I first experienced a PopKake when gazing out over Trafalgar Square at the newly-launched Graze at Vista, the roof top bar of the Trafalgar Hotel. With the sky turning sparkly with stars, being handed a glittery ball of cake on a stick, encased in shiny cellophane and with a pretty label attached with a silvery twist, was a smile-raising moment. Three or four delicately bitten-off mouthfuls was all that was needed to provide a sweet and sticky end to a drink-soaked evening.
My favourite? I thought it was the Karrot Kake – a nice balance of cake to carrot, ultra-moist and much better for not being covered in sickly icing. But, now I’ve tried more of the range, it’s the Krumbles ‘n’ Kream – very chocolatey and with a well-defined taste of cookie. Or is it the PopNoir, with the slightly bitter undertone of a good dark chocolate with a thin, crisp layer of more chocolate, dipped in colourful minute balls of icing? It is impossible to choose … but not impossible to find reasons for doing so.
For evening glamour I recommend Bling Bling – covered in sophisticated rectangular gold sugar sprinkles, it’s richly chocolately too. For weddings: Sparkle, a fluffy cakeball covered in white chocolate and glittery silver sucre. For indulgent hen nights or, without meaning to put off the adult hens, to make much younger chicks having a princessy dressing-up party (or pre-teens at make-up parties) feel sophisticated and grown up. For romance, Red Velvet would quicken any heart just for its sensual blood red coating, long before you wrap your lips around it and sink your teeth into is creamy-cakey centre. For Jewish celebrations: be reassured, production of Kosher versions is overseen by the London Beth Din.
PopKakery has obviously spent a lot on marketing. It’s so well thought-out, with a trade marked brand name, that I assumed it was a franchise that had drifted over here from across the pond. Not so. Yes, the idea comes from America but PopKakery is an independent British company, under a year old and growing fast.
A ping-pong ball sized piece of cake might seem rather mean for something that is meant to be indulgent but they are deeply satisfying. One is all you need. What another? No thanks; I couldn’t. No, really. Well, I shouldn’t. Oh, all right then. Perhaps I will. Now, which one …
What took them so long to cross the Atlantic?