye’s Cake Pops. I initially started with their signature carrot cake flavor and then just kept trying new flavors. Some flavors sell much better than others. Wedding cake is the most popular flavor – it’s white cake with buttercream frosting. But my teenage son and his friends swear that Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is the best. The sky is really the limit on flavors. Admittedly, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting is the toughest to work with, but it is my favorite to consume.
How To Make a Cake Pop
The question I get most often is “Do you use those cake pop bakers?” The answer is no. The reason those don’t work is because they simply bake cake into a round mold with the hope that it stays round. But, in reality, how many people bake a cake, only to watch it fall? You are dealing with the same thing.
An actual Faye’s Cake Pop is made in Bakerella fashion (www.bakerella.com). I make a cake from scratch and let it cool before crumbling it up into tiny pieces and mixing it with the frosting. I let that mixture chill in the fridge before I roll the actual balls. I use a 7/8 oz. ice cream scoop to maintain consistency with the size of the cake pops. I just scoop and then roll the cake pops to get them into a nice round shape. If they aren’t rolling together well, or I see that the pops keep coming apart, I add a little more icing to the mixture. Once rolled, the cake pops go in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Putting them in the freezer for 20 minutes to save time also works, but I have learned that if you dip them in chocolate right out of the freezer, the chocolate will crack every time. So I just try to leave enough time to be patient.
The second most frequently asked question I get is, “How do you get the pops to stay on the stick?” That answer is two-fold. First, size is important, which is why the 7/8 oz. ice cream scoop works great. Much bigger and it is just too heavy. Secondly, the method for icing matters, too. Specifically, once the cake pop balls have chilled, I take only 2 or 3 at a time out of the fridge. I dip about an inch of the stick into the chocolate, then I put the stick into the ball. I do all three in order. Then, I go back to the first one and dip it completely in the melted chocolate. By this time, the chocolate has had time to harden inside the cake pop. Once the cake pop is covered, I tap the stick on the side of the bowl until the excess chocolate comes off. Too much chocolate will weigh down the cake pop, which might cause it to fall off the stick.
After this process is complete, I decorate them.
Faye’s Cake Pops Taste Delicious!
I think what really sets Faye’s Cake Pops apart from other cake pop companies is the flavor. I have tasted many cake pops, and they are not as moist and full of flavor as Faye’s–although, some of them are seriously true works of art! I have seen cake pops in the shapes of horses, and although they were beautiful, I can only imagine they tasted like modeling clay! I have some fun designs, and love being challenged with new ideas. But if you are hoping to get a replica of a Louis Vuitton purse cake pop, Faye’s is not your company. On the other hand, if you need monogrammed cake pops for your wedding that the guests love to eat, I have you covered! I pride myself on the actual flavor of the cake pop. At the end of the sweet moment, if your Faye’s Cake Pop tasted delicious, you won’t remember much else.
I have been amazed by the organic growth of Faye’s Cake Pops. It is rare for me not to have an order in the works, yet I have never advertised. Every order has come from word of mouth and repeat clients. This is how I know that my recipe makes for a great cake pop!
Thanks, Kristy! Follow Faye’s Cake Pops:
Contact Faye’s Cake Pops: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Fayes-Cake-Pops.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
