“It was really my nephews who inspired Yogurtopia,” Sam Abbas laughs. The Michigan native wanted a place where the energetic boys, ages 3 and 5, could find treats – along with the grown-ups and everyone in between.
His spin on “froyo,” a bit refined yet still family friendly, has caught on. A few months ago, a Brighton spot joined locales in East Dearborn and Dearborn.
“Mom and dad can split a fresh-made crepe and each get a 100-percent organic coffee,” says Abbas, whose business began in 2013, “while a teen gets a cupcake or cake pop with bubble tea. And the younger kids can go straight for the froyo.”
Yogurtopia rotates about 100 total flavors, with 16 available at any given time. And toppings? Choose from 65. For picky eaters – or those who just can’t decide – there are dividers.
But if you only get froyo, you’re missing out. “We try to make everything as fresh as possible with quality ingredients while still keeping the prices reasonable.”
For parents, try the Elvis crepe – filled with peanut butter, bananas and chocolate froyo. And to drink, ask for the Affogato: “You fill a cup with a little vanilla yogurt and then we pour hot espresso over it and drizzle it with caramel.”
These days, Abbas says, “I’m now the cool uncle.” You’ll get similar standing with Yogurtopia’s cake pop recipe, featuring kid-friendly shortcuts.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of cake, any flavor (homemade or store bought)
- 1/3 cup frosting (homemade or store bought)
- About 20 cake pop (lollipop) sticks
- 12 oz. melting chocolate (any color or brand)
- Sprinkles or any decorative topping (optional)
Directions
- Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment and set aside. In a large bowl, break up cake into very fine crumbs.
- Add frosting. Work into the cake (preferably by hand) by squeezing and pushing until texture is uniform. You want a texture you can roll into a sturdy ball (should have a bit of give, but not squish completely).
- Roll mixture into balls about 1 tablespoon in size. Try to keep them on the small side. Place on one prepared sheet.
- Put chocolate in a glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave on medium (50 percent) power for 30 seconds, stirring after each session (it usually takes several). As the candy starts getting smoother, stir vigorously to continue the melting process outside of the microwave. (Don’t scorch your chocolate. It is possible to overheat and turn it into a crumbly, dry mess. Stirring helps.)
- Working with one cake pop stick at a time, dip one end into melted chocolate (about a 1/2 inch). Push the stick into a cake ball about halfway. Don’t push the whole way through; it will poke out of the top! Repeat until all cake balls have sticks. Place in freezer for 15 minutes.
- One by one, dip your cake balls into the melted chocolate. Allow any excess to drip off before setting the cake pop down.
- While coating is still wet, decorate with sprinkles.
- Place finished cake pops on second sheet. Once they’re completely cool, enjoy!
More about Yogurtopia
Head to this hometown chain for plenty of summer-fun treats.
- Brighton: 332 W. Main St., 810-366-1500
- Dearborn: 1000 S. Military St., 313-791-7158
- East Dearborn: 6901 Schaefer Road, 313-582-1111
- Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
- Website: yogurtopia.com
