One style of cake that I love is when lollies are added onto cakes as cake toppers. They add such a fun element to cakes and I I love that the lollies can be made in any colour, any flavour and you can decorate them in so many ways. So in this weeks tutorial I’m showing you how to make some pink sugar lollies decorated with fun sprinkles.
Just click below to watch the tutorial ⇩ or scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe and step by step instructions.
These lollies are so much fun to make and don’t actually take that long either. You just need to combine sugar, water & liquid glucose (you can also use corn syrup too) and boil this to 149°C or 300°F which is when sugar gets to the hard crack stage. If you want to create a sugar free version you could also use isomalt too.
Why do we add glucose to make sugar lollies
Now if you’re looking at different recipes you may see some tell you to use liquid glucose, some use corn syrup or even cream of tartar. All these ingredients are doing exactly the same thing. As you boil up your sugar mixture you want it to be nice and smooth and clear, so to stop any crystals forming in your mixture you need an interfering agent and this is the job of the liquid glucose / corn syrup. It stops crystals forming, giving you the perfect mixture for your lollies.
In the UK it is impossible to get corn syrup so liquid glucose is a great alternative.
Creating your Lollies
Once your mixture reaches the hard crack stage you want to remove it from the heat straight away. If you allow it to get any hotter, then the sugar will start to caramelise giving you a slightly yellow colour.
Once the mixture is removed from the heat you can then add any flavouring. This is my favourite part. Who doesn’t love trying different flavours of lollies. You can then add any colour. In terms of the colour you want to use gel colour rather than liquid colour. Liquid colour will add water into the mixture which can make your lollies sticky. You can then pour your mixture onto a silicone mat or into some lolly moulds.
You can download the circle template I used here!
I found the lollies then take around 20 – 30 minutes to completely cool. You can then remove them from the mould or silicone mat and add them onto your cake.
Sprinkles
Now what lollies would be complete without some fun sprinkles. For these I used the Princess Diary and Paste Vibes sprinkle mixs by Happy Sprinkles.
If you want to get your hands on some Happy Sprinkles they have also kindly given me a 10% off discount code for me to share with you.
To receive 10% off Happy Sprinkles all you need to do is visit their website www.happysprinkles.com or The Cake Decorating Company and enter the code HAPPYLYNZ10 at the checkout! (This code can not be combined with any other discounts)
I had so much fun making these lollies and love how they look on the top of the cake. In regards to storing the lollies if you want to give them as gifts I would wrap them in cellophane bags as soon as they have cooled. Depending on the humidity where you are the lollies can become quite sticky as sugar absorbs moisture in the air. For the cake I didn’t find this was too much of an issue. But you can store them in an airtight container and add a little rice to absorb any moisture in the tub. Also avoid popping them in the fridge if you can as this can also make them quite sticky.
I really hope you enjoy the video and also enjoy making the lollies. If you haven’t already you can subscribe to my YouTube channel for more Free cake decorating video tutorials.
Tools I used
I have put a list below showing all the tools that I used throughout this video or if you would like to see all my favourite cake decorating tools just click here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/cakesbylynz
Silicone Mats: https://amzn.to/3ciTfVX
Silicone Lolly Moulds: https://amzn.to/3qbzFkS
Lolly Sticks: https://amzn.to/3p3L3Qn
Thermometer: https://amzn.to/3q1VTpm
Happy Sprinkles Princess Diary: https://bit.ly/3F4VN6l (Get 10% off with code ‘HAPPYLYNZ10’)
Happy Sprinkles Pastel Vibes: https://tidd.ly/3megNjJ (Get 10% off with code ‘HAPPYLYNZ10’)
SweetStamp Pink Gel Colour: https://bit.ly/3e6R5cp (Get 10% off with code ‘CakesbyLynz’)
~ Please note that the links above are affiliate links. If you click the link and purchase any item through that link, I will receive a small commission from the website but this does NOT add any additional costs to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog x ~
Sugar Candy Lollies Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 g Granulated Sugar
- 95 ml Water
- 60 g Liquid Glucose
- 1 tsp Flavouring extract or a few drops of oil based flavouring
- Gel colour
Instructions
- Combine the sugar, water & liquid glucose into a small saucepan and add onto a low heat. Allow the mixture to combine and the sugar granules to dissolve. This is usually when you see the mixture go from being cloudy to clear.
- Use a silicone pastry brush to brush around the side of your saucepan to get rid of any sugar crystals. This will stop any falling into your mixture as it boils.
- Attach your sugar thermometer and turn the heat up to a medium heat. Boil the mixture until it reaches the hard crack stage on your thermometer which is 149°C or 300°F.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and add in your flavouring along with any colouring.
- Slowly mix the mixture until the bubbles disappear and you have a smooth silky consistency. This only takes a few seconds.
- Use a spoon to drip the mixture onto your silicone mat or into your moulds (if using a mould you want to add your sprinkles first).
- Add your sprinkles or decoration of your choice and place a stick 1.5cm into your lolly, twisting it slightly so it is covered in candy mixture.
- Leave your lollies to cool for 20 – 30 minutes before adding them to your cake.
- To clean you pan and utensils place into the sink and add hot water and soap. Allow the sugar to dissolve (this can take a little while) but your pan will then be as good as new!
Notes
Storing your lollies
These sugar lollies do not like moisture as it can make then go sticky. So they need to be stored in a cool, dry place. If you have high humidity the lollies can become quite sticky as sugar absorbs moisture in the air. You can store them in an airtight container with a little rice added to absorb any moisture in the tub. Avoid putting them in the fridge as this can also make them quite sticky. If you’re cake needs to be refrigerated, then you want to add them to your cake once it comes out of the fridge.Plus why not save this tutorial for later and pin it to Pinterest
