the art of cake pops

oh these little bad boys.

trying to make these were harder than i thought they would be.

after adapting and adapting, i think i got the method to making cake pops down.

and am ready to spill my cake-popping thoughts to you.

i love cake pops.

not only do i not feel guilty eating about, oh, 6 of them (they're small, so less calories, right?), but they are so itty bitty and cute. plus, there are so many possibilities. now that most grocery stores sell all different color candy melts, you can do any color scheme, any design, and any delicious-looking pop to trot.

i made these for maren's baby shower, and after a few tries, they turned out great for the party.

so, to spare you the extra time it took me to make these turn out okay, i'm going to give you a step-by-step on how to make great cake pops. along with a few tips!

what you need:

-your favorite cake & frosting recipe or a cake mix and canned frosting (for a sweeter pop)

-candy melts (any color), or chocolate chips to melt

-lollipop sticks (found at michaels)

-parchment paper

-sprinkles

step 1: bake a cake. ha.. but seriously. i just used a cake mix and store-bought frosting (GASP- so unlike me!). bake a cake that will fill a 9x13 inch pan to make about 45 cake pops. 

step 2: let the cake cool (completely! this step is so hard for me because i am way too impatient), then crumble the cake into a large bowl with your hands. try to eliminate any big crumbs.

step 3: add one can of store-bought frosting (or about 1 1/2 cups of homemade frosting), and mix cake crumbs and frosting together with your hands, until relatively smooth and creamy (almost paste/dough-like).

step 4: just like cookie dough, roll the crumb/frosting mixture into small balls (about the size of a quarter or a little bigger), and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. stick a lollipop stick into the center of each cake ball. place the cookie sheet in the freezer and let freeze for at least two hours.


step 5: once the cake balls are firm and chilled, time to dip! 
here's the dealio. how much of the candy melts you decide to melt is truly up to you. i used four different types of melts: aqua melts, red melts, white chocolate melts, and chocolate chips. 
for about 40 cake balls: you will need about 6 cups of candy melts/chocolate melting wafers. divide it up into different colors as you wish. :)


step 6: holding the cake balls by the lollipop stick, dip the cake balls into the melt, covering completely. try to let any excess melt drip off, then place the dipped cake ball back onto the parchment paper.


step 7: if sprinkling your cake balls: quickly sprinkle before the melt dries (which is fast!)
if drizzling: take a different color melt and with a spoon, drizzle across the tops of the cake balls to make a fun design.


step 8: place the dipped cake balls back into the freezer, and let set for at least twenty minutes. 


some fun ideas:
cookie dough cake pops. it would be delicious to make cookie dough cake pops, using pasteurized eggs so the dough is safe.
brownie cake pops. um... yum?
any idea from Bakerella. originator of the cake pop.


good luck! :)