Third time's a charm: cake pops

 The first time I attempted to make cake pops, they turned out like this: one hot mess.

The second time around, equally as frustrating and equally as not-appealing. Nonetheless, you cannot mess up the flavors of cake pops. Regardless of what they look like, they will taste delicious!! How can you go wrong with cake + icing + dipped in chocolate? It's moist and just plain old GOOD.

I tried one more time making these, for my 2 year old daughters birthday. I called my friend Lesley, who is a professional, and got some tips and step by step instructions on how not to mess these bad boys up. The result? Well, they weren't ugly!! My baby girl's cake ended up looking like so:

Ok, so this isn't a recipe per se, more like my instructions on how not to mess these up. I am using basics ingredients: all pre-made stuff :)

You will need:

• 1 cake mix, baked according to package directions and cooled
• 1 container of icing (I used Betty Crocker's, 453 grams or 1 lb jar)
• Candy melts (you can buy these at bulk barn, or at Michael's and their brand is 'Wilton's)
• About 50 sucker sticks (also bulk barn or Michael's)
• A foam block (to stick the cake pops in to dry)
• Patience

Step 1: Making and rolling the dough

See the heart shaped one? I was thinking Valentines Day!

1. Once your cake is cooled, crumble it up into a large bowl. Yes, destroy it, and make sure your hands are clean.
2. Add about half of the icing into the cake crumble. Get your hands in there and mix it all up. What you want is play dough. Not too moist, not too dry. I ended up using almost 3/4 of the jar of icing.
3. Roll up the "dough" into balls or other shapes. My downfall with my failed cake pops were the size of the balls. Make them about the size of a ping pong ball, maybe even a tad smaller, or else it will fall off the stick when you're dipping them later.
4. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place your cake balls. Cover then with plastic, and refrigerate them until they're cooled (about 1 hour).

Step 2: melt it up and dip the sticks

1. Melt a package of candy melts as the package says. In the past, I over micro-waved these. Follow the directions: place in a bowl, and microwave on 50% power for 1 minute. Mix. Microwave at 100% power in 30 second intervals, until they are just melted. (tip: use a tall narrow glass, or glass measuring cup so that the candy melt mixture is deep enough to dip the cake pops in, it makes it much easier).
2. Dip a stick in the candy melts, then insert it into the cooled cake ball, about 3/4 of the way through. Repeat with all.
3. Wait until the candy melt hardens before moving on to step 3.

Step 3: dip the pops

1. Hold the cake pop by the stick, cake down, and dip into the candy melts. Tilt it if necessary to cover the entire cake pop.
2. Tap it gently on the side of the bowl, until all the excess candy melt has come off (patience needed here).
3. If you plan on decorating it, this is the time while it's still wet. I haven't explored this area much, I've only done sprinkles.
4. Stick the cake pops into the foam block to dry.

Well there you have it. These take time and patience, but the results are delicious and a fun way to do cake...plus, no plates or forks necessary!

Or, you can just order them from those who do this well and professionally! 

To the left, are cake pops made by my canadian friend Lesley.
You can contact me at bonappetisters@gmail.com if you want her contact information to order from her, she serves the Ottawa, Ontario region only at this point.

My friend Natalie has a US based business, and ships all over the US. You can find her amazing cake pops at http://nataliescakepops.blogspot.com.