Today I’m testing out the Benty Cakes CakePuck mold set which supposedly offers an alternative to cake pops. It’s a nested mold that allows you to have a core and an outer layer. But do they work and is it work the $35 price tag? Let’s find out in today’s review.
Product Details
I picked up the Benty Cakes cake puck mold set for around 35 dollars. You can find them on Amazon here. At the time I bought it, it had a 4.7 star rating on Amazon with about 550 reviews, and it was listed as an Amazon’s Choice product. You may want to check out their official Instagram page where they show tons of recipes being made with this.
In the box I found:
- A silicone cake puck mold that makes six pucks at a time
- A tray for the mold to sit in
- A scraper
- Basic instructions and QR codes that link to online recipes
- A sticker, which is always a nice little extra
The molds themselves are silicone and listed as dishwasher safe. I have washed these several times since my review and they have in fact held up well in the dishwasher. The main marketing points are that it is supposed to give you “no more finicky cake pops,” make “super easy cake pucks,” and be easy to use for all skill levels.
From reading reviews, most people who liked it said it was remarkably easy to use once you get used to it, especially given how professional the finished pucks look. The main complaints were that the pucks are a bit large for some people, that it only makes six at a time, and that it takes some trial and error to get right.
First Recipe Attempt: Peppermint Patties
The instructions and QR codes take you to a collection of recipes online, so I decided to start with one that sounded really good. Homemade peppermint patties.
The filling recipe I used for the cores was:
- 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 15 ounces powdered sugar, added slowly
I mixed that together to form the inner core, then started loading the smaller mold. Right away I noticed my batter was thinner than what I saw in the recipe video online, but I went with it anyway. That turned out to be a mistake, so I scrapped my review and came back to it later.
The Failed First Batch
That first attempt was actually about two weeks before what you see later in the video. The batter was too runny, and the cores never really firmed up the way they were supposed to. When I tried to use them in the mold, they oozed out. It just did not work.
So I scrapped that batch, went back to the recipe, and tried again. The second time around I adjusted things so that the mixture was much thicker and closer to what was described and shown online. Once I got the consistency right, I loaded up the cores, put the mold in the fridge, and let it chill.
Second Peppermint Attempt: Much Better
When I took the chilled cores out of the fridge, they looked much closer to what I was expecting. The mold popped them out nicely without them falling apart, which was a good sign.
For the chocolate, I melted my chosen chocolate wafers until they were smooth and glossy. The basic process was:
- Spoon chocolate into the larger mold.
- Press one chilled core into the center.
- Let everything set at room temperature or in the fridge.
The first time I tried this, I used about one tablespoon of chocolate per puck, and that turned out to be too little. The sides of the pucks did not fill in completely, and when I tried to scrape and clean things up, I probably made them look worse.
I threw the tray into the fridge, let them set, and then popped them out to see what I had.
Peppermint Patties: Final Result and Taste
Visually, my first successful batch still was not as pretty as the promo photos, but for a first real attempt I was pretty happy. The pucks popped out easily. I had a couple of small air spots on the sides, but nothing major. They looked pretty nice overall.
When I cut into one, I probably should have let it warm up a little more, but I was impatient. Even with a slightly crushed cut, the inside looked good, and the taste was excellent.
The peppermint flavor was spot on, very similar to a store bought peppermint patty, but with a better ratio of filling to chocolate. A lot of peppermint patties have a thick chocolate shell and a thin layer of filling. With these cake pucks, there was a huge amount of filling and a nice layer of chocolate around it. They were big too. They genuinely looked like hockey pucks.
So even though my first try with a runny filling failed, once I corrected the consistency, the product did exactly what it claims to do.
Second Recipe: Peanut Butter Cup Pucks
On day two, I rewatched my peppermint footage, reread the instructions, and decided to make some adjustments to my technique. For the second recipe I went with something I knew I would like: Peanut butter cups.
The recipe I followed for the filling was:
- 2 packages of graham crackers (about 9.7 ounces total after crushing)
- 1 and 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup melted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
I used my Ninja Express Chop to crush the graham crackers in several batches, then mixed all of the ingredients together until I had a thick, smooth mixture that matched what I saw in the recipe video.
Filling the Mold Properly
The recipe suggested using a cookie scoop to fill the cores, but I decided to press the mixture in by hand. That gave me more control and let me feel if there were any stray chunks of graham cracker that needed to be broken up.
One of the big lessons I learned from day one was to really pack the filling tightly into the mold and to scrape off the tops for a more uniform shape. So this time I packed them in much more firmly and leveled them off.
There was a lot of filling, enough for several batches. So this became an all day project. I put the first filled mold into the fridge to chill, wrapped the remaining filling for later, and went off to a dentist appointment. When I came back, everything was nicely chilled and ready for dipping.
Dipping Round Two
For the peanut butter cups I tried to improve my chocolate game as well. This time I used two packages of chocolate melts and added about a half teaspoon of coconut oil to help with smoothness and shine.
I doubled the amount of chocolate per puck and went with about two tablespoons instead of one. The process went like this:
- Pour about two tablespoons of melted chocolate into each cavity of the larger mold.
- Gently press a chilled peanut butter core into the center.
- Tap the mold on the table to release air bubbles and help the chocolate rise up around the sides.
- Let the pucks set in the fridge.
Because the filling was already cold, the chocolate set up very quickly, so I had to work fast. Even then, one bag of chocolate was not enough for two full batches. I ran out during one round and only managed to cover four of the six pucks. Next time I know I need at least two bags for multiple full trays.
Peanut Butter Cup Results
When I popped the peanut butter pucks out of the mold, I was impressed with how good they looked. The chocolate tops were shiny, the sides were smooth, and there were far fewer imperfections than the first day. A couple of pucks showed that I was running low on chocolate, but most of them looked fantastic.
Cutting one open revealed a thick, even layer of peanut butter filling that looked exactly like what you would expect from a giant peanut butter cup. Taste wise, they were great. Rich peanut butter, good chocolate, and a very generous amount of filling. It really felt like taking a standard large peanut butter cup and multiplying it by two.
At this point I was starting to get into a rhythm. The more batches I did, the more consistent the results became.
Learning Curve and Tips
Using the Benty Cakes cake puck maker is not difficult, but there is definitely a learning curve if you want your pucks to look as clean and professional as the photos.
Here are some lessons I picked up along the way:
- Get the right filling consistency. If the filling is too runny, it will not hold its shape and will ooze out of the mold. You want a thick, almost dough like mixture that can be firmly packed into the cores.
- Pack the molds tightly. Press the filling down firmly and level it off. That helps with consistent shape and makes the pucks look more uniform.
- Chill thoroughly. Cold cores pop out more easily and help the chocolate set faster. About 30 minutes in the fridge worked well for me, but even five minutes of chilling the dipped pucks seemed to be enough for the chocolate to set.
- Use enough chocolate. One tablespoon per puck is not enough. Two tablespoons per puck gave me much better coverage and fewer thin spots.
- Tap the mold to release air. Lightly banging the mold on the counter helps fill in gaps and removes air bubbles that can cause holes or craters in the chocolate.
- Plan for multiple batches. If you use the recipes as written, you will probably have enough filling for several rounds. That means you might want more than one mold set if you are making a large quantity for a party.
Pros and Cons
What I Like
- The final pucks look very professional once you dial in your technique.
- The molds are easy to pop the pucks out of, especially after chilling.
- The recipes I tried were excellent. The peppermint patties and peanut butter cups both tasted great.
- Once you get used to it, the process becomes pretty efficient.
What I Do Not Like
- The learning curve is steeper than the marketing suggests. It is not hard to learn, but it takes practice to master.
- It only makes six pucks at a time. For big batches I would probably want at least one more mold.
- The price feels a bit high when you start thinking about buying multiple sets. Two sets would be about 70 dollars, which is a tough sell for what it is.
- You need a good amount of chocolate to fully coat everything, so ingredient costs can add up.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I really like how the Benty Cakes cake puck maker performs once you work through that initial trial and error. The results genuinely look like something you would buy from a professional bakery, and the recipes taste excellent.
To me, this product is a lot like chess. It is pretty easy to learn, but if you want to get really good at it, there is a steep curve. I felt like I improved with every batch, and I still think I could get even better results with more practice.
The biggest sticking point for me is the price. Around 35 dollars for a single mold is already on the high side, and I feel like most people who really get into this are going to want more than one. Two molds puts you around 70 dollars, and that is where I start to question the value.
Functionally, though, it works well. If you enjoy baking projects, do not mind a bit of a learning curve, and want to show up to a party with giant homemade peppermint patties or peanut butter cups that make you look like a professional baker, this thing can absolutely do that. I will be making some batches for the holidays to show off my baking skills when my relatives come to town.
If you have tried the Benty Cakes cake puck maker or something similar, let me know what you think in the comments below. I appreciate you reading, and I will see you next time.
Video Review
Check out my full review below.