Cake Pops!

I have been wanted to make cake pops, but I have been too intimidated.  I finally learned how from a friend so I gave it a try.  Bakerella is the inventor of the cake pop.  She has some great tutorials and ideas on her site.  She also recently wrote a book, on sale at all Barnes and Nobles and Williams Sanoma stores, called Cake Pops.  I love her!  http://www.bakerella.com/dont-lick-bite%E2%80%A6/

Here is my tutorial, if you need a little more help.


Supplies:
1 Box Cake Mix
1 container store bought frosting
Candy Melts
6" or 8" lollipop sticks
Styrofoam block
3"x4" cello bags and ribbon for packaging


1. Bake your cake, just in a 9x13 pan.  Let it cool and crumble it all up into a large bowl.  This is a little weird, but it is fun.  Remember to make sure the cake is COOL!  Add the frosting to the cake and mix it up real good.  It is best to use your hands for this.  Use a little cookie dough size scooper and scoop and roll the cake into balls.  This should make about 50 cake balls.  Put the balls onto a cookie sheet and stick them in the fridge for about an hour.  It is essential to the dipping part that these are cold.  This part is not exciting and needed no pictures.  (And I sort of forgot to take some.)  You can use your own homemade frosting for this part, but just be sure to get the right proportions.  Maybe make it with store bought frosting once so you can get to know the texture of the cake balls.  I made these once and added way to much frosting and it was NOT fun.


2. Melt your candy melts in a sauce pan or double broiler.  Do not get it too hot, just barely melted.  If it is too hot, it starts to "fall off" the cake pop and it will not look smooth.  Get your cake balls out of the fridge.  Pick up a cake ball and notice that there is a flat spot.  This is where you will put the lollipop stick.  

Dip your stick, about an inch deep, into the chocolate.

Insert the stick as far as you can into the cake ball without it poking out the other side.  The chocolate acts as glue to make the stick stay in.  It will pool a little on the outside, but this makes it easier to dip.

Place your pops back on the cookie sheet and let the chocolate dry.  By the time your get all the sticks in, the first ones will be set and ready to dip.

3. Now you are ready to dip.  It is best to use a deeper and narrower pan.  I had to sort of hold mine up while I dipped.  Hold the stick, dip at about a 45 degree angle.  This will cover about 1/3 of your cake pop.  The pool of chocolate comes in handy here because you do not have to dip as deep.

Lift the pop out of the chocolate, rotate the cake pop about 1/3 of the way around and dip again. 

Rotate OUT OF THE CHOCOLATE and dip one more time.  Your pop should be covered.  DO NOT stick the pop in and twist it in the chocolate.  This will twist the stick out.  I have done this A LOT so don't make my same mistake.  DO NOT tap the pop to try to get off extra.  Just twist it, once you pull it out, and stick it in your foam holder. 

I poked holes in this foam before I started.  It is essential to drying your pops nicely so don't try to make these without it.  I bought this piece of foam at a baking supply store.  It is a cake dummy.  Before the chocolate drys you can add sprinkles if you want.

4. These do not take long to dry.  Maybe 20 minutes if it is not too hot in your house.  Pull them out, stick them in little bags, and tie some ribbon!  Enjoy!