royal sweets
KELLOGG’S* FROOT LOOPS* CARAMEL BANANA CAKE PUSH POPS MAKES 20
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp. butter 1/4 cups light brown sugar 2 eggs 1 cup mashed bananas 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour 1 tsp. baking soda 3/4 cup sour cream 1 tbsp. milk 1 tsp. vanilla paste or real vanilla extract 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup sour cream 3 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla paste 2 cups Kellogg’s *Froot Loops* 20 push pop molds
Preheat the oven to 350F, Grease a 9x13” sheet pan. First, prepare the sponge cake. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and banana and beat the mixture to combine. Stir in the flour, soda, sour cream, mild and vanilla past (or real vanilla extract) by hand and combine until no lumps remain and the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth it out and bake in the centre of the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the sponge cake is golden brown and springs back when you touch it. Allow the cake to cool then cut the cake into small pieces. Next, make the frosting; Melt the butter and sugar together in a pan and stir, without boiling, for about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla paste (or real vanilla extract). Let the frosting cool slightly so it thickens. Build the push pops from the bottom up, starting with layers of sponge cake. Add a layer of frosting, followed by a sprinkling of Froot Loops*. Repeat the process, finishing with the Froot Loops*. 38
Theme your party by
Deedra Lalonde |
photography
When planning a birthday, the very first thing to decide is a theme. Once that is chosen, everything begins to fall into place. With Pinterest as a resource, the sky’s the limit. Chances are that someone, somewhere on this huge blue planet of ours has thrown a birthday with a similar theme that you can draw inspiration from. But be sure to do your own spin on things. Being original is key and that’s where the magic happens! Traditional party games can easily be recreated to match the theme with a little imagination and elbow grease. In the case of a donut themed party such as this one, instead of pin the tail on the donkey, how about ‘Pin The Hole on the Donut’. Ever think about making a donut piñata? Sound hard? Think again!
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Jennifer Klementti
YouTube is full of piñata video tutorials! Plan your food table according to the theme. As we all know, cakes are the focal points at a party. If you have stellar cake-making skills and are throwing a donut-themed party, make a giant donut fondant cake or seek out someone who can. Nowadays, cake artists are on every corner and prices are pretty competitive. Draw inspiration anywhere you can. There’s no shortage of ideas out there. Have fun. Let creativity and excitement build so much that it keeps you up at night. You’re building memories to last a lifetime...and isn’t that what it’s all about?