3.22.2012

Cake Pop How-To

As you may remember from Princess' birthday party, I made cake pops.  Here is how I did it.  Of course, I  started by google-ing for recipes and how-to's and adapted what I think would work for me.

To make cake pops, start with a cake.  I am lazy and made a box cake.  If you are baking whiz, you should make one from scratch, just don't gloat about it.


I made it the night before and let it cool.  The next day, I crumbled it up.  I utilized a few different methods, scraping with a fork, using my fingers, etc.  I found that rubbing cake chunks against themselves worked the best.  The goal is to have small crumbs, no large chunks.


Then, add in the frosting.  Again, I am game for the easiest route, so I chose pre-made frosting.  I used half the can, then added a bit more.  The mixture should be moist, but not too sticky.


Next, roll the cake in balls and place on baking sheets lined with wax paper.  Once this process is complete, place in the refrigerator for a few hours or the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.  The cake should be firm enough to dip.


I chose to dip the pops in candy melts.  I wanted pink and purple pops for my Princess and the candies are easy to melt in the microwave.  And I think we've established I'm all for easy.  I did find the melted mixture was bit thick, so I had to thin it out with some vegetable oil.


I forgot to take pictures of the next part.  You'll have to use your imagination.

First, I recommend dipping the stick in the melted mess before placing in the ball.  It will help keep the pop on the stick once upright.  Then, immerse the cake pop in the candy melt.  I used two spoons to help make sure it was covered completely.  Let the excess drip off, then place upright until set.  I used a floral foam block.

You're bound to have a few that don't work.  One's that fall off or split.  That's your treat.


I chose to display them in a floral foam orb on a cake stand.  It doesn't look that pretty, but it works.


And of course I pretended to be fancy and drizzled the tops with alternating colors of candy melt.  I should note that my hubby chose to dip some in melted chocolate, but they weren't done at press time.  He simply melted chocolate chips and some vegetable oil.  They were yummy, but lacked the crunch of the candy coating.



Overall, it was a lot of work for a small treat.  However, my daughter loved them and I enjoyed making something special for her birthday.  Have you ever made cake pops or something similar?  I'd love to hear the details.

3 comments:

A.D. McGregor said...

I've seen some people do this where they basically make mini-muffins and then put them on sticks. I've seen info-mecials for round muffin-tin-like pans for just this thing.

In fact, I had never heard of the crushing the cake model before this blog. Very interesting.

Carly said...

I made cake pops for Jubee's birthday last month, too. http://instagr.am/p/Haj52jN1TM/ I crumbled up my cake and added frosting, too, I thought it worked out rather well, though, to be honest, I ate a lot of cake and frosting balls before I dipped them. I used the melty chocolate to stick on chocolate chip ears before I covered it, and then drew on the faces with edible markers I bought on Amazon. It was a pain in the butt. Next time I say that I'm going to make anything but a sheet cake for one of my kid's birthdays, tell me to snap out of it.

Unknown said...

Carly those are adorable! And I'm with you, next time I making a sheet cake!