let's get poppin'.

cake pops.

they're a hot item. i blame bakerella. {seriously, though, i want to be bakerella.}

and, i suppose we can all channel our inner bakerella. {watch out, i might say bakerella again....bakerella, bakerella, bakerella...}

where was i? oh, yeah...cake pops.

whenever i talk about cake pops {or cake balls, too, for that matter} i'm always asked, "how do you make them?" there are a gazillion & one tutorials for cake pops on the internet, but i'll share with you my version. it's not fancy. it's actually kind of easy. but, i'll warn you now, it does take some practice. i'm definitely not at the level that bakerella is, but i can certainly scoop, roll & dip pretty darn well if i do say so myself.

• first of all, decide on a flavor of cake & frosting. you could do this with scratch made everything, but let's be real here: store bought mix & frosting works well - very well - for cake pops. {it's all about the k.i.s.s. principle.}
  
• bake the cake per the directions on the box. once the cake is baked, let it cool. {you can bake the cake the night before you make the pops if that is easier.}

 {why, yes, i jacked up the top of my cake. thanks for noticing!}

• crumble the cooled cake into a bowl. you can do this by hand, but i prefer using a fork {or two}. if you do this by hand, make sure you take off any rings because your hands will get messy. oh, and be prepared to wash your hands...a lot.

• once you have the cake completely crumbled, add the frosting. how much to add is up to you. i personally think that using a whole can of frosting is way too much, so i use no more than half of a can. just eyeball it and gauge how much frosting to use by how "gooey" you want your cake mix to be. {there was a "moist balls" joke in there, but i refrained.}
  
• mix the crumbled cake & frosting mixture well.

• now comes the fun part: scooping & shaping the cake balls! i own this pastry scoop & i love it. if you don't have a scoop, no worries! just make balls about 1" to 1.5" in diameter. you could go bigger, you could go smaller. just remember, you want it to be bite size {cake pops are usually eaten in about two bites}.
  
• as i roll out the cake balls, i like to set them on a baking sheet.

• if you were making cake balls, you would begin dipping them at this point. but, since we're making cake pops, there are a couple of extra steps to take...
  
• in a small bowl, i melt a little bit of chocolate. this will help me get the lollipop stick to stay in the cake ball. simply dip the end of a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate & then insert into the cake ball.

• once i get each stick inserted into a cake ball, i place my tray of "naked" cake pops into the freezer to chill for a bit. you don't want to leave them in there for too long because bad things can happen to frozen cake pops when you dip them {the coating will crack & the cake will "ooze" out of the crack}.

 {the cake pops look dark because i used the flash...sorry!}

• as the "naked" cake pops are chilling, i like to make preparations for dipping. when i first started making cake balls & cake pops, i would only use almond bark for dipping. now, i use candy melts. it's so much easier to melt the candy in the microwave than it is to set up a double boiler and melt the almond bark on the stove. but, it's your preference.
  
• keep in mind that the candy can get funky it spends too much time in the microwave.
  
• also, i like to thin my melted candy with a little bit of veggie oil {or you could use crisco}. this also makes it glossy.

• dipping is fun, but can be very frustrating. trust me. i've effed up plenty of cake balls & cake pops in the couple of years that i've been making them. word of advice: be patient.
  
• i like to keep my dipping bowl on an angle, so i fold up the end of a pot holder. that seems to work well & allows me a nice pool of melted candy to dip the cake pops. as i dip a cake pop, i make sure that i get all the way around the cake pop {twist the pop as you dip}. you also want to make sure you get the bottom completely covered as well.
  
• another good step is to get off any excess melted candy either by lightly swirling the cake pop over the bowl or gently tapping the cake pop on the side of the bowl or on your finger.

 {..."when i dip, you dip, we dip..."}

• if you're not going to use any sprinkles to decorate your cake pop, place it immediately into a foam block to set up. i found my foam blocks {floral foam, y'all} at the dollar store.
  
• if you are going to embellish with sprinkles or other fun stuff, do it now while the candy is still wet.
  
• if you want to really go crazy, you could always melt another candy melt color & use a small squeeze bottle to make squiggles & other designs.
  
• bottom line: have that foam block ready for dipped cake pops that need drying time. 

• don't get frustrated if you see small cracks. that ish happens. besides, it's going to be eaten.
  
• once your cake pops are finished, you can display them any way you wish. although it's a pain, i prefer to use small bags over each pop tied with a coordinating ribbon. it beats the heck of out trying to display them {which i haven't mastered the art of just yet}.

so there you have it. my version of how to make cake pops. it seems long & complicated, but the more you make them, the easier they become.

oh, and just so you know, a box of cake mix typically makes about 48 cake balls or cake pops {it depends on how big or small you make them}. for this tutorial, i only made twelve cake pops. because i made a small cake for the pops, i used the rest of the batter to make cupcakes...

any questions? just ask!

and, here are a few pictures of other cake pops i've made in the past...