Cake Pops

 Pink with pearl sprinkles Cake Pops

Cake pops. You've seen them around, they're little cake bites, dipped, and put on a stick. Yet how they're made seemed to be such a mystery to me. I picked up this book the other day and with all the cute, fun ideas I had to try them out. They turnout to be a lot simpler than I ever imagined. Besides a little trouble with the candy melt, they where put together in a snap!  I definitely plan to make them again. There are lots of cute critters and party items you can make them  look like, but for the start I recommend starting with the basics.  

Cake pops can be made with a boxed cake mix and canned frosting, the results are fast and more reliable. I however choose the more difficult route using this recipe for the cake and my basic buttercream seen here, to make a richer and better tasting cake pop.     

Basic Cake Pops

Makes about 48

1 baked cake 

1 cup buttercream

3 12 oz packages candy melt

6" lollipop sticks

styrofoam block 

Sprinkles (optional)  

Bake your cake (boxed or from scratch) in a flat square pan, generously spraying the sides so edges come out easily. If you think 48 cake pops are a lot to start with, cut the recipe in half and use half the cake mix for something else (cupcakes of course!). After you have fully baked your cake, let it fully cool. Cut your cake into 4 sections and take off any dark brow sides that won't crumble easy. Over a large mixing bowl, take one of the fourths, break in in half and rub the pieces together. The cake should crumble into fine pieces, you can use a fork to break big pieces that didn't crumble. After your whole cake is crumbled,mix in your frosting. With a big spoon mix in frosting, adding a spoonful of buttercream at a time. Continue adding buttercream until the pieces starting to clump together. Test the mixture by seeing if you can roll it into a ball nicely, if not add a bit more frosting. Next, line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Using your hands roll the mixture into 1" cake balls. Put the cookie sheet of cake balls in the refrigerator for a few hours or in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Next your ready to dip your cake pops. Move your cake pops to the refrigerator if they're in the freezer. Melt your candy melt ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTIONS in a heat safe bowl. Make sure your careful not to over heat or add any liquids to the candy melt, like I did Ekk!, because candy melt can be very difficult to fix. Pull out a few cake balls out of the freezer. Dip the top of a stick in the candy melt then stick into a ball. Make sure the stick is over half way through the ball for stability. Dip the whole cake pop into the candy melt. Rolling and tapping off excess candy melt. While the cake pop is still wet, add sprinkles. Lastly place the cake pop in the styrofoam block to dry.  

 Admire their cuteness

Then Eat!