Forget cupcakes. Cake pops are just as tasty and a lot more fun to make. Cake pops are sweet lollipops made from cake. They were created by blogger Bakerella and you can now also buy them at Starbucks and at the bakery. You can also easily make them at home, which is a lot of fun to do. Cake pops are ideal for parties and both children and adults will be happy to bite into cake instead of hard candy.
Ingredients
- Cake mix of your choice (or bake your own cake)
- glaze
- Chocolate to melt (choose between milk chocolate and dark chocolate and melt some white chocolate if you want to decorate the cake pops)
- White chocolate tablets (optional)
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Making cake pops
Step 1. Bake a cake
It doesn't matter what kind of cake you make. Choose the flavor you like best.
Step 2. Let the cake cool completely
After removing the cake from the oven, let it cool completely before making cake pops.
Step 3. Using your hands or a spoon, remove the cooled cake from the pan and place in a large bowl
Crumble the cake so that you get small crumbs. You can use an electric mixer or your hands for this. Make sure you only have crumbs left over.
This is fun to do, but it does get your hands dirty. If you have children, they will probably enjoy doing this for you. However, make sure their hands are clean. Of course you don't want to eat cake pops that have dirty fingers on them
Step 4. Choose a flavor frosting you like
Add about half of it to the crumbs. Make sure you get a doughy texture again. Add more icing if necessary. Make sure everything is mixed well and that all the crumbs are covered with icing.
Step 5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop small balls out of the mixture
Make them round with your hands. This way they will become less sticky. Make sure to make all perfect little balls. The balls should all have the same shape and be the same size when you dip them in the chocolate.
Step 6. Place all the cake balls on a cookie sheet with parchment paper on top
If you don't have baking paper, you can also use greased aluminum foil. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up the balls.
Step 7. Melt a little chocolate in a bain-marie pan
It is recommended to use the same chocolate that you cover strawberries with.
You can also use crushed white chocolate tablets as the outer layer if you prefer
Step 8. Dip a lollipop stick in the melted chocolate and then insert the stick into a ball of cake
Insert the stick just about half way into the small round ball, and just far enough to keep the ball firmly on the stick.
Step 9. Dip the cake balls in the melted chocolate
Step 10. Set the cake pops aside to let the chocolate harden
Step 11. Dip the cooled cake pops one more time in the melted chocolate
This way you can be sure that they are completely covered with chocolate. Now proceed very carefully. The balls should not fall apart or fall off the stick into the chocolate. Gently tap the edge above the chocolate to remove any excess chocolate.
Step 12. Add sprinkles, icing or other decorations as desired
Step 13. Stick the cake pops in a block of Styrofoam to show them
Step 14. Continue this until you are all set
You can then melt a little white chocolate, if you like. Place the chocolate in a plastic bag and cut a hole in the corner. Decorate all cake pops with melted white chocolate as desired. This step is not mandatory, but it is a great way to write someone's name, the name of a sports club, or draw pictures, patterns and symbols.
Step 15. Chill the cake pops in the refrigerator
This keeps them firm and fresh until you eat them.
Step 16. Enjoy your meal
Method 2 of 2: Making other types of cake pops
Step 1. Make creamy coconut cake pops
These are simple, unique, creamy and delicious cake pops. Because they taste so good of coconut, you will want to eat more of them.
Step 2. Make cake pops with s'mores
These heavenly cake pops are great as a dessert to eat with your family, as well as for when you go camping. Chocolate-loving family members will love these cake pops.
Step 3. Make cake pops in the form of blueberry muffins
These very tasty cake pops contain the right amount of blueberries to give them a delicious taste.
Step 4. Make cake pops with chocolate milk powder
Sometimes you just need to add a little bit of chocolate to cake pops to make your mouth water. Serve these cake pops on a cold day along with some hot chocolate.
Step 5. Make chocolate and peanut butter cake pops
These cake pops or balls allow you to use your cake in a unique way without having to adjust the recipe and replace ingredients with something else.
Step 6. Make apple and cinnamon flavored cake pops
We all know the apple cinnamon cake, but you can also make small balls out of it for your cake pops. These sweet treats are very suitable for autumn and to give to guests.
Step 7. Make French toast cake pops
Who would have thought that you could make simple and special cake pops with the taste of French toast. Prepare yourself for a delicious combination of flavors.
Trying to solve problems with your cake pops
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The cake pops do not stay on the sticks.
Remember to freeze the cake pops before sticking them on the sticks or they will just fall off and fall apart. Fresh cake is too soft to sit on a stick. Another tip is to spread icing on the end of the sticks. The glaze is a kind of glue, so that the balls stay put when you stick the sticks in it. The balls should stay in place better and stop falling off the sticks.
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There are cracks in the cake pops.
It's okay if your cake pops crack. You can easily cover the cracks with icing or melted chocolate. However, when you put icing on your cake pops (or eat them without icing) you will see the cracks, and they don't always look pretty. Make sure your cake pops aren't too big. The bigger your cake pops are, the harder it is to really make them round like a ball. Cake pops should be about the size of munchkins. If you still see cracks, you may not have added enough icing to the cake crumbs before rolling the balls. Add 125 ml frosting and try again.
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The cake pops are too sweet.
This is due to the cake itself, or to the icing. If you made the cake and icing yourself, make sure you added the right amount of sugar and vanilla. If you've used ready-made cake and icing, it's best to try making your own cake and icing or buy new cake and icing from the store. Sometimes too much sugar is accidentally added to something in the factory. Putting too much fondant or sprinkles on your cake pops can also make them too sweet.
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Cracks appear in the melted chocolate layer.
Sometimes the heat can cause cracks in the chocolate if you overheat the chocolate before dipping the cake pops in it. Leaving your cake pops in the freezer for too long will cause the chocolate to crack due to the cold. When the chocolate on the cake pops has hardened in the freezer, take them out immediately. Do not let the chocolate melt too long. You just need to make sure that the chocolate becomes liquid.
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The litter falls off the cake pops.
Don't forget to apply litter or other decorations immediately while the layer is still wet. Have the sprinkles ready at your workplace before you cover the cake pops with chocolate.
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Air bubbles appear in the freshly applied chocolate.
It often happens that air bubbles form. The oil or butter you used will try to run out of the cake pops and cause air bubbles to form. Air bubbles cannot be prevented unless you do not use any butter or oil at all. However, they do cause the fat to run out of the cake pops, so they don't taste as good. Use a toothpick to pierce the air bubbles while the chocolate layer is still wet. The fat will then remain in the cake pops and they will still taste good.
Tips
- Experiment even more after you make these cake pops. Try making animal shaped cake pops with ears, beaks and whiskers. You can also make cake pops with people's faces.
- You can also cut a straw in half to use as a stick.
- To make it even more fun, try using different types of chocolate, hazelnut and peppermint.
- You can cover cake pops with many different ingredients, including different types of frosting. This chocolate-coated version is just one of many delicious cake pops.
- You can use two kinds of cake mix together, such as chocolate and vanilla, if you like.
- It's a good idea to have your cake pops tasted by an honest friend or family member so that you can honestly hear how they taste.
- Try making a marble cake so that you have a spiral and nice patterns on the inside of your cake pops.
- You can make more luxurious cake pops with culinary paints and other cake decorations.
- Do not leave the cake pops in the freezer for too long.
- You can buy a cake pop maker at many stores, such as Blokker, Mediamarkt, Expert and other large stores in household items. You can buy them on the internet at Bol.com and other web shops for cooking supplies. Most devices are relatively cheap and cost between 20 and 40 euros.